Filipino Slam Fire Rifle

[Spunjer]

Originally Posted by nacho

Ilonggos (Panay) in the Philippines have been making these improvised shotguns up to 1972, when martial law was declared and prohibited the possession of unlicensed firearms.

I remember they called it "pugakang". The center of production was centered around Pototan town, northeast of Iloilo.

Spunjer might remember this.

nacho,
the pugakang i remember were the ones used by "Familia-Familias" (Frats in manila, gangbangers here in the states)....
didn't know Pototan was the center of production. lol, that wasn't too far from Tabuk Suba, where we used to lived...

[kino]

Danao was just a several minutes away from where I used to live.
Danao is suppose to be the paltik capital of the PI

Photo of a paltik below.

Believe it or not. During WWII, a version of this weapon was made by Harrington and Richardson, in the US. They were air dropped to guerilla units, fighting the Japanese. The stocks, are even branded, "Guerilla Gun".

I have heard of the Liberator Pistols being dropped behind enemy lines, I have seen a few of the pistols for sale. Now I have to search for the Guerilla Gun.

[Spunjer]

Maranao warriors, circa 1900's....

[nacho]

But Moro warriors did not just use improvised guns. Based on Spanish accounts in the 1800s, the moros also used imported firearms. I recently acquired an 1856 British Enfield from a moro family. They claim it has been with their family for several generations. The Enfield has a TOWER mark (with 1856 0n top) and the usual Crown and VR (Victoria Regina) mark.

There are numerous accounts of the Sultan of Sulu trying to acquire British guns by way of Singapore.

A number of 1856 Enfields were sent to India for the British East India Company. Sikhs in the British Army rebelled when rumor spread that the paper-wrapped cartridge of the Enfield was coated with animal fat.

I am sure these guns were traded extensively in the area -- including the Sulu zone.

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by nacho

...

A number of 1856 Enfields were sent to India for the British East India Company. Sikhs in the British Army rebelled when rumor spread that the paper-wrapped cartridge of the Enfield was coated with animal fat.
...

ref: 1857 Sepoy Rebellion

bit of a mixup there, the Sikhs and the Gurkhas supported the British in supressing the mutiny. the sikhs also have no particular aversion to beef or pork*, unlike the islamic and hindu sepoys. the cartridges by the way were greased with vegetable fat, but rumors do not need to be true. the wiki article referenced lists the 1853 enfields as being the ones that provoked the cartridge story....

*- some sikhs believe they should ultimately be vegitarian, but the only prohibition is against eating meat slaughtered in the muslim ritual way:

Sikh Rehat Maryada
— In the Rehat Maryada, section six, it states:

The undermentioned four transgressions (tabooed practices) must be avoided:

1. Dishonouring the hair
2. Eating the meat of an animal slaughtered the Muslim way (Kutha)
3. Cohabiting with a person other than one's spouse
4. Using tobacco.

i found a reference stating sikhs would refrain from eating beef in india out of respect for their hindu neighbours, but would cook up a mess of pig's feet for the muslims they converted to sikhism as a test...


(just noticed this thread when redirected from a more contemporary thread)

[fernando]

Originally Posted by kronckew

... the sikhs also have no particular aversion to beef or pork* ...

So true. The best 'sarapatel' i have ever eaten was in a local Tandoori restaurant, where the owners are Sikh.

Fernando

[kronckew]

my elderly neighbour's daughter's ex husband is a sikh, he's divorced from her now, but their kid's were over here from nepal for the holidays (she's now married to a nepali doctor) he cooked a traditional english thanksgiving dinner for them and i got an invite, we had turkey along with a ham and pork sausages, plenty of booze and a good time had by all. i wound up showing him my tulwar and some of the northern indian and other daggers etc. i have and we got along well. he had no trouble eating. he likes cooking. anyhow, makes me notice sikh and gurkha items in the news and on forums a bit more....

i do not recall coming across 'sarapatel' in portugal when i was there last, i am a meat-a-holic as are most portugese i noticed. my then wife was a vegitarian and we had trouble finding vegitarian dishes for her. she ate a lot of salads. anyhow i'll keep it in mind. i still cook a portugese soup (Açorda à Alentejana or "sopa alentejana") i got addicted to made with broth, garlic, olive oil, bunches of chopped coriander (cilantro). bread and an egg.... if i get enterprising i also throw in some sliced sausage. and served with port or vinho verde.....

[nacho]

Originally Posted by kronckew

ref: 1857 Sepoy Rebellion

bit of a mixup there, the Sikhs and the Gurkhas supported the British in supressing the mutiny. the sikhs also have no particular aversion to beef or pork*, unlike the islamic and hindu sepoys. the cartridges by the way were greased with vegetable fat, but rumors do not need to be true. the wiki article referenced lists the 1853 enfields as being the ones that provoked the cartridge story....

(just noticed this thread when redirected from a more contemporary thread)

Thanks. Yes, indeed I mixed it up. It was the Sepoys who rebelled and the Sikhs fought with the British. The Pattern 1853 Enfield was made up to the 1860s. Since the revolt happened in 1857, I just assumed the 1856 Enfields were the culprit. But the 1856 made Enfields would still be strictly speaking officially called Pattern 1853s. Thanks for the clarification.

[migueldiaz]

i remember seeing an early-1900s pic of a filipina holding a rifle similar to the one posted by kino.

but can't find that at the moment. the one i found is below. pic came from here.

on another matter, would anybody have any guess as to the type of bolo the man has?