Quote:
Originally Posted by urbanspaceman
How odd. I was just,last week, wondering why firearms were not present on this forum but supposed a forum called Viking Sword told it all.
Is there an interest in firearms?
I have some interesting pieces with late 1800s USA history.
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When we began this forum in 2008, we set the scope of arms discussions to cover virtually all historic times and forms of arms and armor, and within reasonable inclusion through the end of the 19th century. In most cases weapons beyond the turn of the century become modern militaria, and despite exceptions in certain cases , fall into that category.
While my interest lifelong has been swords, growing up in the west it was hard not to be aware of the gunfighters, and the modern 'paladins' (Richard Boone, "Have Gun Will Travel") whose duels were with guns.
A curious exception was the 70s classic "Master Gunfighter" with Tom McLaughlin (Billy Jack) set in Spanish California with the caballeros strapped with holstered revolvers....AND wearing SAMURAI katanas!!!!!
Hooray for Hollywood! quoting the words of one screen writer.
The Viking sword title was emplaced by the founder Lee Jones, whose key interest was in, of course, Viking swords. The scope of interest broadened to ethnographic weapons and that title prevailed, though the IT address remained Vikingsword.
When the ethnographic denominator became too restrictive, the European (intended collectively to all arms outside ethnographic) Armory was begun.
The keris forum was intended to tend to these intensely specialized weapons, but of course discussions on them tend to transcend the categoric barriers, as of course often happens between European and ethnographic.
So yes, firearms, at least as I recall from the inception of this forum, were always intended to be part of the subject matter included for discussion.