John Gray was a gunmaker from Edinburgh working in Dublin in the 1780s. This pistol is a very interesting and rare example of a superposed load muzzle loading firearm. Two loads are loaded within the barrel, one on top of the other. The tight fitting ball of the second load acts as a gas seal to prevent both loads from going off at once. This technique has generally not proven satisfactory in the field, and the ignition of both loads together could be very dangerous for the user. On this example the pistol has two locks. The right lock has a vent at the front of the pan that leads to a channel along the front section of the lock to a vent hole in the barrel. The left lock is a standard flintlock and has the pan directly aligned with a vent on the barrel. The smoothbore barrel is turned down at the muzzle and has a block front sight for mounting a socket bayonet. The barrel is signed "J-GRAY DUBLIN" on top and has "P/V" proofmarks on the upper left and some bead-work engraving at the breech. The locks have "GRAY" (right) and "J/GRAY" (left) signatures and some scroll and floral engraving. The furniture is brass and has coordinating engraving as well as an acorn finial on the trigger guard. The stock has a slab sided wrist like the dueling pistols of the era and a silver escutcheon inscribed "REL" on the back. Provenance: The Collection of Joe M. Wanenmacher Jr

Very good with mottled gray patina on the locks and barrel, attractive aged patina on the furniture, generally crisp engraving and markings, moderate pitting concentrated on the barrel, and general mild overall wear. The stock is also very good and has some minor hairline cracks and scattered minor dings and scratches. The trigger currently will not trip the left lock; otherwise, the pistol is mechanically fine.