Category: All About Guns
“The Axe Pistol of Grand Duke Ferdinand De Medici (1549-1609) Looks cool though…..”
Let’s face it, from the very beginning that the cavemen sharpened stones and turned them into spears and arrows between 4,000 and 3,300 BC, we’ve come so far. When the Industrial Revolution from the mid-18th century entered, weapon designs and engineering were no longer just sticks and stones but rather more on advanced, sometimes-too-complicated, never-before-seen guns, swords, explosives— really, your imagination is the limit. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? We’d say both. With that, here are some badass-looking but not too useful weapons designed, some even dating back even before the revolution.
AX PISTOLS
Is it an ax? Is it a pistol? It’s both!
The oldest record of the design was in the middle of the 16th century, combining wheel-lock pistol and conventional ax. The idea was popular among the wealthy noblemen who could afford elaborate mechanical curiosities. This German-manufactured ax-pistol was made of all steel with a hollow shaft of the ax serving as the pistol barrel, while the lock was placed to the outer side. Its shaft had a touchhole bore to it where the trigger was fitted. Its grip terminates a hollow pommel, formed by combining two hinged halves that more likely served as storage for pyrites, wadding, bullets, and the likes. The S-shaped ax blade was fitted in the forward end of the shaft. As The Met wrote:
The ax-pistol is first recorded in the Medici archives in 1589, when it was in Ferdinand’s private armory (armeria secreta) in his residence at the Palazzo Pitti, Florence. There it was clearly described, including the grip, which is now plain, as having been covered in black velvet with fringe of black silk and gold. The entire weapon was stored in a case of black leather furnished with black velvet cords and tassels of black silk and gold.
They were also used by the Polish and the Swedish cavalry in the 1700s. The main issue with this undeniable cool-looking weapon was that the ax head could hinder the shooter’s ability to aim and fire with accuracy. Also, because of the combination, ax-pistols were heavy. Add the fact that its stock shape was awkward to use for ax-wielding, given its sheltered pistol.
VILLAR PEROSA
The Pistola Mitragliatrice Villar Perosa M1915 was an Itlaian submachine gun chambered in 9 mm Glisenti. It was originally designed for a second crew member tasked to observe military planes but was later issued to the ground troops after its chambering was deemed ineffective in stopping enemy planes. It was made with two barrels acting as machine guns with two thumb triggers in a butterfly grip equipped with only 25-round magazines with a high rate of fire of over 1,500 rounds per minute. Still, its power was not sufficient in terms of shooting down aircraft. They tried to utilize it by attaching a shield for the infantry, but due to its inefficiency and the Italian losses during WWI, they decided to dismiss and halt its production entirely.
PLUG BAYONETS
It’s awesome to have a 2-in-1 weapon, for sure. But not when the second one hinders and plugs the first function of your weapon as in plug bayonets. As the name suggests, the idea was that soldiers would have a backup as they closed in the enemy lines. They could plug these bayonets in the muzzles of their slow-loading guns so the gun would be nothing but the handle of their pike with no way of shooting unless you removed it again. Thankfully, this was phased out and replaced with a socket-style bayonet that allowed for dual use as it was only fit around the muzzle of the gun. Yeah this one I never understood…..I guess I am glad they had inspiration…..Hated to put a plug on my M16………
In my humble opinion – Oh Hell No! Grumpy
Categories
RARE Sturmgewehr STG44
REVEALED: Highland Park parade shooter bought Smith & Wesson rifle online then picked it up from a local store
- Crimo bought his Smith & Wesson M&P 15 for between $700 and $800 online on a website Buds Gun Shop
- He then picked it up from Red Dot Arms, a store in Illinois 30 miles from his home
- It’s unclear exactly when he bought the gun but he did so legally with a FOID card
- He purchased other weapons from the same store, according to police
- Crimo is now in custody on seven murder charges
Highland Park parade shooter Bobby Crimo bought his Smith & Wesson rifle online then picked it up from a local store
Highland Park parade shooter Bobby Crimo bought his Smith & Wesson rifle online then picked it up from a local store.
The 21-year-old had been quizzed by police twice in the years before Monday’s massacre, but he was still able to legally purchase the Smith & Wesson M&P 15 for between $700 and $800 online on a website Buds Gun Shop.
He had it delivered to Red Dot Arms, a store 30 miles north of Highland Park.
The owner of that gun store insisted to The Daily Beast on Wednesday that he filled out all of the necessary paperwork to link Crimo to the weapon – writing down the serial number, his name and his address.
Crimo had a valid FOID card to purchase the weapon, which had been signed by his father. The FOID card was issued by the Illinois State Police.
‘We meticulously do the paperwork. That’s, that’s our job. That’s what we do to track,’ the man said on Wednesday. He declined to give his name.
He added that when the shooting happened on Monday, the store was closed for the July 4th holiday.
When police contacted him, he raced to the store and produced the form which related to the serial number that was on the gun Crimo dropped at the scene.
Crimo had his gun delivered to Red Dot Arms in Illinois after buying it online from a Kentucky website called Buds Gun Shop
It’s unclear what kind of checks the website Bud Guns Shop performs before selling weapons to online customers. It is still advertising July 4th specials
Crimo was able to legally purchase the Smith & Wesson M&P 15 for between $700 and $800 online on a website Buds Gun Shop
It’s unclear what kind of checks were performed by the website to purchase the gun.
The Daily Beast cited unnamed police sources who say he bought other weapons from the gun store.
Buds Gun Shop did not immediately respond to comments about what kind of checks were performed when he bought the weapon online.
Crimo appeared in court virtually on Wednesday to be charged with seven counts of murder.
He said nothing other than to confirm that he did not have a lawyer, and to ask for a public defender to be assigned to his case.
Tributes to the seven people who died in the massacre were left along the parade route
The 21-year-old shifted on his feet and looked side to side throughout the brief hearing.
Crimo will return to court on July 25th for his preliminary hearing.
Police have still not been able to determine a motive for the crime, but say he had an obsession with the numbers 47, which is 7/4 inverse – the date of the attack.
His parents have not been charged but they have retained a lawyer who on Tuesday night spoke out in their defense, insisting they did ‘nothing wrong’ and that there were no ‘red flags’ to report.