To load one of the pistols unscrew the barrel and insert the first ball. Then add powder followed by the second ball. Screw the barrel back on. But wait you say, there is no black powder behind the first ball. Right!

Now we are ready to fire. Full cock the pistol, take aim and fire. Half-cock the pistol and rotate the flash pan knob fully to the left. Close the frizzen. Full cock the pistol, take aim and fire. If you did everything right you just fired two shots without reloading. If not you may be on your way to the hospital or something worse.

Superimposed Queen Anne Pistols like these are very rare. The barrels resemble cannons and have unscrewing lugs. The walnut stocks have inlaid silver wire with relief carvings around the barrel tang, silver escutcheon and silver side plate. The silver Ball and Cheek butt cap has a detachable Grotesque Mask. a silver knob on the flash pan rotates to slelect the proper touch hole. "PICKFATT" is engraved on the side of the breech below the feather (frizzen) spring. Three proof marks are stamped on bottom of breech. Two are oval shaped, a Crown over a "GP" (the gun-makers proof) and a Crown over a "V" (the "view mark"). The third is Charles Pickfatt`s maker`s mark, "CP".