This early to mid-19th century pistol has a smoothbore barrel designed for a muzzle loaded needle fire cartridge. The overall barrel measurement is 8 inches, but the actual depth from the muzzle to the firing pin is 5 3/4 inches. The barrel has a notch front sight and a dished rear sight. It is fitted on a full length walnut stock with crosshatch checkered grip with leaf borders and a flared butt with a flat buttplate. The cocking lever, trigger guard, buttplate, and breech have floral engraving. The barrel is marked with "N. DREYSE'S PATENTIRTE ZUNDNADEL PISTOLE/FABRICK VON DREYSE & COLLENBUSCHE IN SOEMMERDA" followed by a scroll accent. Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse was a pioneer in breechloading firearms, but his first cartridge firing "Zündnadelgewehr" or needle gun was a muzzle loader as were several that followed. Dreyse is more famous for the breechloading rifles that used his needle fire system and cartridges which were first used in the May Uprising in Dresden in 1849. Thereafter, the "needle gun" changed military tactics forever as soldiers with these weapons could fire faster than their muzzle loading adversaries and fire and reload while prone. Dreyse's designs helped pave the way for famous metallic cartridge firing rifles including the Mauser and the countless military rifles that followed.

Very good. Considerable fading original blue finish remains on the barrel and the balance has a gray patina and some light spotting. The breech has an aged patina, and the remaining components have a gray patina. The period revarnished stock is also very good with crisp carving and checkering, a few small chips, and some scattered minor dings and scratches. The action functions fine. The engraving patterns and the markings are distinct. Rare with the full Dreyse barrel address.