Volley gun

[Allan Gray]

I was thumbing through my rifle shoppe catalog and came across a previously undiscovered page.

Upon this page was one of the most seductive pieces of hardware I've ever seen...the VOLLEY GUN!! :shocked2: :shocked2: :shocked2:

No less than 7, .50 cal barrels clustered together to go off all at once! My first thought was "I must have one for elk season!" but then, common sense took over.

Anyone else a fan of these insane weapons? Any photos or tales to share?

Someone stop me before I build one!

 

[mckutzy]

well i would definatly like to have one, probably from i hear quite the kick.
[url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum...6/hl/nocks+vollygun/fromsearch/1/#315776[/url]

 

[davy]

According to some sources the one used in the Wayne "Alamo" film was actually two different ones. The one used for firing was one was fired by an electric wire! :shocked2: The other was an original that was used for close ups in the film! :thumbsup:
Also they loaded the fake one by putting the charges in as a unit ...all barrels at once with dummy charges.:shake:

Davy

 

[Croppy Boy]

There's one described as a 0.40 calibre, seven barrelled goose gun by Henry Nock. The date given is 1798 and I'd imagine you'd have to re-mortgage your house to buy it.

 

[kevthebassman]

There's one described as a 0.40 calibre, seven barrelled goose gun by Henry Nock. The date given is 1798 and I'd imagine you'd have to re-mortgage your house to buy it.

That's an interesting powder flask they have there. Looks like it is intended to charge all barrels at once.

 

[Trench]

As I understand, the volley gun was a British Naval weapon used by marines. They were made to fire in to the rigging of enemy ships in order to knock out sharpshooters.
They were originally were in larger calibers, but the recoil was hard to manage. I believe the Royal Navy went to smaller caliber volley guns for this reason.
If you're a fan on the Sharpe Series of books, one of the soldiers in that book carries a .50 Volley Gun.

 

[PreglerD]

I guess all barrels will go off with one triggerpull.

Regards

Kirrmeister

 

[Charles D. Prokopp]

Sure is a stout-looking stock. Checkering on the thick wrist, too. Guess the smith was playing it safe. Personally, I don"t think I'd care to shoot the thing! :surrender:

 

[Allan Gray]

There's no way I'd be able to resist giving that thing a try. Although I'm sure I'd end up with a broken shoulder.
Doesn't look like it would have much of a "scattering" effect from a mast head. More likely to blow someones head off :hatsoff:

Thanks for the photos and link. I saw another one on an auction web site going for 30,000 UK. A bit beyond my budget unless I want a divorce...

 

[Grizzled Roberts]

The big bore version was made for the British Navy
The recoil was too stout for the brits. Only a few hundred of the big boys were made. The first models were made rifled but this was found to be a waste of time.

Sargent Patrick Harper carried one in Sharpes Rifles. I love the series but I would like to see
Pat load this beast under combat conditions!

It is a fierce contraption but if someone was to hand me one loaded.....I would have to touch one off! I hope I never see one on the bargan rack
I would have to jump!

 

[burgessrudy]

I'm missing something here. How does the charge in the pan set off all the barrels?

 

[Parzifal]

WOW what a beauty..

Hell I would shoot it! But imagine after 4 or 5 rounds the fun of cleaning the damn thing.

God, you guys are always tempting me with these things, now Im thinking if I put away 100$$ here and there and sell this or that...Geeze if my woman could see this I would get quite the ear full.

I would want it in 50 cal rifled, each barell loaded with 50 grns fffg, deer gun for the hunt of the century, or imagine it in 58 cal smooth bore each barell loaded with a pile of shot."maybe a shoulder pad"

Though its not much of a practical camp piece,its beauty and general a$$ whoopness would make the difficulty of maintence almost worth it, until day 3 in the bush that is.

Rob
:hatsoff:

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I'm missing something here. How does the charge in the pan set off all the barrels?

Pan sets off the barrel it set adjacent to, which has a hole on the opposite side of the touchhole, that goes into barrel #2. And then on the opposite side, there's a hole into barrel #3, and so on ...

I believe ...

 

[Croppy Boy]

The picture looking down on the barrel seems to show that the breech is seperate from the barrels. Could this be some kind of a patent breech connected to all seven barrels?

Incidentally, you can get all the details at[url] www.flintlockcollection.net[/url]

 

[sequoia]

Did anyone notice the seven-spouted powder flask?
That would certainly speed up loading.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

That is one of those things which looks neat at first glance but when you think about it--naw. It would seem unlikely that all seven barrels would go off "exactly" at the same time so it would likely have a vertical scatter. It would be much quicker and easier to load six, or eight 1/2" balls into a one inch smoothbore than seven into seven different barrels. Then there is the matter of cleaning the durn thing with all those internal passages between barrels. I don't see as how it could do anything better than a big blunderbus which would be a lot easier to build and maintain. I think the British navy came to agree.

 

[Mike Brooks]

They were built for civilian use also as a goose gun....never really caught on. :shake:

 

[Bon Sauvage]

50 caliber and 50 grains per barrel? You are a brave man Sir and I salute your courage! The very thought of touching off 350 gr of 3F under 1,239 gr of lead makes me want to go to the little boys room.


Ogre

 

[Croppy Boy]

It would seem unlikely that all seven barrels would go off "exactly" at the same time

Perhaps it would be more benefical if the barrels did go off consecutively, the recoil would be more manageable and be more like a short burst of machine gun fire.

 

[Mountainman56]

Yes but it might back you off the ship! :haha: I agree if I ever came across somebody who had one I would have to try it...and no doubt regret it for a long time. A guy could develop a flinch that would last for years shootin that thing. It ought to come with wheels.

sure would look cool hanging on the rack though. :hmm: