Any body ever heard of a dueling pistol with “an edge.” I’m coining the term here. The “edge” means the pistol is constructed with some kind of advantage for the shooter (duelist.) Supposedly in the Old World, the sport of pistol dueling became in fashion. First utilized were big bore pistols. The fashion to avenge ones insult by drawing blood and not necessarily dispatching or creating great ghastly flesh wounds became a more Gentlemanly way dueling. Smaller caliber pistols/duelers became more “sporting.” Somewhere along the line smooth bores where out, rifled bores in, and some say smooth Bores were preferred by more demur Gentlemen of the sport. “The Edge” dueler was Developed by some unscrupulous individual that had a barrel with shallow rifling at The rear portion of the bore and free bored (smooth bored) at the front. I ran into one Of these type pistols 30+ years ago at a local muzzle loading shoot. The shooting event utilized a long arm and side arm primarily with rifle/fowler/pistol/revolver all being
eligible and Handicapping implemented for use of certain type weapons. More handicap points for smooth bore, none for rifled bore. Enough of the handicapping at this time. Any way one pistol (an original) was suspect as being one of the so called “Duelers Edge” pistols. It was entered as a Smooth bore. Range officials looked at it and it was highly suspect. Back then no one had a little bore light that could be dropped down the bore for inspection. And from what could be deduced from the front of the barrelit looked like a smooth bore. The firing range was full of spent patches and those who Looked for tell-tale rifling indications on spent patches from said pistol were with-out consistent proof. THE QUESTION IS ~ Anybody have an info on this type of pistol? How far down the length of a 10-12 inch pistol barrel would have to be rifled, what turn, and how shallow (depth) the rifling. This pistol for a smooth bore would out shoot any other smooth bore pistol there. Enough, that if some one was shooting it at you melon (head), at 25 yards your days might be shortened.
eligible and Handicapping implemented for use of certain type weapons. More handicap points for smooth bore, none for rifled bore. Enough of the handicapping at this time. Any way one pistol (an original) was suspect as being one of the so called “Duelers Edge” pistols. It was entered as a Smooth bore. Range officials looked at it and it was highly suspect. Back then no one had a little bore light that could be dropped down the bore for inspection. And from what could be deduced from the front of the barrelit looked like a smooth bore. The firing range was full of spent patches and those who Looked for tell-tale rifling indications on spent patches from said pistol were with-out consistent proof. THE QUESTION IS ~ Anybody have an info on this type of pistol? How far down the length of a 10-12 inch pistol barrel would have to be rifled, what turn, and how shallow (depth) the rifling. This pistol for a smooth bore would out shoot any other smooth bore pistol there. Enough, that if some one was shooting it at you melon (head), at 25 yards your days might be shortened.