A turn off pistol

[Fernando K]

Hola, gbxfb y fernando:

Ahora recuerdo que el número 21 también está punzonado en el martillo. El cañón está rayado (rifled) y presenta en la boca 4 muescas, para introducir una herramienta, normalmente en el molde de balas (turqueza, en castellano). No hay lugar para la carga de pólvora en el cuerpo, de modo que deduzco que el cañón (barrel) solo se desenroscaba para limpieza y la pistola seguía siendo de avancarga.

gbxfb:
¿Que se entiende por "imperial bore size?, ¿se refiere a número de balas por kilogramo?

Próximamente subiré las fotografías.

Afectuosamente. Fernando

Hello, gbxfb and fernando:

Now i remember that the number 21 is also stamped on the hammer. The barrel is rifled and has 4 notches in its mouth, to introduce a tool, normally included in the bullet mould (turquoise in Castilian). No room for the powder charge in the body, so I gather that the barrel will only be unscrewed for cleaning, remainig a muzzleloading gun.

gbxfb:
What do you mean by "imperial bore size?, Are you referring to the number of rounds per kilogram?

I will upload pictures soon.

Affectionately. Fernando

[fernando]

Hi Fernando

Originally Posted by Fernando K

gbxfb:
What do you mean by "imperial bore size?, Are you referring to the number of rounds per kilogram? ...

gbxfb is surely referring to the bore (gauge) system, which is the number of bullets (balls) per pound. Assuming that your pistol caliber would be 21 bore, that would correspond, as he says, to an approximate 15 m/m caliber.
You can check the caliber of your pistol barrel, although i personaly keep thinking that the 21 is a number and not a measurement. Now that you say that you also see it in the hammer, i would not further suggest that its purpose is the barel/body marriage but that of assembling the various components together, among the several ones made in each lot.

Before production automation was developed, each same gun part was not precisely equal to the next one, so the different components of each gun that were subject to work with precision, were hand adjusted to each other during the making process; this assured that, after the various parts being diverted to finishing treatments, final control and the sort, the number in each component would allow to join back the parts that were tuned to function together.
These numbers usualy seen are very low, as this hand making process was repeated in limited production lots.
Please consider this approach as a suggestion, and not as an exact statement . The process i have described did indeed exist, but i can't guarantee that your number 21 in associated to that.

[Multumesc]

Nice gun. It is a pocket gun from the early 19th century, is manufactured in series and not used in duels.