Have you seen an Animal Trap Gun c1850 like this one?

Jim McDougall · 11th July 2016, 04:21 PM

I wish I could Dana! It was something I came across online some time ago, and was so esoteric I just saved it. As mentioned in other posts here, it seems a bit 'over kill' (no pun intended) and not especially effective.
This thing was so rustic, and in a word 'spooky' it just caught my attention

As you noted on that Navy Colt.......I sure wouldn't have it in some trap, needs to be in a 'buscadero' on my hip!!

dana_w · 11th July 2016, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

I wish I could Dana! It was something I came across online some time ago, and was so esoteric I just saved it. As mentioned in other posts here, it seems a bit 'over kill' (no pun intended) and not especially effective.
This thing was so rustic, and in a word 'spooky' it just caught my attention

As you noted on that Navy Colt.......I sure wouldn't have it in some trap, needs to be in a 'buscadero' on my hip!!

I think I found it Jim.

"One of the only known surviving examples of cemetery guns is on display at The Museum of Mourning Art at the Arlington Cemetery of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. Museum curators date the gun to 1710, making it one of the earliest models of cemetery guns. Part of its original rotating pedestal and three rings for tripwire attachment are visible in the photo."

http://www.guns.com/2013/01/29/got-g...-cemetery-gun/

http://www.guns.com/2013/08/06/cemet...fin-torpedoes/

And here is another example of the same style:

Jim McDougall · 11th July 2016, 08:48 PM

Thanks Dana!
Nicely done and much appreciated. Now I can note my notes

Interesting topic here with these unusual items, I recall years ago a favorite book was "Firearms Curiosa", I think by Winant.

Richard G · 15th July 2016, 01:11 PM

Guns of the type posted by Jim and Dana_w are fairly rare but not unusual in the UK where they are known as spring guns. They normally have a mechanism whereby three wires are spread out which when tripped spin the gun in that direction and fire it. They, together with man traps, were legal in the 18th and early 19 centuries as protection against poaching. Remember there is virtually no public land in the UK and game belongs to the landowner whose land it is on.
Land set with spring guns and man traps had to be signed as such, and if not the landowner could be accused of murder.
I believe both remained legal, but I imagine practically only man-traps, if used within a house at night as protection against burglary until the mid 19th Century.
Regards
Richard
PS. Have found this http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrar.../outLXI06n.pdf

11th July 2016, 04:21 PM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,194	I wish I could Dana! It was something I came across online some time ago, and was so esoteric I just saved it. As mentioned in other posts here, it seems a bit 'over kill' (no pun intended) and not especially effective. This thing was so rustic, and in a word 'spooky' it just caught my attention As you noted on that Navy Colt.......I sure wouldn't have it in some trap, needs to be in a 'buscadero' on my hip!!

11th July 2016, 08:48 PM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,194	Thanks Dana! Nicely done and much appreciated. Now I can note my notes Interesting topic here with these unusual items, I recall years ago a favorite book was "Firearms Curiosa", I think by Winant.

15th July 2016, 01:11 PM	#4
Richard G Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 409	Guns of the type posted by Jim and Dana_w are fairly rare but not unusual in the UK where they are known as spring guns. They normally have a mechanism whereby three wires are spread out which when tripped spin the gun in that direction and fire it. They, together with man traps, were legal in the 18th and early 19 centuries as protection against poaching. Remember there is virtually no public land in the UK and game belongs to the landowner whose land it is on. Land set with spring guns and man traps had to be signed as such, and if not the landowner could be accused of murder. I believe both remained legal, but I imagine practically only man-traps, if used within a house at night as protection against burglary until the mid 19th Century. Regards Richard PS. Have found this http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrar.../outLXI06n.pdf