Interesting Display - British Line Throwing Guns

[butlersrangers]

The Michigan Antique Arms Collectors Show always manages to have several very interesting displays.

The club provides tables, has a competition, and gives special recognition Awards to members, who put together themed displays of historical arms.

One that I particularly enjoyed, last weekend, was Paul Breakey's display of British 'Line-Throwing' Guns. A type of arm seldom seen and poorly understood, these days.

A related piece in the display was a Japanese 'Harpoon Gun'. It was built in Tokyo, on a Martini Action. The gun was carried on a Japanese Navy Vessel, had a fascinating history, and a 14 & 1/2 pound iron butt-stock!

Paul Breakey is a remarkable authority on a wide variety of arms. He has an amazing collection of British Military Arms. He is a great resource to fellow collectors and is cited in many scholarly Arms publications.

Paul kindly gave permission to post this picture on the KCA Forum.

[psteinmayer]

WOW... great display! So sorry I missed it. I got tied up and couldn't make it to the show :'(

[Baltimoreed]

Had the pleasure ??once of using the H&R version of one of these critters at the fertilizer plant where I worked. We used it to launch the oil boom across the mouth of the barge slip every month for practice and unfortunately once in a while for real. It used .45-70 blackpowder blanks and shot a 3/8 inch brass rod and kicked like 2 mules. I allowed my younger coworkers to shoot it. I did have a steady supply of once fired .45-70 brass though.