I knew I had seen the thumb slide gun somewhere before: Christies auction of part of the Emil Rossner collection in Nov 2001.
The Charles Jones Patent Waterproof Percussion Gun. Here is a little on Mr Jones from IGC, followed by the auction catalogue description and photos:
Name Charles Frederick Jones
Other Names Charles & Frederick Jones; Charles Frederick Jones
Address1 26 St James's Street
Address2 26 St James's Street and 32 Cockspur Street
City/Town London
Country United Kingdom
Trade Gun & pistol maker
Other Address 16 Whittall Street, Birmingham.
Dates 1822-1845?
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Charles Frederick Jones was the son of John Jones of Manor Row, Tower Hill (an armourer in the Hudson's Bay Company from 1785-1793). Charles was born in about 1800, and in 1814 was apprenticed to John Mason. He became a Freeman of the Gunmakers Company (by patrimony?) in 1822.
He was recorded in business at "Near the Helmet", St Katherine's, as a gun and pistol maker in 1822, and it seems his brother, Frederick William, joined him soon after the business was established. He was not recorded again until 1829 when, probably in addition to the St Katherine's premises, he had an address in Pennington Street, Ratcliff Highway. At this time his brother left to set up his own business. In 1831 he opened a factory in Birmingham at 16 Whittall Street. In 1832 he was recorded at 26 St James's Street.
On 7 March 1833 he patented a percussion lock with a cock, tumbler and trigger made in a single curved piece (concentric sears and triggers), and a waterproof sliding cover (No. 6394 in the UK but also patented France), and on 12 June 1833 an improvement with separate triggers and sears (No. 6436). The caps of these Jones patent guns fitted on to the hammer noses and had the fulminate on the ouside. This system was called centre-fire, and they struck the nipple and ignited the powder in the chamber.
In 1838 Charles Jones described himself as a "Patent and General Gunmaker", and later as a gun manufacturer. At about this time the firm had a shop at 32 Cockspur Street. There is no record of the firm in London after 1845, and the Birmingham factory may have closed in 1843, but Charles Jones was a member of the Acadamie de L'Industrie de France and the firm may have traded after 1845.
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Tim
