inverted flintlock pistol

[beowulf]

Department of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Yesterday at 2:01 PM · New York, NY
This rare pistol may not be the prettiest thing in the world, but it is nevertheless distinguished by the creative ingenuity of its design, particularly its inverted flintlock. This repositioning of the ignition mechanism is emblematic of London gunmakers' pursuit of inventive methods to improve upon traditional firearm design. Joseph Egg, one of the preeminent gunmakers active in London in the early nineteenth century, patented the configuration in 1813, likely drawing inspiration from a small group of German rifles made in the 1750s which also featured inverted flintlocks. Benefits of the inverted lock included a cleaner sightline down the barrel and a downward-directed flash that allowed for improved vision when firing. Ultimately, Egg's design failed to gain popularity and few firearms of this type were made. Today, only three inverted flintlocks by Egg and Henry Tatham, a gunmaker with whom Egg partnered from 1801–14, are known. **Featured in our new show, The Art of London Firearms** #metarmsandarmor #armsandarmor #themet #LondonFirearms #pistol #firearms #JosephEgg #Egg #London #ingenuity #creativity
Flintlock Pistol with Inverted Lock. Joseph Egg (1775–1837) and Henry Tatham (1770–1825). British, London, ca. 1813–14. Gift of Charles M. Schott Jr., 1917 (19.53.49) @ The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

[hotfxr]

I like that one! It's different enough to suit my, "ahem", esoteric proclivities.

[beowulf]

I like that one! It's different enough to suit my, "ahem", esoteric proclivities.

or in other words ," get some strange looks when stepping up to the firing line !"  it is an interesting piece !

[Watauga]

Wow beowulf ! I have turned Heartless Upside down to see if she would fire,.. and yes she does quite well!! I had heard that a well tuned Flintlock would fire upside down,... And some do it as a test to see how well the lock is preforming....But that pistol must have a awesome lock to be made that way!!

[Hanshi]

I like it.  All the upside-down lock guns I've seen in the past were true "underhammer" guns.  This is ingenious.

[Patocazador]

I bet I'd have a hard time keeping 4F powder from leaking out of the pan.

[bmtshooter]

Maybe an Australian design.

[beowulf]

Maybe an Australian design.

[Hanshi]

I can sorta understand why it failed; much too odd.

[flintboomer]

I bet I'd have a hard time keeping 4F powder from leaking out of the pan.

If the pan was properly fitted it shouldn't be a problem, but nobody seemed to believe that at the time.
I had read about them in the past and that they worked quite well but only a few were made because they weren't "logical".
They were too different from the accepted norm.