WHAT IS THIS?

[DuncaninFrance]

A friend showed me this saying it was an old starting pistol that was owned by his sister who is about 55 years old I think.
It seems far too small for a starting pistol to me being only 4¾" / 120mm long. The butt is so small it seems to be more of a child's toy gun.
It appears to be .22 rimfire, a solid barrel and a vent hole above the chamber which would be just long enough to take a .22 blank cartridge.
The chamber has an extractor lever on the RHS which can be pulled back to eject the cartridge.
The other marks on the frame appear to have been made by a vice or some such tool.
So, anyone got any ideas?

[Niner]

It's a mystery to me....but according to Gunmarks, by Balderson JGA is a gunmark denoting J G Anschutz GMBH Waffenfabrik.

[Aughnanure]

It falls into the category of 'Ladies Purse Pistol' and the .22 ones are usually chambered for the .22 BB Cap (Bulleted Breach Cap) the smallest of the .22 rounds.

Not in the same league as the .44 Magnum but still better than nothing and as they were loaded with black powder they made a satisfying bang and flash and at point blank could hurt like hell and also could be fatal if the entry point was the eye or the ear.

Safe to fire with original loadings but make sure that the main spring is strong as it is what really holds it shut when fired.
Not a target model.

4.750" is a bit on the big side, the last one that I measured was 4.175" and 2.405" in height, didn't have a hammer though, so say 3.000" *with hammer down.


* One must be precise, you know.

[DuncaninFrance]

Eoin, check this out. http://www.gunstar.co.uk/Starter-Guns/- ... 64656.aspx
It is most definitely a starting pistol I think as the barrel is solid and there is a large vent hole at the front of the chamber.
I just sent copies of the pictures to Alan Trigger of the Club Little Gun http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge/a% ... e%20gb.htm so lets see what happens.

[A square 10]

it is an interesting handgun to be sure , never find these items in the places i haunt , must need to fi nd new places

[Aughnanure]

Duncan,

Sorry about that, I missed seeing the vent hole and thought that you were referring to the overlarge clearance for the firing pin.
All the ones that I've seen have been bored in the barrel and some even rifled.

I'd now put the one that you showed in the 'Child's Toy' box. Back before WWI there was a different outlook on these things
All the photos that I've seen of races being started in the 19th C showed normal pistols being used.
Possibly the Starter's own weapon

[DuncaninFrance]

Well maybe and maybe not.
I got this reply from 'Little Gun' site

Hello,

Pistol of cyclist, also called “sparrow pistol” or even “VeloDog”, or “pistol of factor”, caliber 6mm bosquette, unrifled bore, manufactured to thousands of specimens in France about 1895-1905 and exported in all Europe. With the purchase of…., you receive a small pistol "cyclist" in premium!!

There exists about it of all the sizes and models, some have one ejector and a guillotine breech.

These ejector and guillotine being able to be provided with levers of all sizes.

Some do not even have that, it is necessary to remove the drawn cartridge with a stem by the interior.

The majority manufactured in France or Belgium, were sold "in white" in Germany, and were tested in Bremen. U surmounted of two crowns is the official punch of Bremen and means “untersucht” (tested).

Little looked after completion, but folklore obliges. These things were sold by whole baskets on the markets and were offered in premium to any purchaser of a bicycle.

These small guns, of which some have a barrel going up to 20 cm and present sometimes an acceptable completion are amusing to collect, there are tens of alternatives.



Your were manufactures by J. G. Anschutz (JGA)

And this from another Forum I moderate on.

Late 19th Century German (DRGM Deutsches Reich Gebrauchsmuster - German Reich Registered Design: German Patent system before 1949) Startpistole (Starter Pistol) by JG Anschütz (JGA vertically in an oval)