The Firearm Blog

Hugh West was arrested after he tried to sell a zip gun to a passing motorist in the UK. The Daily Mail reports (emphasis mine ...

West, 41, showed the flabbergasted driver the weapon and even demonstrated how it could be put together and be fired.

'The driver said "I'm alright, I don't need a gun" at which point the defendant put the gun back in his pocket and walked off.'

The stupidity of criminals never ceases to amaze me!

Many thanks to David for the link.

This photo, taken at a German Army artillery range, is not a fake.

The side expansion chambers will be to accommodate the blast of the cannon's muzzle brake.

I know what you are thinking: "WTF!".It was build to reduce noise to communities nearby. The vehicle pictured is the M109G 155mm self-propelled howitzer.

Many thanks to Sven for emailing it to me.

UPDATE: Thanks to Mark for these images of another German tank suppressor.

UPDATE: Daniel found a US patent that German defense firm Rheinmetall GmbH has on the design of cannon silencers.

Anything this ugly should be illegal

From Xavier's Ugly Gun Sunday Series.

Inspired by the Double Barrel Pump Action we saw on Les Jones's blog, HerrKenny decided to make his own, more professional looking, "Moe Szyslak Special".

The odd shape makes the photo look screwed. It is not.

Centered Bead. "Persuasion" chokes (sharp edged).

Duel Extended Magazines - 16 shot capacity.

The underside.

I am very impressed by the workmenship that went into this gun and I am sure there would be many out there who would pay good money for it.

Moe Szyslak sporting his iconic double barreled pump gun

Thanks to Jake for helping me find out about this gun.

Chauss513 is an artist whose unusual medium is guns that have been destroyed by the U.S. Attorney's Office. He turns the firearm pieces he receives into furniture and steampunk-esque replica guns. His latest batch of raw material come from a local gun buy-back program.

Chauss513 creations are for sale and he can be contacted through Flickr. His Flickr account has over a hundred photos of his many creations. I highly recommend checking it out.

Thanks to Todd for putting me in contact with his friend Chauss513.

Many of you have probably seen this revolver before, but I had not. The gigantic wheel gun measures four feet in length!

It was build by Ryszard Tobys and was modeled after the Remington Model 1859 revolver. It is 28mm in caliber (1.1″)!

Thanks to Sven for the link.

Hat Tip: Weapons Blog

UPDATE: Added corrected information and photos. Thanks pauloos for the link.

[ I have done my best to ensure there are no spoilers in this blog post, but read forth at your own risk and DON'T read the comments that are below the blog post. All pictures are from the trailers and promotional material, not the movie itself. ]

Two readers emailed me saying that many of the weapons I mentioned in my 5 Weapons that should’ve been in Transformers 2 post were used in new hit sci-fi movie District 9. I was considering seeing the movie, but after hearing this I decided I had to go. It was fantastic! Despite being a low budget production, they must have hired a very competent weapons consultant. The weapons used were appropriate for the task at hand and were used correctly, something few action, or even historical, movies do right.

Where can I buy this target?

There are three main human factions in the movie. The Multi-National United is organization styled after the UN. The Mercenaries (I can’t remember what they are called in the movie) are private military contractors styled after the likes of Blackwater (Xe). The Gangsters live among the aliens and are involved in the arms trade.

The movie is set in South Africa so it is no surprise that many of the weapons used in the movie are weapons produced by the South African defense industry.

Multi-National United (MNU)

Vektor CR-21 – This is the “white” gun used by the MNU. The 5.56 mm CR-21 is a bullpup version of the Vektor R4. The R4 is the South African licensed-built version of the Israeli Galil (an AK-47 derivative).

CR-21

R1 (FN FAL) – The R1 was the South African licensed-built FN FAL. In the movie it is used by airborne snipers.

R1 / FN FAL

Unknown Pump Action Shotgun – A pump action shotgun is used by a minor character. I could not identify it.

Mercenaries

Vektor R5 – This is the carbine version of the Vektor R4 rifle. The R5 has a 13.1″ barrel.

Vektor R5.

Colt M4 with M203 – Some troops appear to be using the M4 Carbine and M203 grenade launcher.

Colt M4/M203

FN Minimi – Better known as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW).

FN Minimi

PMP Neopup PAW – I am pretty sure this awesome semi-automatic grenade launcher was used briefly.

Denel NTW-20 – This South African made 20mm rifle was used too good effect.

Unknown Machine Pistol – A machine pistol or submachine gun was used in one scene, but I could not identify it. UPDATE: Commenters point out that it was the BXP.

Unknown Pistol – I could not identify the pistols carried by the mercs. UPDATE: IMFDB says it was a Beretta 92FS.

Gangsters

AK-47 – Not introduction needed.

RPG-7 – Again, no introduction need. Used realistically in the film.

RPG-7

Milkor MGL – I was surprised to see the gangsters packing this. I only saw it in one scene.

M1911 pistol – I am pretty sure a 1911 clone is used by one of the gangsters.

Aliens

Unknown weaponry

Alien Assault Rifle

While watching the movie I tried to keep track of what guns they were using. I probably missed many and I had trouble identifying some. Please post a comment below if noticed any mistakes or omissions I have made or identify any of the unknown weapons listed.

Thanks to Cory and Raymond for their emails regarding the movie weapons.

UPDATE: More info at IMFDB (Spoiler alert).

The Carabinieri (Italian gendarmerie) have seized a pen gun from a mobster in Naples.

.22 Short rounds and one standard (subsonic) .22 Long Rifle

My memory is pretty bad but I think it was 6 months ago when the Italian police captured one of those cell phone guns from another mobster.

SFGate reports:

A Carabinieri paramilitary officer holds a .22-caliber pen gun that was confiscated from a man in Naples. According to reports, Carabinieri were investigating if the weapon has been used in crimes or “acts of intimidation.”

Hat Tip: Zeon @ MP.net

About two weeks ago the police in Winnipeg, Canada, confiscated a a bunch of saw off shotguns, ammo and a unidentified submachine gun that is reported to be homemade.

Full photo at The Winnipeg Sun

The Winnipeg Sun reports:

Possibly homemade, the submachine-gun and five sawed-off shotguns, along with ammunition, were seized at a house in the 400-block of Manitoba Avenue on Jan. 7, police said.

Three males, aged 17, 27 and 28, are facing almost 120 charges.

If it is homemade whoever made it did a very good job. Either it is homemade or of a pre-1950ish design. Note that it has a non-telescoping bolt resulting in a long receiver.

At first I thought it may be an MP-40, but it is not. Can anyone here identify it? Please provide a link to a photo in the comments if you can.

Regular readers know that I have fascination with homemade guns

Chain SAW … get it?

They must have had a lot of fun putting this thing together Click to expand the photos.

Note the M203 grenade flare launcher


[ Above Photos Copyright Ken Lunde. Used with permission. ]

UPDATE: A couple more photos taken by SMGLee:

Click to expand. Photo ⓒ Chen “SMGLee” Lee. Used with permission.


Click to expand. Photo ⓒ Chen “SMGLee” Lee. Used with permission.

You were warned … This is the Frankenstein’s monster of early 20th Century American arms:

An M103 Springfield in an SBR (Short Barrel Rifle) configuration presumably converted to .45 ACP with a 1911 pistol grip being used as the magazine well.

It is hideous. Something only its mother could love!

Hat Tip: Хроники безумного Макса

The latest Popular Mechanics (Jan 2009) has an article about the 12 foot long vertical gun NASA has at the Ames Research Center. The gun is used to simulate impacts from meteor and space debris.

What is very interesting is that it utilizes a hybrid air gun / gun powder system. It uses a gunpowder charge to accelerate a piston which compresses hydrogen gas to 100,000 psi (maximum pressure of a .338 Lapua Magnum is 60,916 psi). This propels a saboted projectile at 26,400 fps!

The piston system if very common. All spring air guns use it, even the simple springer airsoft guns use a simple piston system. The difference is they use a spring to propel the piston which compresses air.

Here is my attempt at explaining my understanding of how the NASA gun works:

Excuse my drawing skills. Click to expand

UPDATE: A diagram by NASA of a Light Gas Gun (thanks to R.A.W and Billl):

I got it more or less correct

English Russia, a humorous blog about all things Russia, has photos of home-made firearms confiscated by police and army in Chechnya.

Click to expand images:

30mm or 40mm grenade launcher?


Looks like a Baikal over and under shotgun
with pistol grip and cut down barrel.


Pretty nifty carbine.

Many more at English Russia.

The modern Soldier of Fortune prefers the “full auto” chainsaw rail attachment over the old fashioned single stab “blade” or “spike” bayonet. It makes the bayonet pistol look impotent!

Pictured on an AR-15

Now available for the Saiga-12 shotgun (note the 20 round drum mag)

Thanks jdun1911 for the tip.

More about the chainsaw at ar15.com.