CURIOUS ARMS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18417, 25 June 1925, Page 10

CURIOUS ARMS.

0 FROM CROSSBOW TO SNIDER. The gradual improvement of arms from the fifteenth century crossbow, by way of match-lock, flint-lock and muzzle-loader to the modern rifle, is shown in a. remarkable collection- of weapons, owned by Mr Arthur Morten, and at present on exhibition at Tisdalls, Ltd. The cross-bow or "prodd'' is of the sporting and not the battle type. An authority states that it is "the weapon with which Margaret of -t.eijou shot deer in Isorthumbenand and Queen lilizaueth used at Cowuay." A Japanese match-lock (in which, a slow match (ignited the charge) is a. representative of the period oi 14C0-80. There are a number of examples of the fljnt-lock, which was .introduced in 1030. The most interesting is a wicked Moorish flint-lock, with a barrel 4ft 6iu long, and en ivory butt. The stock is elaborately inlaid and engraved. A double-barrelled flint gun is an example of beautiful workmanship. An amazing contraption is Nock's seven barrel gun, which was supplied' to the British .Government in 1807. The seven charges were fired almost simultaneously with one pull of the trigger. An early German percussion rifle marked "Potsdam," has an immense octagonal barrel. The "blunderbuss" always kept in the "boot" in the old coaching days, may have frightened off some nervy "gentleman of the road" in its day. And there is near it a real highwayman's pistol, complete with "pineapple furniture." A flintlock horse pistol is of the variety once issued to the Australian Constabulary. The whalegun, said to" have heen brought out in one of the first four ships, must have required a giant to fire it. A Wesley-Richards "capping" breech-loader is of the type which did something towards the Indian Mutiny, and there are several weird early German bolt-action rifles. [ A muzzle-load-ing revolver had, an ingenious device for ramming the charge and two triggers; and a "pocket-nistot" has a bore of nearly half an inch, and a length of only oir A "bad man's" pistol, which Las two barrels, .is evidently the forerunner of the "pepperbox," with its six revolving barrels. In a .32 calibre pistol with four barrels, the striker moves round, and not the barrels. An early Colt, brought over to the West Coast in the gold rush days by some Yankee, is.am immense revolver, weighing 41b, and with a .450 calibre. A smaller Colt is engraved on the chamber with the picture of a coach "hold-up."