Queen Anne Style Pocket Flintlock Pistol

Small pocket arms such as this pistol incorporated barrels that could be unscrewed for loading. They were initially developed circa 1650 and could be carried in a belt and used for close-in fighting by infantry officers. Screw-barrel pistols required additional time to load than did muzzle-loaders, but they were much more accurate and had a higher muzzle velocity due to their rifled barrels.