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This would look good on the ramparts...

By The Armorer on September 7, 2007 | | Comments (11)

A Saxon wall-gun, circa 1680. It's a volley gun, i.e., all barrels fired simultaneously.

Saxon Wall gun, circa 1680

For a closeup of the muzzles, click here. This sucker was rifled.

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11 Comments

By Parrothead Jeff on September 7, 2007 8:32 AM
John, Very cool piece of history! Having used percussion lock weapons and posessing a working knowledge of the method of operation of the flint lock mechanism's principles of operation I still can't figure out how the flame was to travel to all the touch holes. Also, I wonder how you would know that one of the barrels did not fire and might go off due to a "hang fire" ?
 
By John of Argghhh! on September 7, 2007 9:04 AM
Jeff - there was a channel full of powder under the socket the barrels fit into. And... you didn't. Hence, they weren't all that popular, but they were really intended as one shot weapons to clear the top of the wall while reinforcements arrived.
 
By hdw on September 7, 2007 10:35 AM
I don't think I'd want to be anywhere on the wall when that was fired.
 
By Chuck Simmins on September 7, 2007 10:39 AM
It took a moment for me to realize that the name of the gun did NOT imply it was used to shoot at... well, you know.
 
By John of Argghhh! on September 7, 2007 1:19 PM
The Sassenach, Chuck? BTW - in response to a question on the post that was actually posed in meatworld... caliber of that monster is 13mm.
 
By guy on September 7, 2007 1:39 PM
"This sucker was rifled" Why? Wouldn't a punt gun work better for its intended purpose?
 
By John of Argghhh! on September 7, 2007 1:53 PM
Well, yes and no. As for *why* it was rifled, I dunno, the designer didn't consult with me. I suppose you could have used it against artillery crews advancing in a siege. As for a punt gun, that depends on the fortification you are defending. Since all the punt guns I've seen are essentially duckbills in that the barrels aren't parallel, you might prefer concentrated carnage alone the merlons vice spreading shot and potentially hitting your own troops.
 
By Ride Fast on September 7, 2007 4:20 PM
It would make sense to have rifled barrels so you could shoot down the length of the wall. Then any shot that didn't hit a someone coming over the wall would continue downrange more accurately and get some more invaders.
 
By The Bookman on September 8, 2007 12:08 AM
IIRC, there's a certain association with this site, and the KC area. That being said, I thought I'd mention the J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum in Claremore OK. http://www.state.ok.us/~jmdavis/arms.html I went there several years back, and the collection of firearms is nothing short of staggering, IMO. Everything (IIRC) from matchlocks to Maw Deuce, bur just wandering around sent me into stimulous saturation, so I can't provide particulars by memory. Well worth the price of admission, IMO. Claremore is also the home of the Will Rogers museum, FWIW. Another interesting place, but i have a taste for museums. Feel free to contact me, if you'd like. Regards, Rusty the Bookman
 
By The Bookman on September 8, 2007 12:10 AM
IIRC, there's a certain association with this site, and the KC area. That being said, I thought I'd mention the J.M. Davis Arms & Historical Museum in Claremore OK. (That's about 4.5 hours from KC, give or take.) http://www.state.ok.us/~jmdavis/arms.html I went there several years back, and the collection of firearms is nothing short of staggering, IMO. Everything (IIRC) from matchlocks to Maw Deuce, bur just wandering around sent me into stimulous saturation, so I can't provide particulars by memory. Well worth the price of admission, IMO. Claremore is also the home of the Will Rogers museum, FWIW. Another interesting place, but i have a taste for museums. Feel free to contact me, if you'd like. Regards, Rusty the Bookman
 
By John of Argghhh! on September 8, 2007 2:45 PM
Been to the JM Davis, Rusty, back when I was stationed at Fort Sill. They have a tank, too, and an interesting collection of hangman's knots. Used ones.
 
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