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Originally Posted by VANDOO
I WOULD CLASSIFY THE FIRST PISTOL AS A FLOBERT, PARLOR PISTOL NOT A VELODOG (SCARE DOG). THE VELODOGS WERE USUALLY REVOLVERS AND WERE VERY LOW VELOCITY DESIGNED TO SCARE AND STING RATHER THAN HARM. THE PARLOR PISTOLS OFTEN USED A PRIMER CAP AND THEN YOU INSERTED A BB DOWN THE BARREL. THEY WERE USED INDOORS ON TARGETS FOR GAMEING FOR BEER OR BETS, SO YOU DIDN'T WANT A LOT OF NOISE ,SMOKE OR A DANGEROUS PROJECTILE. INTERESTING LITTLE TOYS 
THERE IS AS MUCH VARARITY IN FIREARMS AS EDGED WEAPONS AND SOME VERY STRANGE ONES OUT THERE. ONE OF MY FAVORITES IS A SUNDIAL WITH A CANNON, AT A CERTIAN TIME A MAGNIFING GLASS WILL FOCUS AND SET OFF THE CANNON. THERE ARE QUITE A VARIETY TO CATCH CHICKEN THIEVES ALSO  |
I had a great miniature brass cannon that was made for me by John Bowditch (probably a relative of yours Mark
) in preparatory school.
The piece was 2 inches long and bored for #6 birdshot. I used 6 flakes of smokeless shotgun powder as the charge and primed the touch hole with powder scraped from cap gun caps.
That little cannon would send a #6 shot through a quarter inch of pine board.
I love miniature guns!