XVIIIth Century Powder Test Pistol

It is a beautiful object of curiosity.
In the 18th century, gunpowders were of variable quality and power depending on their manufacture, and so a “powder test pistol” like this one was used to test them.
The mechanism is identical to that of a flintlock pistol of the same period, with a swan's neck hammer, which works perfectly, it holds both notches well.
The percussion of the hammer sets fire to the powder contained in a vertical cylinder, and the explosion of this one pushes back a lcover plate which makes turn a toothed wheel graduated from 1 to 12.
The stock ends in a cap in "beak of passereau”
Note an old repair that is not very visible at the level of the part of the wood which is under the spring: small glued crack, and also a small glued crack between the counter-plate and the trigger guard. These small cracks are quite common on powder specimens which were sometimes subjected to somewhat violent shocks during the test of too powerful powders.
The trigger guard is made of iron, snugly fitted to the wood.
It is therefore an unusual object dating from the 2nd half of the 18th century, offered at a reasonable price.
Ref BXY-2308