Jonathan Ferguson of the Royal Armouries explores the history and design of duelling pistols, revealing that many 'duelling' features were simply good pistol design, and the term gained popularity later. He discusses how some pistols incorporated hidden rifling, like 'French rifling,' to provide an unfair accuracy advantage while appearing smooth-bore, contradicting duelling rules. The video highlights a specific cased set of Mortimer & Son percussion pistols from circa 1820-1822.
This video features firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson discussing a unique pair of pocket percussion pistols. These peculiar firearms were designed with a single barrel to circumvent 19th-century Italian laws restricting concealed weapons. The Royal Armouries, the UK's national collection of arms and armour, presents this historical and legal insight into firearm design and regulation.
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