Rare 17th or 18th-century all-steel jailer's key gun. A rar...

Estimate

£2,000 - £3,000

Rare 17th or 18th-century all-steel jailer's key gun.

A rare early jailer’s key-gun, likely late 17th to early 18th century, forged entirely of steel. The object combines a large bowed jail key with a concealed single-shot firearm, typically smoothbore and matchlock or early flint/boxlock-style ignition integrated into the shaft.

The barrel runs longitudinally through the key body, with a discreet trigger lever beneath and a rotating or hinged pan/cover near the bit, allowing the piece to function outwardly as a key while serving as a close-range defensive weapon. Such key-guns were carried by jailers or guards as last-resort arms, designed for surprise and compactness rather than accuracy, and are extremely scarce due to low production and heavy institutional wear.