as small as a world and as large as alone

8:37am July 29, 2013

peashooter85:

Early 17th Century Combination Warhammer and Warpick/Six Shot Gun

Has six barrels concealed on it for six shots.  The head contains five barrels, the muzzle is concealed by a hinged cover forming the edge of the hammer. The topmost barrel is ignited by a matchlock fitted on one side of the head, its mechanism concealed by a brass plate cut out and engraved in the form of a lion. The second barrel has a wheel lock ignition system, the mechanism of which occupies most of the outer surface of the opposite side of the axe-head. There is a tubular extension to the pan of the wheel lock intended to hold a length of match which would be ignited by the flash of the priming and then withdrawn to ignite the three remaining barrels. A sixth barrel, also hand-ignited, is concealed within the haft.

Part of the Royal Armouries Collection, on display at the Tower of London.

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