[Tom2]

A gov't zip gun basically. I would think you could make one in your own garage if you could find the proper sized tubing for a barrel. Or perhaps use that old shot out barrel in your junk box. (If you would want to for some reason. I guess if you wanted to you already thought of it.) I say it is just a museum piece. I would not pay a huge sum for something like that, myself. Just happy enough to see one online or in a museum, and the test fire report is good enough for me, I don't need to try it myself. Might compare it to something like a 19th century smoothbore pocket derringer. Those were used as last ditch defense or such and seemed effective for the job, even though much less powerful and harder to load.