Need help identifying whatever this pistol is?

[rk2p]

I recently inherited a few guns from my late grandfather, one was identified as a 1902 s&w revolver, but this one remains unanswered as to what it is, i am not a gun person but i want to know what my grandfather had, it is a muzzleloader that uses a percussion cap ( i think ) and it looks very old, i would like to know w

hat it is called and roughly when it was made if possible

 

[Rancocas]

well, I'm no expert on these things but I can tell you that it is a percussion and that it was designed for concealment in a pocket, a boot, a lady's hand muff, or whatever. Often generally referred to as a "boot pistol" or depending on how small it is, a "vest pocket pistol". The general style was popular from about the mid 1800's onward.
However, the hammer and trigger mechanism on yours is really very crude. And, I have never seen anything like those curved springs or whatever they are that appear to put tension against the trigger. Brass frame. My guess is it was somebody's cobbled up homemade concoction.
Hopefully some more knowledgeable folks will be checking in on this soon.

 

[hawkeye2]

Those were sold as a kit and a very primitive one at that back in the 60s or 50s. I have seen pictures of the kits and instructions, equally primitive, posted probably here and a long time back but I wouldn't know how to retrieve the post now. Anyway it isn't very old and in my opinion not very valuable either. I don't know if that wire (probably a spring) goes with it and if so it should be inside the pistol and not where it is.

 

[TechMoron]

Those were sold as a kit and a very primitive one at that back in the 60s or 50s. I have seen pictures of the kits and instructions, equally primitive, posted probably here and a long time back but I wouldn't know how to retrieve the post now. Anyway it isn't very old and in my opinion not very valuable either. I don't know if that wire (probably a spring) goes with it and if so it should be inside the pistol and not where it is.

Looks like the wire is holding the trigger in and doubling as the trigger spring. Kitchen table gunsmithing at it’s finest.