Original French 19th Century .22cal Rimfire Flip-out Knife Pistol with Corkscrew Trigger & Ivory Grips – Circa 1875 – As Seen on History Channel Pawn Stars Original Items

This very knife pistol was featured and test fired on an episode of History Channel’s Pawn Stars in April 2024. You can watch it on the episode below:

Original Item: One of a Kind. This is a most unusual and very impressive 19th Century French rimfire Flip-out Knife pistol, most likely made circa 1870. We have only seen a few of these, and they very seldom are available on the market. The design is essentially a single shot pocket pistol combined with a flip-out pocket knife, and actually works almost equally well as both. It has some lovely ivory grip scales on either side, which have matured beautifully over the past 150 or so years. The pistol barrel originally had decorative “niter bluing” spiraled around it, which is still mostly retained on the left side. Really a great looking and interesting weapon.

As a gun, the weapon has a rather interesting design, which utilizes the cork screw as a trigger. To release the cork screw, the hammer / breech needs to be pulled back, which causes it to flip out. The hammer can be returned to the forward position to just use the cork screw, or it can be pulled back all the way to use it as a pistol. There is no half cock position for the hammer, and the ammunition is loaded directly into the back of the barrel, which is then struck by the hammer when it moves forward. This essentially means that there really is nothing to hold the small .22 cartridge in place when the gun is cocked, and also that it cannot be kept in the chamber. To alleviate this issue, there is a small compartment in the “grip” of the knife pistol, where the cartridges are stored.

As a knife, it has a flip-out blade actuated by a small lever on the lower left front, which is a bit difficult to move. The blade flips out quickly and locks into place firmly, with the sharpened edge upwards. The blade release must be pushed down again to return it to the closed position, Please note that the blade spring is VERY strong, and the release can be hard to move, so we definitely recommend that it be opened and closed with the UTMOST of caution, preferably with heavy gloves and at arms length.

A very rare and wonderful piece, well worthy of further research and full of display potential!

NOTE: This knife pistol is definitely considered a “Switchblade”, so check local laws before ordering.

Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: circa 1870
Caliber: .22
Ammunition Type: Rimfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 4 inches
Blade Length: 3 3/4″
Overall Length (Closed): 5 1/2 inches
Overall Length (Open): 9 1/4″
Action: Single
Feed System: Single Shot