British officer's blunderbuss pistol

[Raf]

So why might Wallis choose to have himself depicted holding an extremely rare German all steel Wheelock pistol from about 1550 ?
Answer George Wallis was a celebrated Antiquary and Gunsmith who established a museum at his Mytonngate premises by 1794 displaying not only weapons but coins, ores and petrifications. The weapons included the all -steel Brunswick wheelock pistol shown in the portrait.