Receiving antiques from grandparents or other older relatives can be a great way for us to understand what daily life was like in the past.

Antiques often have stories behind them that provide us with firsthand information about history.

All antiques are interesting, but old guns are particularly fascinating. Guns have changed so much over the years, and it’s amazing to see what they used to look like.

One man was searching through his grandfather’s old tool box when he came across an incredible antique gun. It looked so different from modern guns that he didn’t even realize it was a firearm.

The gun is a palm pistol, which is a great self defense weapon because it works well up close and it’s easy to conceal. This particular palm pistol is one of only about 13,000 of its kind.

Most of them have been lost, so this man’s discovery was featured on an interesting segment of Antiques Roadshow.

On the show, the man explained that his great grandfather was the original owner of the gun, but his grandfather inherited it when his great grandfather passed away.

His grandfather thought it was just a tool, so he stored it in his tool box and soon forgot about it. Antiques Roadshow appraiser Gary Piattoni said, “It’s a pretty cool little gun. And it’s kind of a novelty.”

The gun was manufactured by the Chicago Arms Company and was popular as a self defense weapon in the early 20th century because of mob activity.

The man who discovered the palm pistol received about $2,000 for the antique, and he seemed pleased with the deal.