My own personal "Firearms Curiosa"...

Here's a strange looking muzzleloader handgun...circa.1870

There are no identifying markings, but it strongly resembles the early french  Flobert designs in rifles & pistols made throughout the middle of the 19th century, and when compared to the finish of my other antique's with confirmed dates of manufacture, there is no denying that  the age of the lovely patina that coats all the metal parts is as old as 150 years!

I image that this was a talented person's home workshop project, 19th century "bubba gunsmithing"!!! or perhaps someone hired the local gunsmith to build this piece from a damaged Flobert rimfire rifle or rimfire shotgun?

This is a .50 caliber smoothbore barrel @10 inches long.

The "in-line" percussion system is ahead of its time, and the pistol appears to be built from modified Flobert rifle parts, including the cut down wood stock.

I have safely & successfully shot a muzzleloaded .50 caliber PVC/nylon  Riot-Ball with a cleaning patch wad, no powder, and  only a #11 percussion cap, and the results were 👍

I felt the velocity to be similar to a 400-500 fps airguns muzzle velocity, but only a chronograph test will tell for sure.

S&W Revolvers

 

Here is my Smith & Wesson no.1½ New Model .32 caliber rim-fire cartridge revolver which was made in 1875.

To reload this revolver, the barrel was designed to "tip up" and then the cylinder could be  removed.

Shells were ejected with the tool found under the barrel of the pistol.

19th century Photographic Portraits of People & their Firearms

19th Century firearms catalog

 

19th century Revolver Advertising never fails to amuse!!!

 Prior to 1900, life for the average person living in America  was extremely difficult and nothing at all like today.

 Feral dogs roamed in packs and when mass production made  the bicycle affordable, more people were able to pedal further and expand their "world", but also increase their chances of facing dangerous situations during a time when an infected cut may be lethal.

Today, some ads like the first one here would cause outrage among the public, but in 1880, it would have been perfectly normal and understandable.