Scarce Large 18th-century French Flintlock Grave Robber Trap Gun

[hawkeye1755]

Never saw a gun like this one.A Scarce Large 18th-century French Flintlock Grave Robber Trap Gun.
12-inch blunderbuss barrel wrapped with wooden panels held in place by two brass alloy bands. Charleville marked flintlock mechanism with brass pan. Iron mounting pin and tripping lever. Steel anchor chain. Length: 20 1/2-inches.
This particular type of flintlock trap gun was often called a "chicken thief gun" used to trap would be chicken thieves or grave robbers. These guns were often mounted on a base and either camouflaged or hidden from sight with trip wires rigged to be triggered by violators. The theft of human bodies from gravesites in the 19th-century for profit caused the rise in the use of trap guns to secure gravesites from violation. The thieves however, were often smarter by sending a man dressed like a mourning woman during the day to defuse the guns, thus allowing easy access for body snatchers later in the night. A rare and macabre firearm.

:hatsoff:

 

[Okwaho]

I really don't know when I've seen a more interesting piece of firearm curiosa. These and 18th century tinder lighters have always fascinated me. I was especially glad to see this one because these trap guns are exceedingly rare.
Thanks for posting the pics.
Tom Patton

 

[hawkeye1755]

Found this gun at Greg Martin Auctions.
Price was $2,250.00 .
:hatsoff:

 

[Blizzard of '93]

So 'chicken theivery' was somethng to be dealt with there also? What became of the 'unfortunate' who was on the reciving end of this device? Jail? Torure? Both?

 

[rabjr]

Pretty cool weapon. Is there any documented proof that these actually did the job intended?

 

[lanedh]

Undertaker--
Thanks for posting all those detailed photos. I have seen guns of this type illustrated elsewhere but usually only with a single black and white side shot. Your pictures provide a lot of detail about how these guns were constructed and meant to operate.
Bluejacket

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Dang, glad they didn't have them rigged where we stole chickens at as a kid.

The way we did it was at night, quietly sneak into a hen house, with a short stick about an inch in diameter. Place the stick across the front of the roosting chicken and push gently, the chicken would the step up onto the stick, and you could walk out with it. It or the other chickens would never make a squawk if you did it right, but one slip up, the hen house would erupt, and time to run like hell.

Pick up some fresh field corn roasting ears along the way, and then off to down by the river for us to cook the corn & chicken. Hard to believe what 12-13 year old kids will do for a bit of stolen adventure.

 

[Charles D. Prokopp]

If my understanding is correct, the Burkes would hit the trip wire, swiveling the piece in their direction and touching off a charge of buckshot. Considering the legal system of the time, the folks who set the trap had no worries about liability. "Ipso facto, Masters Hare and Burke, you were in the graveyard after the hour of closing. Ergo, you are grave robbers. You are sentenced to deportation if you have healed from your self-inflicted wounds. Next case, Mister Bailiff?"

 

[benvenuto]

Trap guns like this were perfectly legal in most countries up until the 1860's i believe, as long as a warning was posted. In fact I have a friend in england with several of the modern version on his property -thay have special dye cartridges though, not charges of buckshot and are electronically fired.
it certainly is a novel use for a cut-down surplus musket - I suspect most ended up as cheap blunderbusses after the Napoleonic war :hatsoff:

 

[44-henry]

I saw one some years ago on display at the museaum in Cody Wyoming. I believe they said it was a watermelon gun used to protect watermelon patches from slaves. I wondered if they actually were loaded with buckshot, or something less lethal such as rocksalt or just wadding. A blank charge in the dark would still cause most people to need a change of pants in short order.

 

[Iron Jim Rackham]

Interesting. So this is why the grave robbing scene is Frankenstein is always set on a "dark and stormy" night. A good downpour and the trap gun merely becomes an inconvenience to trip over. The ghouls have a good laugh, and it's back to working in the rain.

 

[benvenuto]

don't forget they made flintlocks with rain covers sometimes.... :grin:
see the book "Firearms Curiosa" by Lewis Winant, its available second hand for a reasonable price

 

[Joel/Calgary]

Take a close look at the "box" around the lock, and at the slots in front and behind it. This one had a now-missing cover of sheet metal.

It looks like the pin on the chain was the safety, FWIW.

Joel