Throughout history, warfare and self-defence have driven the development of some truly bizarre and weird guns. While many of these designs never saw widespread use, they remain fascinating examples of human ingenuity and, at times, sheer desperation. From pistols hidden in everyday objects to multi-barrel monstrosities, let’s take a look at some of the weirdest firearms of the past.
Blast from the Past: The Weirdest Guns History Has to Offer
1. The Duck’s Foot Pistol
Designed for maximum carnage at close range, the duck’s foot pistol featured multiple barrels splayed outward like a webbed foot. Typically, it had four or more barrels, allowing the wielder to fire in multiple directions simultaneously. This made it a favourite among ship captains and prison guards who needed to control unruly crowds. While it looked impressive, its inaccuracy and bulky design limited its effectiveness.
2. The Puckle Gun
Patented in 1718 by James Puckle, this early attempt at a machine gun was a flintlock revolver cannon designed to fire at a higher rate than standard muskets. It had a rotating cylinder that allowed for quicker reloading, a revolutionary concept at the time. Amusingly, Puckle’s design featured different ammunition for different enemies and despite its ambition, the Puckle Gun was never widely adopted due to mechanical flaws and slow production.
3. The Harmonica Gun
Resembling a musical instrument, the harmonica gun featured a sliding metal plate with multiple bullet chambers. To fire, the user had to manually slide the plate across, aligning a new chamber with the barrel. While it allowed for faster reloading than single-shot pistols of its time, its clunky design and exposure to the elements made it impractical for widespread use.
4. The Revolver Rifle
An odd fusion of a rifle and a revolver, these hybrid weapons combined the firepower of a long gun with the multi-shot capability of a revolver. While promising in theory, they had a significant flaw: the revolver cylinder, positioned close to the shooter’s hand, often caused burns or even injuries due to hot gases escaping from the side of the chamber upon firing. Despite this, revolver rifles saw some use in the 19th century before being rendered obsolete by more advanced repeating rifles.
5. The Turret Rifle
A strange predecessor to modern automatic weapons, the turret rifle featured a revolving, horizontally mounted cylinder containing multiple chambers. It was designed to be manually rotated, providing a quicker reload option compared to traditional muzzleloaders. Unfortunately, this design often led to dangerous chain-fire incidents, where multiple chambers ignited at once, making it a hazard to its own user.
6. The Gyrojet Pistol
Developed in the 1960s, the Gyrojet pistol used small, rocket-propelled projectiles instead of traditional bullets. Instead of relying on expanding gas pressure within the chamber, these tiny rockets accelerated as they left the barrel. While futuristic in concept, the Gyrojet was plagued with problems. The rounds had slow initial velocity, making them ineffective at close range, and their accuracy was unreliable. The high cost and mechanical issues ensured its failure in the marketplace.
7. The Palm Pistol
Designed for self-defence in the 19th century, the palm pistol was a tiny, disk-shaped revolver that could be fired by squeezing it in the palm of the hand. Small, easily concealable, and simple to use, it was popular among civilians seeking a discreet weapon for personal protection. However, its low power and limited capacity meant it was more of a novelty than a serious firearm.
While many of these weapons were doomed to obscurity due to impracticality, they remain fascinating relics of humanity’s ceaseless quest for innovation in warfare. Some were ahead of their time, foreshadowing modern weaponry, while others were simply doomed experiments. Either way, these weird guns from the past serve as a reminder of history’s more eccentric firearm attempts.
Also read: 11 Fascinating Gun Facts You’ll Want To Know
