Head over to The Firearm Blog for a few, first the Gardiner Gun in .45-7o government. It’s a beautiful looking replica that Special Interest Arms has created (more pictures here). Interestingly enough, hand cranked firearms are not considered machine guns under the National Firearms Act, and so are regulated just like any other long gun. I’ve always wondered a few things about crank guns legally. For one, if you were to attach a drill motor to the shaft, you’d be guilty of possessing an illegal machine gun. So do you have a constructive possession problem owning a drill and a crank gun? Also, if you look at the federal definitions of rifles and handguns, a mounted firearm is neither designed to be fired with a single hand, nor fired from the shoulder. How is a crank gun not an AOW?
Second we have more two and four bore guns. These guns are huge:
When it was nearly finished and needed to be sighted in I got the pleasure of helping do that job. The 4 bore exerts 255 PSI at 32 FPS of felt recoil(if I remember the number correctly), and I can tell you that at 6′ 5″ and 240 pounds and being very experienced with big bore guns, it was still more than enough to push be back a quick two step. And after 2 shots left me black and blue for about 5″ around my shoulder area(part of that was because the rifle was built for a smaller statured person so it really didn’t fit me). But the owner of the 4 bore shot it once and sent it back to Steve to sell.
I get sore shooting my Mosin-Nagant over 60 or so rounds. I can’t imagine what it feels like to shoot a gun that bruises you on the first shot.
That’s not what constructive possession means.
I’ve heard the term used for cases where one does not actually possess a machine gun, but has all the parts necessary to readily make one.
I’ve fired a 8 guage and a double barrel 12 guage firing both shells at the same time but never something like that.
If your getting sore with a mosin after 60 rounds I don’t think your using it enough. The more you use it over time the less sore you become from using it.
I’ve seen talk on the web that you could power them with a bicycle crank kind of setup, so long as it stopped when you stopped.
Keep you hands free for reloading or slap it on a rocking chair and make an AA mount.
http://www.homegunsmith.com/ had some talk on them.
Yup, those guns must have a kick! When digging through Revolutionary records, I found the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety sending out a request for quote for a telescopic sighted rifle that would fire a 1/2 pound ball. These were known as “wall guns” and filled much the same role as a Barrett Light .50 does today.
Thanks for the links :)
So do you have a constructive possession problem owning a drill and a crank gun?
shutup shutup shutup, don’t go giving them ideas…
Actually, I think the question with a crank-fired weapon is if the drill can be attached. If the handle can’t be removed from the shaft, not much ATFE can twist…
In author Bernard Cornwell’s ‘Sharpe’ series, one character uses a seven-barreled “picket gun”. I wonder what it must be like to shoot that. (Yes, faced with the opportunity, I’d just HAVE to try it…)