Aaron, thank you for that detailed explanation of how this system works. I also read the very interesting article you wrote. But it still seems like it must have taken some very careful machining and hand fitting to attain a fairly effective breech seal. I say that because the rosettes appear to be rather thick, so it seems unlikely that they would be as effective in breech sealing as the much thinner modern brass (or steel) shotgun shell heads.
I suppose a less than perfect breech seal would not be any more problematic in the Pauly handguns than the powder gasses escaping from the cylinder gap of a percussion or modern revolver. But it might be more of an issue with a shotgun or rifle where escaping gasses might hit the shooters' face. Of course, you mention that this system was a relatively short lived chapter in the evolution from muzzleloaders to cartridge firearms. Considering that short span of what must have been pretty limited production, it must have been difficult for you to even locate examples to study and share with us. I'm thinking that I could have possibly seen some of these components, and had no idea what they even were. The information on the compressed air ignition system was also very interesting. Great stuff! Thank you very much.
