Looking for help identifying this Japanese Pistol

[ALASKA]

Hello! My husband was given this Japanese's pistol from his grandfather when he had passed.  Trying to find out any background on this weapon.  

 

Any information would be greatly appreciated.  

 

Thank you.

10618C60-8636-40BC-91CD-BA5DB62B50EC.heicFetching info... 292CC40D-5D85-4ED5-8374-10C7942EBCBF.heicFetching info... EADDB639-17DC-496C-A18E-9F0486F301CC.heicFetching info...

[Bugyotsuji]

Can’t see them. Are they safe to download?

[Brian]

HEIC files are not supported ANYWHERE online. Apple needs to stop trying to change what everyone else uses.
Please edit your post and upload regular jpegs. Google will show you how to change your phone from heic, which is a stupid format.

[ALASKA]

Uploaded again.  Thank you for looking.

[ALASKA]

[Bugyotsuji]

It’s a pill-lock (early type of percussion pistol) fashioned to hide within what looks like a ‘Tantō’ (short blade or dagger). These were considered somewhat underhand and would be difficult to register back in Japan nowadays. Collectors in the West like them, obviously. Sometimes called a ‘Shikomi’ because what is hidden inside is not what it would appear to be, like a sword cane/stick with a long thin blade inside, for another example.

 

PS There are some really rough examples out there but your husband’s looks to be in pretty good condition.

[ALASKA]

Thank you!

 

[Curran]

Here I was expecting a WWII pistol.

That caught me a little off guard. @Bugyotsuji thanks for response. I didn't know the Japanese name for these.

 

In one of the more recent Zatoichi films, one of the characters uses one of these pill-locks to discretely dispatch one or two other characters.

 

[Bugyotsuji]

A friend handed me one some years ago saying, "Here, this is for you!"

(The only photo I can find)

 

仕込み銃

Shikomi-Jū 

[Bugyotsuji]

And this would be an earlier open-carry example, so not yet evolved into a shikomi.