French rimfire single shot cane gun with stepped bamboo shaft housing a metal barrel. The side of the metal firing mechanism is marked "BREVETE S.G.D.G." which is an abbreviation for Sans garantie du Gouvernement, a disclaimer required by the government of France stating that it does not guarantee enforcement of the claimed patent. To operate, unscrew the wood handle a couple of turns to withdraw a pointed end that keeps the handle rigid when tightened, rotate the decorated metal collar to reveal the cocking mechanism, then pull the wood handle downwards, pull the end of the threaded cocking mechanism back and lock it to the rear by rotating the decorated metal collar to the left. Load a rimfire cartridge by unscrewing the barrel about three inches below the top end of the "bamboo" shaft. After screwing the section back in, it is ready for fire after removing the brass tipped wood ferrule from the muzzle end. To fire, rotate the decorated metal collar to the right to release the firing pin. Provenance: The Larry Mattson Collection