Baboon Pirates

Scribbles and Scrawls from an unrepentant swashbuckling primate.

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Location: Texas, United States

Friday, January 25, 2013

Bring Enough Gun!

OK, This May Be Overkill...

Just in time for the weekend, here's an oddity from Ze Churmans.

Back in the day, the Krauts had aspirations of colonizing Africa. While this rifle predates their era of steaming around big African lakes in light cruisers and bothering Charlie Allnut, some Hun shlepped this UberboomenKanone through the brush in an effort to shoot Der GrauenLongenBuglerSchnoot for its ivory.

The rifle is dated 1844, with Munich engraved as the likely place of origin.

It's a verdamnt monster.  Can't say for certain how much it weighs, but I'd be surprised if it was any less than 25 lbs.  The dollar bill gives you some idea of the bulk of this thing.





Interesting lock on the beastie.  First, you yank out the locking key, conveniently lashed to the gun so you don't lose it. You throw the lever down & forward, and it cranks the entire breechblock upwards. It's kind of like the Hall Carbine on a massive scale.




Once the breechblock is raised, you stuff in a sheisseload of black powder (10 drams?) and what looks to be a Brunswick Rifle-style of belted ball.  Then, throw the lever to lower the action, stick the locking key in place, put on a percussion cap and hire a couple of gunbearers to tote the thing until you see Jumbo.

Caliber looks to be at least .75, and probably the driving bands exceed an inch in diameter.  That's a lot of lead!



If you want this big bullet-flinger, bring some cash.  It's a mere $10,750 at Collector's Firearms!