Getting a shotgun or rifle to fire has always been tricky, and since the earliest day of firearms, makers have come up with countless ways to make a gun go bang.

At the beginning of the 19th century, most handheld shotguns and rifles used flintlocks to ignite their pcharges. But in 1807, the Reverend Alexander John Forsyth developed the percussion method and changed everything.

By the 1820s, Forsyth’s system had evolved into percussion caps, which were ideal for sporting guns. Simple to use, reliable in almost any weather, and quick to fire, the percussion cap’s perfection marked the end for flintlocks and the way forward to the next generation of firearms – the centerfires.

The firearm you see here is sort of the platypus of shotguns. Part percussion and part flintlock, it looks like it was made to handle whatever shooting situation a hunter might find himself in.

20g Charles Jones “Flint-Cusssion” SxS shotgun: This is a rare and exceptional experimental dual ignition shotgun made by Charles Jones circa 1835 who was the Gunmaker to HRH Prince Albert.  This is a 20 bore muzzle loading gun with an interruption switch to block the platinum lined flintlock touch hole to fire percussion caps. Overall length is 45″ with 28.5″ barrels and LOP 14.5″. The gun has definitive London Black Powder proofs and features a wrist escuthcheon with the initials “CJ”. Possibly an experimental shotgun or a commissioned piece to offer a “belt and braces” approach to the “new” percussion caps and would offer the traveller a solution to travelling overseas where percussion caps might be difficult to acquire. The quality of workmanship is superb. Price: $18,250

Pics Courtesy of Pembroke Fine Arms