BaltimoreBoy
Member
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2009
- Messages
- 255
Is anyone familiar with British service revolvers of the late 19th century?
I ran into this and have not found anything definitive poking around the internet.
In the very first Sherlock Holmes story, "A Study in Scarlet" Watson tells Holmes that he keeps a "Bull pup".
Nobody seems 100% sure what Watson means.
It doesn't seem to mean a real dog, since it is never mentioned again in the stories.
Some say that it is a slang expression that means 'having a short temper'. That might be good except that Watson is about as phlegmatic as they come.
Others say that it refers to Watson's service revolver.
So...
Does anyone know of a British service revolver of that period that was either properly or informally called a 'bull pup'.
(...obviously the 20th century rifle is not intended here.)
I ran into this and have not found anything definitive poking around the internet.
In the very first Sherlock Holmes story, "A Study in Scarlet" Watson tells Holmes that he keeps a "Bull pup".
Nobody seems 100% sure what Watson means.
It doesn't seem to mean a real dog, since it is never mentioned again in the stories.
Some say that it is a slang expression that means 'having a short temper'. That might be good except that Watson is about as phlegmatic as they come.
Others say that it refers to Watson's service revolver.
So...
Does anyone know of a British service revolver of that period that was either properly or informally called a 'bull pup'.
(...obviously the 20th century rifle is not intended here.)