Posted on 05/10/2012 7:20:41 PM PDT by TurboZamboni
Practicality may not be something shooters think about all the time; if that was the case, .50-cal rifles would be a lot less popular on the civilian market . However, while we may look at some guns and think, “Now why would anyone need THAT?” chances are the Herculean handgun that looks like it was hauled in by a flatbed trailer doesn’t hold a candle to some of the most impractical handguns in history. Whether they were too costly to make or just plain ineffective, here are eight of the most impractical handguns in history.
(Excerpt) Read more at gunsandammo.com ...
I think the strategy for using that gun would be to simply hand it to your attacker. He might miss you, but he would certainly destroy himself with the recoil.
I don’t know why that 20 round revolver is in the list, or the Le Mat. Both of them are useful.
Ever try an AMT Hardballer?
"Made by the French (of course it was)...almost every facet of this weapon seems utterly useless."
Much like the French, actually.
Of all the items in this roundup, I’d have to say the LeMatt’s probably not one I would have chosen. It’s not to say there’s not some really bad design in the system...
From personal experience, the gun fowled something awful rather easily - getting through all nine shots in the cylinder was something of a miracle with the amount of fowling that would gather on the central pin. The loading lever was weak and poorly designed, and the central smoothbore is better suited as a deadman cylinder than anything else.
I personally shot a patched roundball from the ‘shotgun’ more often than not. And could not ever imagine trying to ride and not have the ‘shotgun’ load dislodge.
But all in all, the other seven are real stinkers, whereas the LeMatt can actually hit a target.
I have one. I guess buying it just seemed like the thing to do at the time. Never carried it.
GYROJET. I fired two rounds in 1966 from a Gyrojet pistol when Bob Mainhardt and Art Biehl came to an Army Post to test their weapon. No recoil, a slight warm breathe on your hand from the jet, fair accuracy. Really nice guys.
An idea before its time. Too bad.
"The .88 Magnum...it shoots through schools."
That’s the Polish copy of the Russian Nagant. Apparently the blueprints were folded in the mail.
Anybody who does not want their LeMat can sell it to me.
I’ll Pony up $250 to take it off your hands.
Ever try an AMT Hardballer?
***I have one. I guess buying it just seemed like the thing to do at the time. Never carried it. ****
I’ve had two. The first was a jammer. The second worked perfectly. I still have it.
why is the old lady making the devil horns sign?
AF2011-A1:
“hey dawg I heard you like guns, so I put a gun on your gun”
Never saw that movie. But that was one of the pistols on the table. Thanks. (I’ll ask Mrs TaMoDee to look for a CD copy on the net.)
Yeah. A friend had a new one that he had never really fired. We took it out to start breaking it in. It didn't feed well at all.
After 40+ years, one would think that its time might have come by now. :=)
Many years ago, in the Turkish Military Museum in Istanbul, I saw a collection (!) of duckfoot pistols. One of them had 9 barrels, covering 180 degrees. I guess you were just supposed to kick open the door and pull the trigger.
The Lemat was a fearsome weapon and they saw heavy use. A buddy of mine has an original.
I can’t believe that that pistol made the list, but no mention of any pinfire weapon...
Might need a few more years -—— Who knows. It took 1000’s of years to get the idea of a Chinese rocket to a successful Moon rocket.
;-P
I’m no expert, but the LeMat sounds like a handy pistol design to have for unexpected close encounters with snakes and other small varmints.
One that would make my list in the LeMat’s place: the FP-45 “Liberator”. Neat idea, but the intended use never really came to pass.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FP-45_Liberator
BTW, the Liberator has the unique (as far as I know) distinction of being the only handgun that takes longer to fire than it did to make. It was expected that loading and firing the single-shot weapon would take an average of ten seconds, and the Anderson, Indiana company that made them clocked an average production time of about six seconds to complete the assembly of the stamped parts on each weapon.
You laugh.
Google “Maadi-Griffin Pistol”.
And while you’re at it, look up “Mossberg 590 AOW” (a 12-gauge pistol), “Mosin-Nagant pistol” (there’s a few cut down to that size), “Stinger pen gun”, “Any Other Weapon examples”, and “Swiss mini-gun”. They’re all real.
Good point.
Where’s the Dardick pistol with its triangular plastic “trounds” (”the firepower of an automatic with the simplicity of a revolver”)?
How about the German “Reform” pistol with its four stacked barrels in .25 cal? Flat for carrying in evening wear.
Or the Mossberg .22 “Brownie” pepperbox?
Then there’s the Jap Nambu Type 94 pistol which could be fired by pressing its external sear? Great for false surrenders.
Finally, the Whitney Wolverine .22 pistol with its swept back space age looks? Lots of weird ones out there.
I thought this was a joke but found it’s the Taurus Chief Justice. It also is capable of 3 1/2 12 gauge magnum shells. Pretty awesome firearm. I wouldn’t want to shoot one.
Great gun, I’ve been buying them for a lot of my liberal friends.
Le Mat was a beautiful pistol. Definitely the prettiest of it’s time. I always wanted one to play with. They even used one (because they are so pretty) in “The Twelve Monkeys”. Who cares if they got dirty? Ever shot a cap and ball? They ALL get dirty. That’s what grease is for.
Buddy bought one of the Nagant revolvers for a hundred bucks, action is a little weird. It looks nice and is in near new condition, came with a holster and other accessories. He shoots handloaded reformed .32-20 cartridge cases in it.
More than a few, the Obrez for decades was a favorite cheap assassin weapon and the rural bandits really liked it.
http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/attachments/powder-keg/27934d1261021480-mosin-nagant-obrez-9130.jpg
Despite a few plot problems, it is one of my favorite Bond movies.
I've always thought that the LeMat was the type of handgun that I would have carried had I lived during that era ...
used to have a Serbu Super Shorty.
basically a 12 GA pump pistol.
I have one. It shoots a variety of ammunition, .32 S&W, etc., but ruins the cases. The original ammo is pretty pricey.
If the makers of any of these guns were buying advertising in G&A, they’d write articles about what great guns they are. The popular gun mags are devoted entirely to advertising.
You could do worse. Spanish instead of French, for instance. One revolver, made in Spain, 3 barrels, 18 shots, 3 firing pins, .25 ACP pistol cartridge.
That one just screams out, “Seriously, Get Off My Lawn.”
Both Nathan Bedford Forrest and Jeb Stuart used the things, in pairs as saddle guns. Both infantry generals Stonewall Jackson and *Wild* Patrick Cleburne used them as a single holstered weapon.
Stop the vehicle, or I will scratch your paint!
A flamethrower!
Kinda like Car and Driver is devoted to advertising cars... Or Scientific American is devoted to global warming?
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