The great pistol shot, Walter Winans, was particularly fond of Gastinne-Renette pistols. In his book 'The Art of Revolver Shooting' [lot ] he makes several references to the maker and illustrates both the Gastinne-Renette shooting gallery in Paris and several of the pistols. In his chapter on 'Pigeon Shooting With The Pistol' he has the following to say:- 'Once, as an experiment, Gastinne Renette, the Paris gunmaker, made me a duelling pistol with an interchangeable shot barrel, .32 bore, ten inches long; shooting 3/8 ounce of shot, and 1¼ drams black powder. This shoots wonderfully well. At twelve yards it makes with No. 8 shot about the same pattern as a 12 bore cylinder gun at forty yards with No. 6 shot

'I tried it at pigeons, twelve yards rise, three traps, and got forty-four out of eighty. I had a man with a gun, to kill any hit birds which flew out of bounds. I found I could kill all, or almost all, crossing shots and incomers at least as well as I can with a gun. One bird coming straight over, which I shot leaning backwards, just as it was past me, was a shot I do not think I could have made with a gun'