1800's pocket pistol help Id

[Nuclear_Inc]

Hello, I have recently acquired a pistol exactly and marked exactly like the one in the link below. Its just missing the receiver cover that runs from the top hand to the front end. I want to know If that part was heat treated? My other question is do I really have to unscrew the barrel every time I want to shoot this thing? Can't I just add powder and shot with a ram rod? How many grains of black powder do I use .44 cal. I drew a picture of the part I have to manufacture. any help is much appreciated.

http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=28192

[Junk Yard Dog]

Pedersoli makes that sort of hideout pistol, or screw barrel pistol. It should have had a key that inserts into the rifling of the bore and turns the barrel on and off for loading. If yours is a Pedersoli then you should be able to get a key from them, or any other parts. Yes, you are supposed to load it by unscrewing the barrel, pouring some powder into the chamber until it's full, set the ball on top of the powder and screw the barrel down on top of it. It was a solution to loading these pistols without having to carry around a ram rod, of course keys could get lost.

[Mike]

Pedersoli makes that sort of hideout pistol, or screw barrel pistol. It should have had a key that inserts into the rifling of the bore and turns the barrel on and off for loading. If yours is a Pedersoli then you should be able to get a key from them, or any other parts. Yes, you are supposed to load it by unscrewing the barrel, pouring some powder into the chamber until it's full, set the ball on top of the powder and screw the barrel down on top of it. It was a solution to loading these pistols without having to carry around a ram rod, of course keys could get lost.

That's a pretty ingenious loading method, it prevents loading too much powder and as you said, eliminates the need for carrying and struggling with a ram rod while loading. It also removes the need for Popeye sized arms to ram the ball down the barrel!

[Nuclear_Inc]

This is a 1800's belgian original pistol.

[Ironnewt]

if it's an original leave it as it is and put in a shadow box for display