Travel Box-lock Pistol

Small travel box-lock pistol with side-by-side barrels designed for forced-fit bullets.
The barrels feature a dual profile—faceted at the breech and round towards the muzzle—and are reinforced with muzzle rings, caliber of 10.5mm. They are rifled with four deep grooves to enhance accuracy and accommodate the forced-fit bullet. The breeches house the frizzen assemblies and recesses serving as flash pans, drilled with touchholes to receive the priming powder.
The box-lock frame holds the swan-neck hammers, the safety slide, the dual triggers, and the trigger guard. It bears the gunmaker's signature: "H. PETITJEAN."
The breech sections, frame, and trigger guard are elegantly decorated with scrolling foliage.
The grip is made of brass and finely chased with urns, medallions, and floral motifs.
These travel pistols could be carried fully loaded: bullets seated, pans primed, frizzens closed, and hammers at half-cock secured by the safety slide. To fire, one simply had to slide the safety catch backward and fully cock the hammers.
This piece is in perfect working order, free of rust, and retains a beautiful patina. It has never been tampered with.
Dating from the second half of the 18th century.
H. Petitjean: A gunmaker active in Great Britain, specializing in box-lock pistols. Renowned for his meticulous craftsmanship and the fine quality of his decorative engravings.