They were designed for the South American market. The shop term for them was monkey guns. But, they were actually the last of the percussion trade guns. Dixie imported them to the U.S. but other companies had been selling them in South America for almost a hundred years before that. I have a twenty gauge version, and a friend has a 14 gauge that is identical to mine. Mine is made in Spain, but the 14 gauge is made in Belgium, so I think this is a standardized pattern that was made in several different countries to a specific design just like the old trade muskets.
Hungry Horse