Pistol, double barrelled pocket pistol

This double-barrelled flintlock 'over and under' pistol was manufactured by the gunmaker and sword cutler George Blake. After he went bankrupt in 1791, Blake restarted his business at Gun Dock in Wapping two years later.

This pistol features a brass barrel for use in adverse weather conditions. Double-barrelled pistols gave the user a second shot in the event of a misfire, a risk when using a flintlock weapon in wet weather. The barrels could be fired one at a time using the switch on the side to adjust the tap in the priming pan. The tap was bored with touch holes which directed the spark into the relevant barrel.

Blake had this gun privately proofed at the Tower of London. This was a rival service to that offered by the London Gunmakers' Company. All guns manufactured had to be proofed (test-fired with an overweight charge) to guarantee their safety.