A cyclist pistol

[Philip]

Vandoo,
You're spot on with this one. Some years ago a collector showed me a pair of pistols in a case, very high quality, most likely French, with breeches and hammers identical in design to Fernando's dog pistols. These had adjustable sights, "set" triggers, and the .22 barrels were rifled with as many as a dozen spiralling grooves. Some time later, I saw a German rifle of the same design in another collection, it was a mini version of the familiar single shot Tyrolean "Schutzengewehr" of the late 1800s. Obviously something designed to hit a target with considerable precision, albeit as short range. Too much technology to just keep a pest dog away from you.