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Antique Knife Pistol?

Tara
Hello and thank you for reading this... bear with me if I don't get the terminology right. We found this old thing in my grandfather's closet with some other guns. This one is about 15 inches long and will fire when the knife makes contact with the enemey...
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A local antique dealer called the gun a knife-pistol and I wondered if it was old, who made it and if it was worth anything at all.

Thank you so much for your help and insight,

Tara

hi... would anyone know anything about this old thing, we found it among my grandfathers things. It is about 15 inches long, engraved over most of its surface and appears to fire when the trowel type knife on the tip makes contact with an enemy. Would anyone know anything about this type of thing? Is it rare? Valuable? Worthless?
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Comments

4 comments

Date Votes
  • rufe-snow
    What you have falls into the category known as "Firearms Curiosa". I have found a picture in one of my references that shows a almost identical piece.

    It's identified as being manufactured in India and is a combination Lance Head with a Percussion Boxlock Pistol attached.

    Great care has to be taken with objects such as this piece that emanates from the Indian Subcontinent. Athough they give the appearence of being vintage ( 19th Century ) Military/Paramilitary weapons, they are in fact 20th Century phantasies made for the tourist trade.

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  • Tara
    Thank you very much... we had to wonder because there were other guns with it, one that still had its percussion caps? and belgian marks that the antique dealer said was a belgian boxlock pistol... but we weren't sure about this one!

    Tara
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  • modoc
    I will not go into the age or value as that needs to be done by a hands on expert.BUT will see the logic of the piece.The shape of the blade is really interesting and brings up a reason for the barrel.If you were to stick that blade into a human's ribcage,how would you get it out?With the barrel in that position, you could blow it out. I think that is the reasoning around the whole design. BUT by the time you loaded up for the next foe the fight would probably be over. Not a lot of assailants wait for you to reload.On the other hand the first attacker could be dispatched with the shot and then the rest with the sticker.Very interesting find.I'm envious.

    BILL
    KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY.BUT NOT HOT.....single action S&Ws are keepers
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  • rufe-snow
    Reconsidering my prior post, I have doubts that your Lance/Pistol was ever intended for military use.

    When the British ruled India they hunted large dangerous animals ( Tigers ) in the jungle by sending natives in to make noise and drive the animals out, to where the hunting parties were located in open areas. My feeling is that some of the natives would have been armed with these Lance/Pistols to give them a sporting chance if Mr. Tiger decided he didn't want to leave the jungle, and do some snacking on some of the noisemakers.

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