The most unusual firearms. The strangest deadly weapon in the history of mankind The most unusual small arms

Melee weapons have always accompanied great warriors in their battles. Each country has its own national weapon with centuries of history. Cold steel, a sharp blade can both cause fear and become a loyal defender on the battlefield. As long as there is a story, so much there is a weapon.

Urumi

Let's start with the unusual edged weapons of India, and first of all - this is urumi. The exact date of the appearance of this sword is unknown, but, presumably, it began to be used in the period of the 9th century. BC e. This is a long double-edged sword, which was made of flexible steel. The length was 6 meters.

In the past, it was used by assassins who discreetly wore weapons on a belt, wrapped around the torso. Thanks to the combination of the effect of a sword and a whip, they could deliver slashing and slashing blows. It has earned the reputation of the most dangerous weapon in India.

Pata

Pata is also from India. Initially, this edged weapon was used by the ancient warrior caste - the Marathas. This sword was attached to a plate gauntlet, the design of which made it possible to protect the warrior's arm up to the elbow. The warrior's wrist remained motionless, and all actions with this weapon had to be performed from the elbow.

From the memoirs of a British officer, it is known that the technique of working with stalemate involves rotational strikes with constant movements, and only a few could skillfully wield this weapon. Most often it was used by riders. The length of this weapon ranges from 60 to 100 cm, weight - 1.5-2 kg.

Skissor

Scissor is an exotic, little-studied edged weapon of the Roman gladiators of the same name, which protected the warrior's arm to the elbow, just like the stalemate. In addition, it was quite effective in combat, since it simultaneously delivered serious blows to the enemy and blocked counterattacks.

The length of the skissor reached 1.5 meters, the weight did not exceed 3 kilograms.

lantern shield

This kind of edged weapon belongs to the era early medieval. The shield had a round shape, was made of wood and upholstered in leather. A gauntlet with blades was attached to a small round shield, and in the center were long spikes and a lantern.

It is known that not a single shield was produced by the master until the bulletproof test was passed. To do this, as an experiment, a test shot from an arquebus was made at him. It was used in fights and as a means of protection from criminals on dark streets.

Khopesh

Khopesh is one of the types of cold Egyptian weapons, which were originally made of bronze, later - of iron. It had a sickle-shaped structure and a wooden or metal handle.

Due to the specific shape of the blade, they could disarm the enemy, stab or chop. Sharpening had only the outer edge of the blade. Khopesh is a symbol of the New Kingdom, many pharaohs were depicted with him in the tombs, including Tutankhamen.

Macuahutl

Macuahutl is an ancient Aztec melee weapon, the exact origin of which is still unknown. In shape, it resembles a club with spikes, the length did not exceed one meter.

The base of the makuahutla was made of wood, and sharp pieces of volcanic glass were attached along it. The wounds inflicted by this weapon were terrible: it was possible to decapitate the enemy and deprive him of limbs with one blow.

Kpinga

Throwing edged weapons of the peoples of Africa with several blades. It was used in war and hunting. It symbolized power, human status and good financial position. Several blades increased the area of ​​damage inflicted on opponents. The weapon was thrown horizontally and could kill several opponents at once.

The length of the kpinga was about half a meter. There were many variations of weapons, and the forms could vary.

Tekko-kagi

This is a melee weapon of secret ninja, thanks to which the warriors easily ran up the sheer walls with the help of claws, like a wolverine, or knocked out the blades from the enemy. Its sharp claws protruded to a length of 10 to 30 cm.

Melee weapons inflicted non-healing wounds and left scars on the body.

Shuko

Shuko is a melee weapon of ancient Japanese ninjas. It looks like a spiked ring. They wore it one or two, with spikes in or out.

It was intended for delivering shocking blows and subjugating opponents. Such a weapon could easily kill, especially if lubricated with poison. Shuko was often used by female ninja.

Odachi

Odachi is long japanese sword. The length of the blade was 1 meter 80 centimeters. These blades are very rare, having fallen into disuse as early as 1615.

Then in Japan it was officially forbidden to wear swords of a certain length. Odachi could be used as an offering to a temple or for ceremonial purposes.

Below is a video that highlights the most unusual species melee weapons:

People - strange creatures: we know how to love with equal force, and to wish death the same as we are. We create, which, by its very appearance, makes you shudder. But sometimes things go wrong and a gun is a gun! - can make you laugh, but not drive into a cold sweat. Are you ready to add information about a moped rifle, acoustic crampons and a harmonica pistol to the piggy bank of unnecessary knowledge?

Let's start with the last lethal means: here it is, below. It is called so because of the horizontal magazine. Someone J. Jarre invented this "graceful" little thing. The case was between 1859 and 1862.

Operation Acoustic Cat, a $20 million CIA project! Started in 1960 and ended ingloriously in 1967. Here is a quote from one media outlet of the 60s (probably something like our lobotomized MK, which discovered Lemovsky Solaris on Enceladus today): “In just an hour veterinarian turned a fluffy cat into an elite spy by implanting a microphone in her ear canal and a small radio transmitter at the base of her skull, and sewing a thin wire antenna into her grey-white fur. The goal is to make a living observation machine out of a cat. The feline spy's first assignment was to record a conversation between two men sitting on a park bench where the cat had been taken by the CIA. Instead, the furry just wandered around the park, and then suddenly rushed into a busy street and was crushed by a taxi.

Heavy guns "Gustav" and "Dora", the largest in caliber (800 mm!) And with the heaviest shells (7 tons!). Designed and built by the notorious Krupp firm in the late 1930s to destroy the main forts on the Maginot defense line.

And how do you like this flashlight-pistol, made for secret North Korean agents?

Every hole you see in the photo is actually... a muzzle. A flashlight shoots at the touch of a button.

Dogs trained to carry explosives under tanks or military installations were used in Soviet and Russian army from 1930 to 1996, in the US Army in 1943 and with the Iraqi rebels in the 2000s. Dogs (and even dolphins), no doubt, sorry. Army - no.

Here is what Chris Bishop writes in his Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II: “A serious mistake in training dogs was already revealed in combat conditions. The dogs were trained with the help of Soviet diesel tanks, and german tanks worked on gasoline. The result was sad: the dogs ran towards the familiar-smelling Soviet cars.”

And here is another example of a mini-weapon: a Dyson LePetit six-shot ring protector (22 gauge).

"Tsar Tank" (also known as "Bat", "Bat", Lebedenko's tank, Lebedenko's car; sometimes the "Mammoth" or "Mastodon" variant is also found).

The largest and perhaps the strangest armored vehicle ever built! Appeared in 1914 in Russia. Born by a twilight genius named Nikolai Lebedenko. The tank had the good old shape of a tricycle. Two large wheels with a height of 8.2 m, and there were also two engines, namely, high-speed Maybach aircraft carburetors with 240 hp. with. The big wheels were too heavy, so the tank often got stuck. After several tests, the car remained somewhere in the field and stood there for eight years (!) - until it was dismantled. The photo shows a recently recreated layout.

Vespa 150 TAP - American-made moped with M20 75mm rifle without recoil. True, mopeds were assembled in France, because they were intended for French paratroopers. After the presentation of this hybrid in 1956, nothing was heard about him.

Bomb with... bats inside. This outlandish weapon was created during World War II by the efforts of the US Air Force. Inside were a dozen small incendiary bombs, attached to the tails of the Brazilian folded lips (this is a type of bat).

The bats hibernated in the canisters and woke up in the falling bomb. At a height of 330 meters, the bomb opened.

"Bulgarian umbrella", developed by the Bulgarian secret service and the Soviet KGB. Was used to assassinate Bulgarian dissident writer Georgy Markov in 1978 on Waterloo Bridge in London (UK).

The umbrella had a tiny built-in gun that fired a metal capsule of ricin. Markov, who felt a kind of bee sting, died three days after the shot.

"Project Babylon" - a secret Iraqi weapon, developed in 1988-1990.

Among other good deeds, Saddam Hussein wanted to build the world's largest weapon. "Big Babylon" was supposed to have a barrel length of 156 meters, and its shells were ordered to reach right up to orbit. Ironically, the parts for this thing were made in Europe. In the photo you see only two sections connected together. They are on display at the Portsmouth Museum (UK).

"Who? I?". Chemical weapon with such an extraordinary name was created by the Americans for the French resistance during the Second World War. The idea was as follows: a fighter quietly sneaked up to the fascist occupier and sprayed the contents of the can around him. Do you think that after a while the German fell and died in convulsions? Not at all. The can only sprayed the smell of feces. Oh, those heartless Frenchmen! Always hit on the sickest!

"Kiss of Death" - lipstick-gun caliber 4.5 mm, created in the KGB of the USSR in a "very cold season."

Throughout history, firearms have undergone a wide variety of modifications. Sometimes very unusual specimens became the result of engineering research. We have collected 10 of the most unique models firearms of the past.

Shooting body

The birth of artillery is associated with the appearance in the 14th century of weapons that allowed continuous fire. It was a multi-barreled gun, called "Organ" because of the similarity with the same name. musical instrument- the trunks were arranged in a row, like the pipes of an organ. Such installations had a much smaller caliber. They fired from all barrels simultaneously or in turn. The largest instrument of this class was the organ with 144 barrels. They were located on three sides of the horse-drawn cart. Such weapons were used against both infantry and armored cavalry. The main drawbacks of the weapon was their big weight and long charging time.

Rifle with periscope

In 1915, British Army corporal W.C. Beech invented the periscope rifle. It was assumed that a soldier firing such weapons from a bunker or trench would not be endangered. All Beach did was attach a board with two mirrors to the rifle, arranging them as in a periscope. After the advent of the “made on the knee” rifle, many countries began to develop their own prototypes. One of the most advanced examples was the Guiberson rifle. The periscope sight was removable, and in the absence of the need for shooting from cover, it was easily removed and folded into the butt. The main disadvantage of this weapon was its bulkiness. And besides, the development appeared at the very end of the First World War, so it remained unclaimed.

gun press

The press pistol could be hidden in the palm of your hand, it was not similar in shape to a traditional pistol, and at the same time it held more cartridges. Several models of pistol presses are known. For example, the Mitrailleuse pistol was shaped like a cigar, and to fire it, you had to press the back cover. The Tribuzio pistol had a ring that had to be pulled out to fire.

Disposable pistols

The Liberator pistol was designed for members of the Resistance during World War II. The design has been simplified to the limit so that the pistols are small and easy to hide. If necessary, the pistol could be turned into a bunch of useless pieces of iron in a matter of seconds. There was no rifling in the barrel, and therefore effective range was about 7.5 meters. In the US, these pistols were sold for $1.72.

Another pistol of this class, the Deer Gun, was developed by the CIA in 1963. The pistol was made of aluminum casting, and only the barrel was steel. To load this weapon, the barrel had to be unscrewed and ammunition loaded inside. This pistol costs $3.50.

Pistol knife

Victorian era became the heyday of various inventions. The British company Unwin & Rodgers, which produced penknives, offered an unusual device to protect the house from robbers - a knife with a built-in pistol. The pistol trigger was screwed into the door jamb, the shot was fired automatically when the door was opened. The knife pistols used 0.22 caliber bullets.

Shooting cane of King Henry VIII

King Henry VIII was famous for his numerous unsuccessful marriages and a weakness for exotic weapons. In his collection was a cane with a morningstar on the handle, in which three matchlock pistols were hidden. Shooting cane today Henry VIII can be seen in the museum in the Tower of London.

Pistol on the glove

During World War II, the Naval Construction Battalion was tasked with building airfields on the islands. Pacific Ocean. The work was carried out in the jungle, and enemies could be hiding there. It was then that US Navy Captain Stanley Haight invented the "Hand Firing Mechanism MK 2" pistol, which was attached to a glove and loaded with just one .38 caliber bullet.

Attached firearms

Before the invention of weapons with magazines, inventors worked for a long time so that weapons could fire several times in a row. One of the most dangerous decisions was the overhead loading of rifles. Such a weapon was not widely used, because random error or a contaminated barrel caused the weapon to explode in the hands.

Dagger pistol

The Elgin was the first percussion pistol and the first pistol/dagger hybrid to enter service. american army. Essentially, it was bowie knife with the possibility of a single shot. 150 units of such weapons were issued by the US Navy for members of the expedition to Antarctica. True, dagger pistols did not become popular among sailors because of their bulkiness.

brass knuckles pistol

The brass knuckle pistol appeared in the late 1800s as a weapon that could be used for both ranged and close combat. Such weapons were produced as a means of self-defense for ordinary citizens, but gained particular popularity among street bandits. by the most famous models brass knuckle pistols were the French Apache and Le Centenaire, as well as the American "My Friend".

At the end of the last century, weapons began to appear that could stop a person, saving his life. In one of the previous reviews, we talked about, which can be used both in the fight against terrorists and as a means of self-defense.

Men's fun!

A good whiskey, a Cuban cigar and a sports car in the garage are not paramount, but very important things in the life of any man. In some countries, the list is supplemented by an exclusive unusual weapon. And the more unusual, the better. More recently, the first "smart" pistol appeared on the market, shooting only in the hands of the owner. This prompted us to think about other types of strange, almost collectible weapons.

smart pistol

Armatix IP1

The safety of firearms is no small matter, especially in a country where guns are freely available. New gun Armatix iP1 is designed to solve just this problem: the weapon fires only when it is next to a special watch (which, by the way, is sold separately).

The company that makes the smart gun uses a special RFID chip inside the watch. The Armatix iP1 is a small 0.22 caliber weapon that is currently only available in California.

Tri-barrel gun

Triple Threats

The Italian manufactory Chiappa has long and firmly established itself in the arms market: in certain circles, the name sounds as common as Beretta. New development Italian gunsmiths - a three-barreled shotgun, has a truly lethal power.

Triple Threat surprises with its rate of fire: all three shots can be fired almost simultaneously. It is not clear what exactly the Chiappa engineers were preparing their brainchild for, however, the shotgun, among other things, has a pistol butt.

twin colt

AF2011-A1

Recently, the world's first automatic pistol with two barrels appeared on sale. In the AF2011-A1 (such a pleasant name this Über-gun got), you can hardly recognize the legendary Colt 1911, on the basis of which the model is built.

The AF2011-A1 is equipped with two magazines, each with 16 .45 caliber rounds. The creators claim that each of these metal pranksters is able to knock down a bull - do not believe it, try it yourself.

bow slingshot

Falcon Slingbow

This weapon looks like a real embodiment of any boy's childhood dream. Maybe the creator of the Falcon Slingbow was really inspired by this: a formidable weapon looks like a mutated slingshot that shoots arrows.

Despite all the childish allusions, the weapon turned out to be very formidable. By default, the Falcon Slingbow comes with an elastic band with 18 kg of tension - such an accelerating moment is enough for successful hunting and for shooting at a target.

Pocket Shotgun

Heizer Defense PS1

The creators of the shotgun have simplified the mechanism to the limit - so that any civilian can easily operate it. Actually, based on these buyers, the Heizer Defense PS1 was created: an effective, lethal melee weapon. Externally, the gun looks like an ordinary pistol, and a small caliber.

There are a couple of shortcomings: the need to reload after each shot and only two cartridges in the clip.

Here is a dozen of the strangest weapons created by human hands. Sometimes a device is so unusual that it's hard to imagine how to use it.

The organ was born thanks to attempts to get a weapon that fires continuously at the enemy. It was used in the 14th and 15th centuries. The organ got its name because of the similarity with the instrument of the same name. He was the size less gun, but surpassed the size of conventional guns, which made it indispensable in artillery attacks. It was intended for heavy fire, the largest specimens of the organ were transported on horse-drawn carts. In total, 144 guns were used during the battle, and often their heaviness affected the maneuverability of the battery. Reloading weapons also required a lot of time.

Pistols with funny name appeared in the 19th century. They were distinguished from their brethren by the presence of several trunks looking in one direction. The four trunks were fixed in such a way that they resembled a duck's foot, and this influenced the name. The unique design of the pistol helped the shooter hit multiple targets at once. This property has made the duck-footed pistol indispensable among people who often encounter criminal gangs, for example, among prison guards or couriers. But this pistol also had disadvantages, it was distinguished by its heaviness and high recoil, which affected the effectiveness of aimed fire.

The weapon, which became the prototype of the grenade launcher familiar to us, was used in the 16th-18th centuries. Unfortunately, it cannot be called reliable, since the use was dangerous even for the shooter. Either the grenade lingered in the barrel and exploded, or the fuses burned out ahead of time, which also led to sad consequences.

Six barrels, a couple of which had locks - wheel and wick, the remaining parts had to be set on fire with handy means.

In Henry VIII, like many men, love for the fair sex and outlandish weapons was in the genes. The most favorite was the road staff. It was a cane with a head in the form of a morning star, which served as a kind of hiding place for three firearms.

An unusual symbiosis of forks, spoons and knives with weapons for protection.

Despite the apparent purpose, this weapon was not created at all in order to shoot from behind a corner. The creators wanted to reduce the size and vulnerability of the part of the machine gun installation noticeable to the enemy.

With the help of this weapon it was possible to shoot at the enemy without any fear for one's life.

The most big gun ever created. It was first used in 1918 when german army decided to strike fear into the people of Paris. The length of the barrel of the Parisian cannon is about 28 meters, and the firing range is almost 75 miles. Despite the fact that the destruction from the use of this impressive weapon is not so great, appearance the Paris cannon could frighten anyone.

Weapon from 3d printer – Liberator

The first time the world saw weapons from a 3d printer was in 2013. It was a Liberator pistol worth about ten dollars. For this ridiculous amount, the buyer could purchase a weapon that is capable of only one shot. On the this moment Liberator's schemes are no longer available, its printing and distribution is illegal. But, despite the ban, files with modified Liberators can be found on the World Wide Web.