If this society were a university, and if its membership list [612385]

If this society were a university, and if its membership list
were the faculty directory, you would find that the Departmentof Firearms Curiosa has four members: Professor and ChairmanDavid Fink, Professor Robert Palmer, Professor Mel Flanagan(who is also Distinguished Professor of Blunderbuss), and thenewest addition, Assistant Professor Matthew Schneiderman.
Today, as at many other universities, the junior faculty
will be giving the lecture.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THIS DISCIPLINE
My parents gave me my first antique arms book in the
late 1950s, when I was about 10 years old (this hobby,whether genetic or acquired, came upon me early). Gun
Collecting, by Charles Edward Chapel, was first published in
1939, and my copy was the revised edition of 1947. In the1960s, when I actually owned a few pistols, I added the bibleof that era, Chapel’s The Gun Collector’s Handbook of Values .
In both books Chapel referred to these firearms as “Freaks andOddities,” and in the Handbooks did not even price them.
Also from the late 1940s, an early catalogue by the New York(and later Los Angeles) dealerMartin Retting includes a selec-tion of “Fr eak Pistols.” These
strange firearms couldn’t beignored, but they were notquite worthy of respect.
In 1955, Lewis Winant
(Figure 1), a member of thisSociety and the foundingChairman of this Department,published his classic Firearms
Curiosa . In addition to supply-
ing a loftier name, he gave birthto a whole new collecting area,and organized these arms intosensible groups. In over 50years, there’s been no subse-quent book in English. It tooktime to catch on, but eventuallycollectors, dealers, and auction-eers accepted this term, andstill use it today.WHAT ARE “FIREARMS CURIOSA?”
We often use “Curiosa” as a noun: “Dave and Robert
own a lot of Curiosa.” But it’s actually an adjective, from theLatin word curiosus , meaning “inquiring” or “inquisitive.” A
questioning person is curious; a curious object inspires ques-tions and inquiry. So Firearms Curiosa are not just weird,odd, or strange guns. At heart they inspire wonder and ques-tioning. They make us stop, go back, and ask, “WHAT isTHAT?” or “How in the world does that work?”
There’s one 1983 French book devoted exclusively to
these weapons: Armes Insolites et Systemes by Jean Rene
Clergeau. The dull translation is “Unusual Arms and Systems,”but in a Sunday New York Times book review from September15, 2005, I found a better meaning: “The delightful Frenchword “insolite” refers to something so completely unexpectedthat it causes the beholder to stand back and marvel.”These arethe weapons I’ll be talking about and showing today.
FIRST, A SAD OBSERVATION:
Firearms Curiosa still don’t get much respect.1. A French book [Singer] has a Curiosa chapter titled
“Odd or Peculiar Systems.”
2. Greg Martin Auctions’ online catalogues list them
under “Curiosities/other.”
3. From a Little John auction catalogue description:
“ . . . FALLS [my emphasis] into the Oddity class.”
95/35
Collecting Firearms Curiosa
Matthew Schneiderman
Figure 1. Lewis Winant, fromthe Bulletin of the AmericanSociety of Arms Collectors, #8,Fall 1963, the year of hisdeath.schneiderman_rev35-41 7/23/07 8:40 AM Page 35

One talk can’t change the world, but I want to give you
a sense of why I enjoy Firearms Curiosa, and of the some-what idiosyncratic way I think about them.
ORGANIZATION OF THIS COLLECTING AREA
Lewis Winant not only named this branch of arms col-
lecting, but also organized it, and his chapter headings arestill useful in thinking about and constructing a collection(Figure 2). There’s clearly some overlap and some newerideas, as you’ll see, but his table of contents holds up prettywell even in current collecting practice.
One other note: there are Flintlock Curiosa (Figure 3),
but post-Forsyth percussion systems (both copper cap andmetallic cartridge) are especially malleable, and lend them-selves to flights of gunmaking imagination. The 19
thwas the
Firearms Curiosa century.1. KNUCKLEDUSTER
A pistol that includes steel, brass, or plastic knuckles
(one or more) so it can used for reinforced punching and hit-ting as well as for shooting.
.22 caliber 7 shot,
rimfire, single actionpepperbox by JamesReid, patented 1865(Figure 4). The Reidand the National Arms/Moore’s Patent Derringerare the principle one-finger knuckledusters.The Reid, like a numberof others in my collec-tion, is so commonlyseen now that it’s lostmost of its power to sur-prise and amaze us.This is a problem withFirearms Curiosa that become overex-posed, because most of them are NOTBEAUTIFUL and cannot keep ourattention aesthetically. So the col-lector and the viewer must take creative action to reemphasize their special nature. For example,this might involve subtly and sub-versively changing theposition of all Reidson a show table to assume theKnuckledusterPosition, either
right or lefthanded (Figure5). I recomendthis maneuverto all of you.
95/36
Figure 2. The table of contentsfrom Lewis Winant’s Firearms
Curiosa (hereafter, “Winant”).
Figure 3. The Douglas Lock, designed by Sir Howard Douglas, England, 1817(Winant, page 227).
Figure 5. The Reid Patent Drawing (below), with the pistolin the Righthanded Knuckleduster Position. Above, thepistol in Standard Show Table Position (Winant, page 87).
Figure 4. TheReidKnuckleduster,in theKnuckledusterPosition.schneiderman_rev35-41 7/23/07 8:40 AM Page 36

2. SQUEEZER
A squeezer pistol is held in the palm and activated by
squeezing a bar or a button. Note that this is a unique feature—basically all other pistols are fired by pulling something (gener-ally called the trigger), but squeezers are activated by pushing.This distinction gives great pleasure to some Curiosa collectors.
The Gaulois (Figure 6), French, from the 1890’s is a 5
shot 8 mm and one of the earliest mechanically (spring) fedfirearms (Figure 7). In its advertising, it was called “automatic”or “semiautomatic,”though by modern definitions it’s neither.It was sold with a soft purse (and less often found hard-casedor boxed). Decoration ranges from plain to highly ornate.
For fun, ask all Gaulois sellers what the indicator let-
ters on the left side mean. After a period of silence, politelyinform them: S for “Surete” (safety), F for “Feu” (fire), D for“Dechargement et Demontage” (unloading and opening).3. KNUCKLEDUSTER AND SQUEEZER
“The Green Avenger,” Barton, Canada/ Hong Kong, is a
water pistol from the 1970s (Figure 8). This was my firstFirearm Curiosa, found on a newspaper vending machine inBeverly Hills. It inspired me to collect Firearm Curiosus. Iown another example IN THE ORIGINAL PACKAGE. Itsdesigner must have known 19
thcentury firearms, and I enjoy
seeing old designs reappear and recycle.4. COMBINATION WEAPON: KNIFE PISTOL, KNUCKLE-DUSTER
“Apache” knuckleduster pistol, Liege, from the late 19
th
century (Figure 9). It has a pinfire pepperbox, folding blade,and knuckles. Said to be favored by Paris street gangs of theera (“apache” means not the Indian tribe, but rather “thug”or “gangster” in French), it was also sold to law-abiding(though perhaps adventurous) citi-zens for defense. It is a very nastyweapon. This example was made inLiege by the firm of Auguste Francotte, and (ararity) proofed and sold in England.5. SQUEEZER AND VERTICAL WHEEL PISTOL
Americans call these weapons turret pistols, but verti-
cal ones don’t look like turrets at all, so I use the Englishterm “wheel.” The chamber is thin, round, and rotates(either mechanically or by hand), and the charges radiate outfrom the center like spokes of a wheel.
From “The Protector” family of pistols, the Chicago
Palm Pistol (Chicago Firearms Company), .32 cal, 7 shot,rimfire, was patented in 1893 (Figure 10). It’s siblingsinclude the French Turbiaux, and the Minneapolis PalmPistol. This pistol suffers more than any other from overex-posure. I will teach you four characteristics that will make itexciting for all of you once again:
• It is one of only three types of multishot firearms
with a rotating chamber group that is not cylindrical,and the only wheel pistol. It is the only one with a
chamber group in the shape of a
Toroid (Figure 11).
To make a toroid, you take a
two-dimensional closed
shape and rotate it
through the third dimen-
sion around an axis outside
of its borders. If you do this with
a circle, you get the most famous
toroid, called a Torus, or the “dough-
nut”(street name). The Chicago Palm
Pistol’s toroidal chamber group is
formed from a rectangle.• Because this wheel is not a
cylinder, it is the only wheel pistol that
is rear-loaded, not front-loaded.
• As with the Reid, you have
the opportunity with many
Chicagos to carefully
reposition them cor-
rectly on the show
table (Figure 12).• The Chicago Fire-arms Company pistols
95/37
Figure 7. The Gaulois, opened, showing the mechanism (Singer,page 165).Figure 6.The GauloisSqueezer Pistol.Note the indica-tor letters onthe left side ofthe frame (seetext).
Figure 9. The “Apache”Knuckleduster.Figure 8. The Green Avenger.schneiderman_rev35-41 7/23/07 8:40 AM Page 37

were made by the Ames Sword Company, so owningone is a must for Ames collectors.
66.. HHOORRIIZZOONNTTAALL WWHHEEEELL PPIISSTTOOLL
This is a 10 shot, .42 cal, centerfire cartridge
pistol by Heinrich Genhart, Liege, 1856 (Figure 13).The horizontal wheel position allowed propersighting, but made a gun unwieldy and hard tocarry (Figure 14). This is a pioneering centerfirecartridge firearm, the third earliest. The others arethe Pauly system (France and England, 1812), andthe Michallon, an early French transition revolver(1844).
The Genhart is a very rare and unusual pistol,
and a collector’s dream. It should appeal to every-
one, since it’s a multishot, hand-turned, horizontal revolvingwheel, underhammer, internal striker, frontloading, gas-sealed, tube detonated, centerfire, metallic cartridge pistol.
77.. VVEERRTTIICCAALL WWHHEEEELL PPIISSTTOOLL
“The Noel” is a French double action pill lock revolver
with a side hammer, (Figure 15) 10 shot, 7.5 mm, patent1865. Note the mechanical safety, which falls by gravity asthe side hammer is cocked. (This makes the Noel one of thefew firearms that cannot be fired upside down.) Why use awheel gun? They claimed the advantage of more fire per unittime using spare wheels which could be quickly changed.Vertical wheel pistols were flat and easily carried (Figure16), but the wheel interfered with sighting. All wheel guns
95/38
Figure 10. The ChicagoPalm Pistol, inStandard Show Table(incorrect) Position(see text).
Figure 12. “Protector” Advertising, showing the Chicago Palm Pistolin the correct position.
Figure 14. The Genhart Wheel, andthe Pistol’ wheel case. Note the barrel in the gas-sealed position,the internal striker (underhammer)in front of the central post, and thewheel indexing knob and internalbutton at about 8 o’clock. At about 7o’clock is the end of the pistol’scocking lever.Figure 11.The Chicago Palm Pistol,with the toroidal 7shot wheel dis-played. Note themechanism,including thecentral hammer(a knob on thefront of thehammer,unseen here,does the detonating). Thepistol is shown inthe correct position.
Figure 13. The Genhart HorizontalWheel Pistol.schneiderman_rev35-41 7/23/07 8:40 AM Page 38

carried the risk of multiple discharge, with chambers facingthe user and bystanders.
88.. VVEERRTTIICCOOHHOORRIIZZOONNTTAALL WWHHEEEELL PPIISSTTOOLL
Wheel guns are divided into 3 groups: vertical, hori-
zontal, and verticohorizontal. The only known example ofthe latter, surviving in small numbers, is a Continental pistolwith an unrecorded maker’s mark and no name (Figure 17).Collectors can’t even agree whether it is a pill lock or used atube detonator. It is carried and displayed vertically, but weknow from the sights on the right side of the wheel case andthe barrel that it fired horizontally. This was a clever way touse the advantages of both wheel pistol types, and a won-derfully odd gun.
99.. SSUUPPEERRIIMMPPOOSSEEDD LLOOAADD PPIISSTTOOLL
Superimposed load firearms date from the 14
thcentury,
and use two or more charges in a single barrel. The purposewas more firepower in a smaller, lighter package. Theirproblems were: more complex construction (hence moreexpensive), the requirement of more careful and slowerloading, and the danger of multiple discharges.
The Lindsay Pocket Pistol, 2 shot percussion, .41 cal.,
single barrel, is from 1860 (Figure 18). The right hammerfalls first, detonating the forward charge; the left hammerthen fires the rear charge. (The right detonating/flash carry-ing path is longer). Unusual aspects of the Lindsay includespecial dumbbell-shaped bullets, the (really bothersome)requirement to fill the bullet’s indented mid-section with tal-low (presumably to keep the forward charge’s explosionfrom igniting the back charge), the assurance in Lindsay lit-erature that both shots can be safely fired at once with theleft hammer, and an advertising claim of a 250 yard range.
1100.. TTWWOO BBAARRRREELL RREEVVOOLLVVEERR,, AANNDD MMUULLTTIIPPLLEE IINN–LLIINNEE
CCHHAAMMBBEERRSS
The Bar Pistol, by Burkhard Behr, Germany, was
patented in 1898. 4 shot, .25 ACP (Figure 19). (“Bar” means“bear,” simply a trade name.) The 4 chamber group is handrotated, bringing the second two shots into line with thetwo barrels (Figure 20). The trigger activates an internalrotating hammer, which strikes two firing pins in turn. Notethat the Bar pistol is the second type of revolving chambergroup firearm that does not employ a cylinder. The thirdtype: chain guns. This pistol belongs in a chapter Winant didnot write: multiple in-line barrels, or multiple in-line cham-bers. Other examples include the family of harmonica pistolsand guns (some have one barrel with a sliding set of in-linechambers, others have a sliding set of multiple in-line bar-rels): the W . Marston 3 barrel pistol, the Reform (4 barrels),the Bayle (6 barrels), and the Jones (10 barrels).
1111.. DDIISSGGUUIISSEEDD OORR HHIIDDDDEENN FFIIRREEAARRMMSS,, oorr CCLLAANNDDEESSTTIINNEE
WWEEAAPPOONNSS,, oorr FFIIRREEAARRMMSS BBUUIILLTT IINNTTOO UUTTIILLIITTAARRIIAANN
OOBBJJEECCTTSS
A major, wildly popular Firearms Curiosa area. I
do not own any of these pistols, but all are pictured
in publications listed in the annotated bibliog-
raphy. I’ve been able to find firearms disguised
as, hidden in, or attached to these
objects, and there must be
many more: canes, purses
(e.g. The Frankenau),watches, bicycle han-
dles, books, keys,
locks, boot jack (theBuszinger System),whips, pipes, pens,
pen knives, rings, belt
buckles, gloves, umbrellas, flash-lights, fishhooks, ladles, and ciga-rette lighters.
95/39
Figure 16. The other side of the Noel, showing thewheel-case release lever up, and the wheel removed.The ridges on the wheelallow the double-actionmechanism to advance it.
Figure 15. The Noel Vertical WheelPistol. Note the gravity-activated safety,here incomplete (the tip should be asmall circle, which can hold the side-hammer’s nose off the detonator).
Figure 17. Continental Verticohorizontal Wheel Pistol (unknownmaker). Note the rear sight, which doubles as the wheel case coverlatch, and the front sight, both on the right side. (Christie’s NewYork, May 21, 1986, lot 193.)schneiderman_rev35-41 7/23/07 8:40 AM Page 39

CONCLUSION
There is no “Firearms Curiosa” section in Flayderman’s
Guide. These guns are scattered throughout, which is trueto the nature and reality of the 19
thcentury firearms industry.
The makers of these firearms did not set out to create oddi-ties or to play jester to 21
stcentury antique arms collectors.
They were creative, inventive entrepreneurs, out to sell a lotof guns and exploit a market niche. Many failed, but somewere successful. These weapons are viewed as part of thecontinuum of rampant 19
thcentury capitalism.
These men worked hard to sell their products, and a
limited number of themes emerge from their patent claimsand their advertisements:
FFIIRREEAARRMMSS CCUURRIIOOSSAA CCOOMMMMEERRCCEE——RREECCUURRRREENNTT TTHHEEMMEESS
1. Self defense2. Hiding/concealment3. No gap between chamber and cylinder (better func-
tion, less power loss)
4. More shots5. More shots, less time6. More shots, less weight7. Flat8. Very flatFinally, it’s time to consider:
FFIIRREEAARRMMSS CCUURRIIOOSSAA——RREEAASSOONNSS TTOO CCOOLLLLEECCTT
1. Pleasure of technical achievement, imagination,
ingenuity, entrepreneurship.
2. Pleasure of intense organization and subcategoriza-
tion. Ideal for the collector with mild obsessive-compulsivedisorder (OCD).
3. Enjoyment of the combination of the ugly and the
inventive; appreciation of the beauty of dissonance.
4. Astonishment and pleasure of viewers, even those
who do not own these firearms.
5. Still relatively affordable.I recommend the collecting of Firearms Curiosa to you,
whether as a primary focus or an affordable sideline. Manywonderful firearms await us, some known, and some wehaven’t even imagined.
As always, I welcome questions and comments, at
mms615@yahoo.com
FIREARMS CURIOSA—AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS (ENGLISH)
1. Baxter, D.R., Superimposed Load Firearms
1380–1860 . South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, 1966.
Rare, expensive, packed with information.
2. Bowen, Taylor G., James Reid and His Catskill
Knuckledusters . Andrew Mowbray Publishers, Lincoln,
Rhode Island, 1989.
3. Frost, H. Gordon, Blades and Barrels. Walloon Press,
El Paso, 1972. The classic book on combination weapons.
4. Winant, Lewis, Firearms Curiosa . Bonanza Books,
New York, 1955. The defining book for this collecting area,and still the only general one in English.
BOOKS (FRENCH)
You can read these with your high school French and
a dictionary.
1. Clergeau, Jean Rene, Armes Insolites et Systemes
(“Unusual Firearms and Systems”). Grancher, Paris, 1983. Avery rare book, but well worth looking for. Some overlap withWinant, but covers a significant amount of different ground.
2. Singer, Dimitri, Pistolets et Revolvers de Poche au
Xixieme Siecle (“Pistols and Pocket Revolvers of the 19
th
Century”). Editions du Portail/Le Hussard, Paris, 1996.Includes many standard American and European firearms, butwith a useful, well illustrated section on “peculiar systems.”
95/40
Figure 18. The Lindsay Superimposed LoadPistol. Note the right hammer cocked andthe left hammer down, the single barrel,and the single trigger.
Figure 19. The BarPistol.
Figure 20. The Bar Pistol’s 4 shot chamber block.schneiderman_rev35-41 7/23/07 8:40 AM Page 40

ARTICLES
COMBINATION WEAPONS
1. Garrett, Richard, “The Dumouthier Knife Pistol.”
Classic Arms and Militaria , volume 11, #1, pp. 20–21.
SQUEEZERS AND KNUCKLEDUSTERS
1. Lustyik, Andrew, “Le Protector.” The Gun Report ,
volume 12, #5 (October 1966), pp. 8–17. A detailed accountof the Chicago Palm Pistol and its relatives.
2. Schneiderman, Matthew, “Revisiting the Literature
II: An English Apache Knuckleduster?” The Gun Report ,v o l –
ume 43, #10 (March 1998), pp. 24–27.
SUPERIMPOSED LOADS
1. Burgoyne, John W ., “A Queen Anne Style Pistol
Firing Superimposed Loads.” Arms Collecting , volume 36, #2
(March 1998), pp. 39–45.
2. McAuley, John D., “The Lindsay Rifle Musket.” The
Gun Report , February 1982, pp. 16–18. Discusses the
Lindsay patent and both the musket and pistols.
TURRET AND CHAIN GUNS
1. Blackmore, Howard L., “Development of the Wheel
or Turret Revolving Firearms.” Arms Collecting , volume 21,
#3 (August 1983), pp. 75–94. An excellent article, focusingon Wilkinson wheel rifles but discussing a broad range ofturret firearms.
2. Salzer, J. R., “Milo Cass’ Repeating Chain Gun.” The
Gun Report , January 1995, pp. 32–33.
3. Schneiderman, Matthew, “How Do We Know How
It Works?—The Genhart and the Noel: Two European WheelPistols Circa 1860.” The Gun Report, volume 48, #4
(September 2002), pp. 30–41.
FIREARMS DISGUISED AS, HIDDEN IN, OR ATTACHED
TO UTILITARIAN OBJECTS
1. Williams, Kevin and Pate, Charles, “`Sidewalk’
Sedgley & the Haight Fist Gun.” Man at Arms , volume 29, #1
(February 2007), pp. 30–35.
MULTIPLE IN LINE CHAMBERS AND BARRELS
1. Chandler, Nick, “Harmonica Guns. A Guide for
Collectors.” Man at Arms , volume 26, #6 (December 2004),
pp. 14–23. An excellent article discussing a wonderful col-lection, which won a display award at the ASAC Burlingtonmeeting.2. Grimes, Charles M., “Jarre’s Unusual Harmonicas.”
The Gun Report , volume 51, #3 (August 2005), pp. 16–22.
3. Lederer, Paul S., “A Three Barrelled Percussion Pistol
by Baker of Thetford.” Arms Collecting , volume 40, #2 (May
2002), pp. 53–55.
4. Schneiderman, Matthew, “The Bar Pistol.” The Gun
Report , volume 49, #6 (November 2003), pp. 16–22. This
article defined a subtype of Firearms Curiosa not noted byWinant.
WEIRD PERCUSSION PISTOLS
1. Schneiderman, Matthew, “Joseph Rock Cooper and
His Underhammer Transition Revolver.” The Gun Report ,
volume 30, #4 (November 1984), pp. 46–48. Just thinkabout it.
2. Schneiderman, Matthew, “An English Crundwell
Patent Pistol—A New Example of Firearms Curiosa.” The
Gun Report , volume 46, #6 (November 2000), pp. 16–20. A
unique enclosed-action pistol, now in the Royal Armouriescollection at Leeds.
FLINTLOCK CURIOSA
1. Barrett, Jonathan, “Six Oddities of English Flintlock
Construction,” in Art, Arms, and Armour: An International
Anthology , Robert Held, ed. Aquafresca Editrice, Chiasso,
Switzerland, 1979, pp. 392–399. A medley of bizarre flint-lock pistols.
2. Griffin, Eric, “Boxlock Pistols with Removable Flash
Pans and Covers.” The Gun Report , August 2003, pp. 28–31.
3. Schneiderman, Matthew, and O’Sullivan, John, “The
Mysterious Floating Pan: A Pair of Curious Pistols by SamuelStaudenmayer.” The Gun Report , volume 52, #2 (July 2006),
pp. 31–35.
MISCELLANEOUS
1. Bottomley, Ian, “Indian Firearms Curiosa.” Arms &
Armour (Journal of The Royal Armouries ), volume 1, # 1,
2004, pages 81–87.
COLLECTIONS AT AUCTION
1. Funderburg, Dr. William R., Sotheby Parke Bernet
Los Angeles, April 14 & 15, 1975.
2. Strassman, Dr. Jack, Christie’s New York, May 21, 1986.3. Pilsner, Stephen L., Greg Martin Auctions, November
6, 2006.
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