A very strange British gun

[cornelistromp]

Hi,

this type of pyrotechnic flintlock gun ,with the moulded rings soldered on the barrel were found in the netherlands in the middle of the 18th century, see example from the Visser collection.

fe Puype, the Visser collection Volume1, part 1 p 442
cat 156.


Pistols and guns with barrels of this particular type, i.e. with the multiple ring mouldings, appear in literature mostly as "signaling", "flare" of "pyrotechnic" guns
because of the thickness of the walls allow other ammunition, it is now believed that such barrels were generally strong enough to have fired besides pyrotechnics( relatively light incendiary projects) heavier loads
such as grape, canister and buckshot.
it is also likely that those guns have fired lighter kinds of caliber-sized bullets, fe cast iron but also lighter materials, such as glas , clay etc. (cf JP Puype )



best ,
Jasper