Duck’s foot pistols are one of the iconic classic “weird gun” categories. This one exemplifies the typical pattern, with four barrels arranged in a wedge, fired simultaneously with a single flintlock action.
Traditionally, these are attributed to people like prison wardens and ships’ captains, who might have to confront mobs of prisoners or a mutinous crew. Whether this is actually supported by historical fact or is just apocryphal communal belief, I do not know…
Ian’s video: [7:37] https://youtu.be/vDvyLuSeJyk?si=
https://www.forgottenweapons.com/prisons-and-pirate-mutinies-the-ducks-foot-pistol/
Or maybe those with exactly four enemies who tend to stand equidistant to one another.