Flobert Parlor Pistol
- Category
- Pistol
- Barrel
- 254 mm
- Weight, empty
- 500 g
- Introduced
- 1845
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Flobert Parlor Pistol is a single-shot rimfire pistol built around the low-powered 6mm Flobert cartridge developed by Louis-Nicolas Flobert in 1845, the first successful self-contained metallic rimfire round. Because the ammunition contained no powder and was propelled solely by its percussion cap, these pistols were quiet and mild enough to be fired indoors, giving rise to the parlor, saloon and gallery pistols popular for target practice in wealthy nineteenth-century homes. A typical example pairs a long round or octagonal barrel with a tip-up Flobert breech and an exposed spur hammer, and was widely copied by makers across France, Belgium and Germany who could not use Flobert's name.
Louis-Nicolas Flobert's 1845 bulleted breech cap let gentlemen and ladies practice marksmanship in a dedicated parlor or shooting gallery without the smoke, noise or danger of a full-power firearm. The design spread across Europe under the borrowed names saloon and parlor gun, and small muff versions were slipped into a pocket or handbag for genteel self-defense.
A generic pattern rather than a single model; near-identical Flobert-type parlor, saloon and gallery pistols were mass-produced in Liege, Saint-Etienne and Germany through the late 1800s. Also chambered in 4mm, 5mm and .22 CB Cap. Considered antiques today.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Flobert
- Category
- Pistol
- Country
- France
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1845 to 1920
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 254 mm
- Overall length
- 390 mm
- Height
- 120 mm
- Width
- 30 mm
- Weight, empty
- 500 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Break action
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 1
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 213 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 27 J
- Effective range
- 10 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Long round or octagonal target barrel
Flobert tip-up breech action
Exposed spur hammer
Fixed target sights
Smooth or checkered walnut bag grip
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 1,909 pistols | 500 g | 794 g | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,911 pistols | 390 mm | 196 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,941 pistols | 254 mm | 102 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,962 pistols | 1 | 8 | Among the smallest capacities |
Answers
Questions about the Flobert Parlor Pistol
How much does the Flobert Parlor Pistol weigh?
The Flobert Parlor Pistol weighs 500 g (1.10 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Flobert Parlor Pistol?
The Flobert Parlor Pistol is chambered in .22 BB Cap (6mm Flobert).
How many rounds does the Flobert Parlor Pistol hold?
The Flobert Parlor Pistol holds 1 rounds.
How long is the Flobert Parlor Pistol?
The Flobert Parlor Pistol is 390 mm (15.4 in) long overall, with a 254 mm (10.00 in) barrel.
Who makes the Flobert Parlor Pistol?
The Flobert Parlor Pistol is made by Flobert (France). It was designed by Louis-Nicolas Flobert.
When was the Flobert Parlor Pistol introduced?
The Flobert Parlor Pistol was introduced in 1845 and discontinued in 1920.
How does the Flobert Parlor Pistol operate?
The Flobert Parlor Pistol uses a break action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
Provenance
Confidence in this record
70%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/flobert-parlor-pistol' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "flobert-parlor-pistol", "name": "Flobert Parlor Pistol", "manufacturer": { "id": "flobert", "name": "Flobert", "countryCode": "FR", "foundedYear": 1845, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-07-19 22:59:14", "updatedAt": "2026-07-19 22:59:14", "version": "bdc42193153c027b3e921385974e04bd5dd39ee98a8274cc82f2ef396373b6ed" }, "category": { "id": "pistol", "name": "Pistol", "description": "Handguns designed to be fired with one or two hands" }, "country_of_origin": "FR", "year_introduced": 1845, "barrel_length_mm": 254, "weight_empty_g": 500, "action_type": "break_action"}