POTD: From That George Clooney Movie -Collette Gravity Pistol
Sam.S 06.10.22
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a really goofy and totally obvious bad business idea. This is a Collette Gravity Pistol. Now, I only say it is a bad business idea because it is modern-day right this second, and something as ludicrous as this just cannot last. These Collette Gravity Pistol(s) and even rifles used a style of rocket ball ammunition. If that sounds familiar it is because we talked about it in the past when mentioning the Volcanic pistols and rifles.
The idea of Rocket Ball ammunition is similar to modern-day caseless ammunition. A lead bullet has a hollow base that is filled with powder and a primer. A Collet Gravity Pistol was capable of holding at least 20 of these bullets in its upper tubular magazine which should tell you how microscopic they probably were. The magazine is loaded at the front. When the hammer is put in half cock the breech block raises and catches a rocket ball with the aid of gravity and then when put into full cock the black falls into place ready to be fired.
“Premiered at the Paris World Fair of 1855, Liege gunsmith Victor Colette combined the form and purpose of a European target or parlor pistol with the function of the American Volcanic repeater. An open gravity feed magazine is mounted on top of the barrel from the muzzle to the breech. The action features a rising breech with a built in loading lever. When the hammer is placed in the half cock position the breech rises up to accept a new cartridge from the magazine and when the hammer is placed in the full cock position the breech snaps down so that the cartridge is brought in line with the barrel, ready for the hammer to strike the cartridge once the trigger is pulled. The pistol used hollow bullets containing their own powder charge and primer which were similar to the American Volcanic bullet of 1854. The serial number is stamped on the lower barrel flat and the left barrel flat has a Liege ELG proof. The frame has a floral scroll engraving. The hammer has a sliding safety. The one-piece grip is fluted with a light carving near the frame and fitted with an ornate iron butt cap.”
Lot 135: Collette Gravity Pistol 40. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved June 8, 2022, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/56/135/collette-gravity-pistol-40.
