Mau Mau gun.

katana · 31st January 2009, 07:25 PM

Hi Tim,
interesting that a 'fake' gun would have been used in the uprising.....adds more weight to the idea that your 'rifle sword' was made with the same idea....to fool the enemy. At least yours had an added practical use.

Regards David

VANDOO · 31st January 2009, 07:58 PM

IT IS INDEED A STRANGE LOOKING CONTRAPTION BUT MAY HAVE ACTUALLY WORKED.

I HAVE SEEN STRANGER THINGS IN THE PAST AND IN MY TEEN AGE YEARS WE MADE SOME ZIP GUNS OUT OF JUNK THAT WERE AS DANGEROUS TO THE USER AS TO THE TARGET USUALLY OURS WERE SINGLE SHOT AND USED 22 BULLETS. ONE OF MY FAVORITES SHOT BICYCLE SPOKES IT WAS A SMALLER VERSION OF A PRINCIPLE USED IN OLD MEDEVIL PROJECTLE THROWERS WHERE A FLEXIBLE PIECE OF METAL WAS PULLED BACK (COCKED) THE SPOKE WAS PLACED IN POSITION AND WHEN THE TRIGGER WAS RELEASED IT STRUCK THE BACK OF THE SPOKE AND SENT IT OUT WITH QUITE A LOT OF FORCE. SOME OF THE CONTRAPTIONS BUILT IN PRISONS ARE ALSO REMARKABLY CRUDE , SOMETIMES THEY WORK AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T BUT THEY ALWAYS NEED A CLOSE TARGET AS THEY ARE NOT ACCURATE AND MAY INJURE THE SHOOTER AND NOT THE TARGET. I WONDER IF THE PRISONS STILL HAVE THEIR OLD COLLECTIONS OF SUCH WEAPONS AS I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY IN QUITE A WHILE.

David · 31st January 2009, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by katana

Hi Tim,
interesting that a 'fake' gun would have been used in the uprising.....adds more weight to the idea that your 'rifle sword' was made with the same idea....to fool the enemy. At least yours had an added practical use.

Regards David

Yeah, i don't think this is a "fake" gun. I'll bet it worked once.

Norman McCormick · 31st January 2009, 08:10 PM

Hi Guys,
I don't think this is a 'fake' gun. If you extract the bolt, insert a cartridge, reinsert the bolt, stretch elastic round the bolt and attach said elastic to the nails on either side of the gun then pull back the bolt manually and release, as long as you file down the bolt face to leave a small protrusion or insert a steel pin into the bolt face = a firing pin, it will fire a centrefire, .303 most likely, cartridge no problem. The Zip gun I believe operates on a similar principle. Totally inaccurate and probably just as dangerous to the firer as the target but deadly at very short range.
Regards,
Norman.

BBJW · 31st January 2009, 08:18 PM

These were made to just fire once and then hopefully enable the terrorist to pick up a real gun from the victim. These were much cruder, but the same principle was used during WW2 with the "Liberator" single shot .45acp pistols that were dropped to the French resistance fighters who then would capture German weapons.

bbjw

Atlantia · 31st January 2009, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norman McCormick

Hi Guys,
I don't think this is a 'fake' gun. If you extract the bolt, insert a cartridge, reinsert the bolt, stretch elastic round the bolt and attach said elastic to the nails on either side of the gun then pull back the bolt manually and release, as long as you file down the bolt face to leave a small protrusion or insert a steel pin into the bolt face = a firing pin, it will fire a centrefire, .303 most likely, cartridge no problem. The Zip gun I believe operates on a similar principle. Totally inaccurate and probably just as dangerous to the firer as the target but deadly at very short range.
Regards,
Norman.

LOL, funny you should mention them! My first thought was 'Zip gun'
I also think this was made to fire, although it looks like it would be possibly as dangerous to the shooter as the target.

katana · 1st February 2009, 01:35 PM

I suppose 'fake' was too inaccurate a description....but there are several reasons I used the term.

The barrel is made from water pipe which is likely 1/2" diameter....and is almost certainly 'seamed' .....and as such is likely to 'burst' on firing ....

The section of 'pipe' which the 'bolt' slides looks to be a section of half pipe (held by the nails ?) which looks decidedly fragile when you consider the force of the 'blow back' gasses from firing a bullet.

To aim....albeit inaccurately....would require 'sighting' down the barrel ....would you put your eyes anywhere near the bolt mechanism on this ?

I am not so certain that this has been fired....there are no scorch marks evident. I also find it hard to believe that the Mau Mau would risk serious injury or death just to fire one inaccurate round at the British

I think it would be better used to give the impression that you had a rifle than to fire this.
Perhaps, if shot gun cartridges ....with some of the 'charge' removed...were used this may have been 'more' functional

Regards David

1st February 2009, 01:35 PM	#7
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	I suppose 'fake' was too inaccurate a description....but there are several reasons I used the term. The barrel is made from water pipe which is likely 1/2" diameter....and is almost certainly 'seamed' .....and as such is likely to 'burst' on firing .... The section of 'pipe' which the 'bolt' slides looks to be a section of half pipe (held by the nails ?) which looks decidedly fragile when you consider the force of the 'blow back' gasses from firing a bullet. To aim....albeit inaccurately....would require 'sighting' down the barrel ....would you put your eyes anywhere near the bolt mechanism on this ? I am not so certain that this has been fired....there are no scorch marks evident. I also find it hard to believe that the Mau Mau would risk serious injury or death just to fire one inaccurate round at the British I think it would be better used to give the impression that you had a rifle than to fire this. Perhaps, if shot gun cartridges ....with some of the 'charge' removed...were used this may have been 'more' functional Regards David Attached Images

31st January 2009, 07:25 PM	#1
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	Hi Tim, interesting that a 'fake' gun would have been used in the uprising.....adds more weight to the idea that your 'rifle sword' was made with the same idea....to fool the enemy. At least yours had an added practical use. Regards David

31st January 2009, 07:58 PM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	IT IS INDEED A STRANGE LOOKING CONTRAPTION BUT MAY HAVE ACTUALLY WORKED. I HAVE SEEN STRANGER THINGS IN THE PAST AND IN MY TEEN AGE YEARS WE MADE SOME ZIP GUNS OUT OF JUNK THAT WERE AS DANGEROUS TO THE USER AS TO THE TARGET USUALLY OURS WERE SINGLE SHOT AND USED 22 BULLETS. ONE OF MY FAVORITES SHOT BICYCLE SPOKES IT WAS A SMALLER VERSION OF A PRINCIPLE USED IN OLD MEDEVIL PROJECTLE THROWERS WHERE A FLEXIBLE PIECE OF METAL WAS PULLED BACK (COCKED) THE SPOKE WAS PLACED IN POSITION AND WHEN THE TRIGGER WAS RELEASED IT STRUCK THE BACK OF THE SPOKE AND SENT IT OUT WITH QUITE A LOT OF FORCE. SOME OF THE CONTRAPTIONS BUILT IN PRISONS ARE ALSO REMARKABLY CRUDE , SOMETIMES THEY WORK AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T BUT THEY ALWAYS NEED A CLOSE TARGET AS THEY ARE NOT ACCURATE AND MAY INJURE THE SHOOTER AND NOT THE TARGET. I WONDER IF THE PRISONS STILL HAVE THEIR OLD COLLECTIONS OF SUCH WEAPONS AS I HAVE NOT SEEN ANY IN QUITE A WHILE.

31st January 2009, 08:10 PM	#4
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,632	Hi Guys, I don't think this is a 'fake' gun. If you extract the bolt, insert a cartridge, reinsert the bolt, stretch elastic round the bolt and attach said elastic to the nails on either side of the gun then pull back the bolt manually and release, as long as you file down the bolt face to leave a small protrusion or insert a steel pin into the bolt face = a firing pin, it will fire a centrefire, .303 most likely, cartridge no problem. The Zip gun I believe operates on a similar principle. Totally inaccurate and probably just as dangerous to the firer as the target but deadly at very short range. Regards, Norman.

31st January 2009, 08:18 PM	#5
BBJW Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Idaho, USA Posts: 230	These were made to just fire once and then hopefully enable the terrorist to pick up a real gun from the victim. These were much cruder, but the same principle was used during WW2 with the "Liberator" single shot .45acp pistols that were dropped to the French resistance fighters who then would capture German weapons. bbjw