Posted on 06/21/2019 3:05:50 PM PDT by Teflonic
I've noticed some discussion over this in various places and figured a genius freeper might have the answer, or at least enjoy speculating.
I would guess that it is a flare gun.
Pistol, maybe a flare gun.
It looks like a phased plasma rifle, in about the 40-watt range.
@ThomasWic@social.quodverum.com
Arkansas nail gun?
A flare pistol is the prevailing opinion but seems awfully large for that, and would be readily identifiable unless it were some sort of experimental prototype.
Ever seen Men in Black???
Eluedium Pew-38 Explosive Space Modulator launcher?
It obviously has a pivot on the main body of the device, which would pretty much rule out it being a gun. It also has numerous sharp protrusions or horns on the corners. They are not likely decorative, but what are they? Hmm.
In front of the trigger and grip, there appears to be a cutout to mount it on a board, or bar of some sort.
It would help if someone could identify the rank insignia on his uniform.
I’d guess that it was a flare gun for either illumination or signalling.
I love this game.
I’m thinking a line-throwing pistol. Looks very heavy duty. Up under the muzzle, it looks like there’s a notch to hook over something to stabilize. I can’t find a similar example though.
Can anyone ID the uniform? British, WWI?
We’re thinking on the same lines. But you were first!
My second guess would be an artillery apparatus. Perhaps something to fire a co-axial sensing round for sighting in the main gun?
We got any Redlegs around here?
Could that be two hammers on the back, for a large barrel underneath, and a smaller barrel on top?
Maybe different signals for attack and retreat?
I'm coming to the conclusion that it's a brilliantly successful British "dirty tricks" distraction photo to be fed to a German spy for transmission back to the Reich, supposedly of a top secret British weapon.
It was intended to waste the time of the enemy's Intelligence department and the country's best inventive minds who would spend their days fruitlessly trying to work out how the darn thing worked and what it was for, instead of concentrating on inventing something useful to the war effort, such as the tank.
I expect that in early 1919 there was STILL a room full of professors in Berlin earnestly saying things like "yes, but what's that hook thingy on the front for?"(in German, of course).
Who knows how many lives were saved and by how much the war was shortened as a result?
Like much WW1 weaponry this photo is still potentially lethal 100+ years later and should be approached with extreme caution.
I'm only partly joking.
Its a thogglotter used for stringing barbed wire at night with the flashlight attachment (on the front).
Supposedly the Irish Royal Ulster Rifles regiment, WWI.
I have never seen anything like it.
It has a trigger, barrel and hammer so it must fire or propel something. It appears too heavy for a flare gun. The weight might be necessary to reduce recoil or handle pressure.
I have no idea.
Wow.
Those were outlawed after WWI.
That’s a Canadian Officer with “The Bisby Puck Thrower”.
They had a motto for that thing....what was it?.....
“Hit a Jerry in the jewels!”
Deadly.
Steampunk photoshop.
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