Have you seen an Animal Trap Gun c1850 like this one?

dana_w · 1st July 2016, 08:12 PM

This is a double barrel percussion fired black powder trap gun. It dates from the mid 19th century and was likely designed to kill black bears. There is an anchor ring on one end and a barbed meat hook on the other. The barb acts as a trigger to fire the trap when it is pulled.

Animal Trap Guns were horrid devices, but being attacked by a large black bear couldn't have been much fun either. Trap guns like this one were outlawed in the United States along time ago and they are rarely seen today.

Many commercially made trap guns date from same era and can be identified, but this one seems unique and handmade, has anyone seen one like it?

Weight: 5 lb, 6 oz
Approximate Overall Dimensions: 19" x 5" x 5"
The barrels are .68 inches in diameter at the muzzle

All images are copyright (c) 2016 Dana K. Williams. All rights are reserved.

Shakethetrees · 2nd July 2016, 07:35 AM

When I was a kid my grandfather told me about this kind of trap. As he would have had to be a teenager or thereabouts, this would have been sometime in the first decade of the 20th century that he saw it being used.

The torch weld visible in the photos tells it is from no earlier than about the third quarter of the 19th.

dana_w · 2nd July 2016, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shakethetrees

The torch weld visible in the photos tells it is from no earlier than about the third quarter of the 19th.

That is a good point Shakethetrees. Perhaps I should change my description to c1880.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 8th July 2016, 01:09 AM

Here, Another.

Rick · 8th July 2016, 02:03 AM

I would think ones like Dana's example would have been popular with Cattle Ranchers back in the day.
Bait, chain to tree about 3-4 feet off the ground; one less threat to the herd.

dana_w · 8th July 2016, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Here, Another.

Thanks for your comments Ibrahiim al Balooshi and Rick.

The F. REUTH cast-iron model and a few other mass-produced Antique Trap Guns are listed in section VII-C of Flayderman's Guide, but the guide hasn't been updated in many years.

https://books.google.com/books?id=7pyVTm2PibUC&lpg=PA399&dq=flayderman's%20 guide%20animal%20trap&pg=PA399#v=onepage&q=flayder man's%20guide%20animal%20trap&f=false

It seems likely the one that begun this post is unique, but I'd love to find another one.

There are marks on each barrel which could be proof or maker marks, but they are undecipherable to me.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 8th July 2016, 09:01 PM

And...

dana_w · 8th July 2016, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

And...

If I had a Colt like that one, that is not how I would be using it.

Kmaddock · 10th July 2016, 09:34 PM

Making a mountain out of a molehill comes to mind liking at t he colt revolver mouse trap
Thanks for sharing
Ken

kronckew · 10th July 2016, 09:56 PM

kinda like swatting flies with a sledge hammer.

Jim McDougall · 11th July 2016, 03:02 AM

RAT TRAP:

A cemetery or graverobbers gun c. 1710.
Big surprise to the grave robbers with the body snatcher trade.
Eventually they caught on and sent disguised mourners to scope out graves with these 'surprises'.

dana_w · 11th July 2016, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

RAT TRAP:

A cemetery or graverobbers gun c. 1710.
Big surprise to the grave robbers with the body snatcher trade.
Eventually they caught on and sent disguised mourners to scope out graves with these 'surprises'.

Thanks Jim.
Can you give us any background on where the image came from?

Jim McDougall · 11th July 2016, 04:21 PM

I wish I could Dana! It was something I came across online some time ago, and was so esoteric I just saved it. As mentioned in other posts here, it seems a bit 'over kill' (no pun intended) and not especially effective.
This thing was so rustic, and in a word 'spooky' it just caught my attention

As you noted on that Navy Colt.......I sure wouldn't have it in some trap, needs to be in a 'buscadero' on my hip!!

dana_w · 11th July 2016, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

I wish I could Dana! It was something I came across online some time ago, and was so esoteric I just saved it. As mentioned in other posts here, it seems a bit 'over kill' (no pun intended) and not especially effective.
This thing was so rustic, and in a word 'spooky' it just caught my attention

As you noted on that Navy Colt.......I sure wouldn't have it in some trap, needs to be in a 'buscadero' on my hip!!

I think I found it Jim.

"One of the only known surviving examples of cemetery guns is on display at The Museum of Mourning Art at the Arlington Cemetery of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. Museum curators date the gun to 1710, making it one of the earliest models of cemetery guns. Part of its original rotating pedestal and three rings for tripwire attachment are visible in the photo."

http://www.guns.com/2013/01/29/got-g...-cemetery-gun/

http://www.guns.com/2013/08/06/cemet...fin-torpedoes/

And here is another example of the same style:

Jim McDougall · 11th July 2016, 08:48 PM

Thanks Dana!
Nicely done and much appreciated. Now I can note my notes

Interesting topic here with these unusual items, I recall years ago a favorite book was "Firearms Curiosa", I think by Winant.

Richard G · 15th July 2016, 01:11 PM

Guns of the type posted by Jim and Dana_w are fairly rare but not unusual in the UK where they are known as spring guns. They normally have a mechanism whereby three wires are spread out which when tripped spin the gun in that direction and fire it. They, together with man traps, were legal in the 18th and early 19 centuries as protection against poaching. Remember there is virtually no public land in the UK and game belongs to the landowner whose land it is on.
Land set with spring guns and man traps had to be signed as such, and if not the landowner could be accused of murder.
I believe both remained legal, but I imagine practically only man-traps, if used within a house at night as protection against burglary until the mid 19th Century.
Regards
Richard
PS. Have found this http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrar.../outLXI06n.pdf

1st July 2016, 08:12 PM	#1
dana_w Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Southeast Florida, USA Posts: 429	Have you seen an Animal Trap Gun c1850 like this one? This is a double barrel percussion fired black powder trap gun. It dates from the mid 19th century and was likely designed to kill black bears. There is an anchor ring on one end and a barbed meat hook on the other. The barb acts as a trigger to fire the trap when it is pulled. Animal Trap Guns were horrid devices, but being attacked by a large black bear couldn't have been much fun either. Trap guns like this one were outlawed in the United States along time ago and they are rarely seen today. Many commercially made trap guns date from same era and can be identified, but this one seems unique and handmade, has anyone seen one like it? Weight: 5 lb, 6 oz Approximate Overall Dimensions: 19" x 5" x 5" The barrels are .68 inches in diameter at the muzzle All images are copyright (c) 2016 Dana K. Williams. All rights are reserved. Attached Images Last edited by dana_w; 2nd July 2016 at 12:03 AM.

8th July 2016, 01:09 AM	#4
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Here, Another. Attached Images

8th July 2016, 09:01 PM	#7
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	And... Attached Images

11th July 2016, 03:02 AM	#11
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,938	RAT TRAP: A cemetery or graverobbers gun c. 1710. Big surprise to the grave robbers with the body snatcher trade. Eventually they caught on and sent disguised mourners to scope out graves with these 'surprises'. Attached Images

2nd July 2016, 07:35 AM	#2
Shakethetrees Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Louisiana Posts: 363	When I was a kid my grandfather told me about this kind of trap. As he would have had to be a teenager or thereabouts, this would have been sometime in the first decade of the 20th century that he saw it being used. The torch weld visible in the photos tells it is from no earlier than about the third quarter of the 19th.

8th July 2016, 02:03 AM	#5
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,290	I would think ones like Dana's example would have been popular with Cattle Ranchers back in the day. Bait, chain to tree about 3-4 feet off the ground; one less threat to the herd.

10th July 2016, 09:34 PM	#9
Kmaddock Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Ireland Posts: 543	Making a mountain out of a molehill comes to mind liking at t he colt revolver mouse trap Thanks for sharing Ken

10th July 2016, 09:56 PM	#10
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,178	kinda like swatting flies with a sledge hammer.

11th July 2016, 04:21 PM	#13
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,938	I wish I could Dana! It was something I came across online some time ago, and was so esoteric I just saved it. As mentioned in other posts here, it seems a bit 'over kill' (no pun intended) and not especially effective. This thing was so rustic, and in a word 'spooky' it just caught my attention As you noted on that Navy Colt.......I sure wouldn't have it in some trap, needs to be in a 'buscadero' on my hip!!

11th July 2016, 08:48 PM	#15
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,938	Thanks Dana! Nicely done and much appreciated. Now I can note my notes Interesting topic here with these unusual items, I recall years ago a favorite book was "Firearms Curiosa", I think by Winant.

15th July 2016, 01:11 PM	#16
Richard G Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 405	Guns of the type posted by Jim and Dana_w are fairly rare but not unusual in the UK where they are known as spring guns. They normally have a mechanism whereby three wires are spread out which when tripped spin the gun in that direction and fire it. They, together with man traps, were legal in the 18th and early 19 centuries as protection against poaching. Remember there is virtually no public land in the UK and game belongs to the landowner whose land it is on. Land set with spring guns and man traps had to be signed as such, and if not the landowner could be accused of murder. I believe both remained legal, but I imagine practically only man-traps, if used within a house at night as protection against burglary until the mid 19th Century. Regards Richard PS. Have found this http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrar.../outLXI06n.pdf