Beware The Early 19thC Night Watchman

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Kmaddock

Looks like the trigger is bar I have labeled 1 which activates sear as I have indicated, actions 2, 3 and 4 then follow.
am i correct ?

I know the lamp is british victorian from the 1870-1900 as issued to on the beat police men
I still have my great grand fathers one at home, they used whale oil as the flammable substance.

The torque on firing would have been vicious with the hand being so far horizontal up from the muzzel.

I wonder if it was ever seriously uses

thanks for image

Ken

Yep, I think you've got the firing sequence right Ken; they also made those bullseye lamps on this side of the pond.
It's not mine; I just stumbled across the picture online and thought you fellows might find it interesting.
The bore looks big enough for a load of buck and ball which is what I would reckon the optimum load to use if you only had one shot in close quarters.

[Kmaddock]

Thanks Rick for the posting real interesting gun set up

It is the chimney set up on the lamp that would make it standout as a British police lamp to me

There are lots of "layers" to the chimney so that it would not get too hot on top.

There is a belt loop on the back of the lamp on my example and the police man was supposed to be able to hang the lamp on their belt and warm their hands on the chimney without burning their fingers.

Maybe this was same for you guys on the other side of the pond

we wont turn this tread into a lamp discussion though

cheers,

ken

[Jim McDougall]

Its always fascinating to see these 'novelty' items …...the guys in India thought they had the market cornered on innovation !!! The 'Firearms Curiosa' (from the excellent book by Winant by this title)….were well known with swords with gun barrels mounted and of course the legendary Elgin cutlass pistol......but these novelties are, in a word...…...BIZARRE!


Great topic and well worth more research and examples!


Here is one that always intrigued me...…….the mysterious GRAVE ROBBERS GUN. These were apparently around in the 18th into 19th c. to thwart potential grave robbers (very Edgar Allen Poe) and seems to have operated with trip wires. I think we'll avoid this becoming a thread on graves or robbing too.

[fernando]

No need to change the thread title to "bizarre weaponry" or the like. As long as old guns are in the menu, digression is never a profound one.
That grave protector beast in #8 seems to have an end XVIII French lock, judging by the brass priming pan.
Here is a similar one with a different lock (i guess) from a compendium of solutions to protect fresh graves, a hobby most appealing in a determined period.

And by the way, Rick ...
What type of person would go out with that lamp gun ?


.

[Rick]

Gentlemen, the polite word for that profession is Resurrectionist. Much more suitable for talk at the dinner table.
Now that you mention use Fernando; I think the person going 'out' might be on the receiving end of the barrel.
I think the finger stalls are a nice touch and add a little class to the object.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Rick

... Now that you mention use Fernando; I think the person going 'out' might be on the receiving end of the barrel.

Ah ... you got me

Originally Posted by Rick

.... I think the finger stalls are a nice touch and add a little class to the object...

The officer version; rank and file would have to do with a plain handle .