Walking-stick guns were a British idea of the early 19th century. They offered a means of gentlemanly self-defence in the period following the French Revolution when the carrying of arms in public was increasingly frowned upon, but which as yet lacked an established police force.
This duck-headed ‘Harper Classic’ version is breech-loading and smooth-bored, and used a percussion cap firing system for .32 calibre (8mm) pellets.