What is this? A flintlock from when men were bigger?

[major bill]

I put a quarter on table to add some scale.

 

[Pollaco]

Is it a fully functioning gun or built as a wall hander or for display maybe?

 

[Patrick H]

How about a wider shot that would show its length, barrel size, etc,?

 

[Pollaco]

That is one small quarter!

 

[major bill]

Very rare item. The museum claima that there are only be 5 known examples, no examples in private hands. Was functional , but now a Museum display item.

A Rappahannock Forge War Gun ca. 1775 of some 60 pounds.

 

[Pollaco]

What is the caliber?

 

[major bill]

I didn't ask but friend who seems to know more than I said1.2 inches. I am betting it had a real kick when a man fired it, I take it the wall swivel took most the recoil

 

[Pollaco]

You got me curious, what is that wooden "block" looking thing behind it? A crate maybe? I'm guessing a simulation of a wall to shoot over maybe? Seems like it would have a hole for the swivel.

 

[major bill]

The wood is a piece of the Fort Armstrong block house. Why is is on the table was not explained

 

[SeaTurtle]

I didn't know wall-guns were used much in North-America... that seems to be what this is anyway...

 

[Rhea Cole]

Not mentioned in these amateur standings, here are some really big guns. I have absolutely no idea what is going on with the really really long rifles from North Africa. These items are in the French National Military Museum in Paris.

Of course, if you are going to carry a ten foot long rifle, you would want a pistol & bayonet to match.

 

[Conquerordie]

The accounts of the Rappahannock wallguns were they could hit a sheet of paper at 600 yards. The German mercenaries during the Rev War used them against us. British used them too, but mostly with artillery.
I made one with an Ed Rayl barrel. Barrel was 54 inches long , 1" diameter bore, rifled. I welded a hook to the bottom of the barrel that protruded thru the stock. This was a common Dutch/German trait. I could hook it over whatever was available, branches, tree trunk, gunnels on a ship. Or drive it into the soft earthworks of entrenchments. Last time I used it I shot a ball and I think 350 grains of 2f. At reenactments the charge was even higher. I got out of reenacting probably 15 years ago. My father has it as he still goes to events in occasion.

 

[Pollaco]

We're these wallguns the idea behind the punt guns used for taking waterfowl?

 

[7thWisconsin]

I saw a British wall gun in a museum in Guatemala. It looked like the world´s largest Brown Bess. The interesting thing about the Rappahannock Forge guns is that they´re rifles. A lot of wall guns are smoothbores, making them like long range accurate swivel guns.

 

[major bill]

One of my reasons for starting this thread was to have us give some thoughts about changing weapons technology and the Civil War.

Wall guns had been used off and on for defensive works for many centurie. However, wall guns were out of style by the start of the Civil War. What had changed in defensive technology and weapon technology that had rendered wall guns obsolete?

My next thoughts are if large caliber percussion wall guns could have found a use during the Civil War.

 

[7thWisconsin]

Small bore quick firing cannon were starting to be a thing at this time. That may have begun to fill the wall gun niche.

 

[SeaTurtle]

My next thoughts are if large caliber percussion wall guns could have found a use during the Civil War.

I know they had some in Europe during the ACW period. Here's one that was made in the 1860s in Belgium, .75 caliber with hexagonal rifling:

 

[Kyle Kalasnik]

I'd say it's wall gun. Used in a fixed position .

 

[yulzari]

Wall guns were still in use and manufacture in Tibet and China in the 20th century. Going from Tibetan matchlocks to Chinese bolt action weapons. The modern term is anti materiel rifles, usually of @12 to 20mm bore. I am not aware of wall gun use in the ACW though.

edit: I have been reminded of anti tank rifles.

 

[DixieRifles]

We're these wallguns the idea behind the punt guns used for taking waterfowl?

There was an episode of Pawn Stars and they called it a Wall Gun because it had that pintel mount to set it on a defensive wall.
Ive seen art work of American Revolution period that called them punt guns— no pintel mount.