Very little is known about back action airguns. The name derives from the cocking lever being pushed forward to cock the gun. Two other specimens of this action are air rifles, one in America marked Conway. The Conway rifles and the Hanson air pistol have identical action areas, even sharing the same very strange trigger guard configuration. Rifle probably by Thomas Conway, Manchester, England 1804-1855. Ref. Wolff (1958), Hoff (1972).
Three previous gun makers could be referred to as "Hanson of Huddersfield": George Hanson (1809) and two Charles Hansons (1833, 1839-1845). A John Hanson (1860-1868) filed a British patent that seems to match the pistol below.
