While some of the weirdest guns ever put to production are almost laughable, you will be surprised at how much sense they made at the time. This is even if most of them did not perform as intended.
Check out our roundup of the weirdest guns ever seen.
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6 Weirdest Guns to Have Ever Existed in History
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1. Gyrojet Rocket Gun
The Gyrojet Rocket gun was introduced in the early sixties by MB Associates that was founded by Arthur Bill and Robert Maynard. This hand-held, multi-shot rocket launcher was intended to revolutionize the small arms world.
Though it was advertised as capable to fire underwater and silent, the Gyrojet gun turned out to be extremely inaccurate and unreliable. What’s more, the weapon was quite ineffective at point-black distances, only gaining full power at about 40-60 meter ranges, not to mention that it was rather slow to load.
Even as one of the most unconventional guns ever made, the Gyrojet came with several advantages. For instance, it had a cheap and lightweight frame since it did not have to conform to the stresses of conventional firearms. That’s not all. It had almost no recoil which counted for something.
Specs:
- Type: single action
- Weight unloaded: 620 g
- Caliber: 13x50mm rocket
- Magazine capacity: 6 rounds
- Length: about 300 mm
2. Krummlauf STG-44 Assault Rifle
Next in this weirdest guns list is the Krummlauf which is a bent barrel attachment on the Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifle that was developed in World War II by Germany. The curved barrel features a periscope sighting device that allowed shooting around corners from a safe spot.
The gun was produced in variants including the “P” variant for use in tanks and the “I” variant for infantry use. As well as versions with 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90° bends, one for the MG 42 and a 30° “I” variant for the StG 44.
While this weird gun is believed to be Hitler's weapon of choice, it came with its fair share of drawbacks including extremely short lifespans – 160 rounds for the 45° variant and 300 rounds for the 30° version primarily because the barrel was put under great stress.
Besides having a short life span, the bent barrel caused bullets to shatter thereby exiting the barrel in multiple fragments, resulting in an unintended shot effect.
3. Velo Dog Revolver
The Velo-Dog revolver was developed in the late 19th century by French-Belgian gunmakers, Galand. As one of the weirdest guns ever made, the Velo-Dog revolver was primarily made for the then-growing cyclist market.
This was based on the theory that the increasing number of cyclists, especially women venturing into the countryside, would need a lightweight but capable pistol to protect themselves from rabid dogs and wild animals. Hence the name, which stems from two words – dog and velocipede (fast foot) leading to the name vélo (french for bicycle).
Besides being open-framed, the revolvers also came with folding triggers that made them compact while preventing accidental discharge. Similarly, models were either single action that required cocking before firing or double action with concealed hammers.
Though the revolvers were initially chambered in a 5.5mm Velo-Dog cartridge, they were later chambered in other smaller calibers including .25ACP and .22 rimfire. Lastly, the revolvers came with cylinders with a five-round capacity.
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4. Coffee Mill Sharps Carbine
An enterprising cavalry colonel came up with the idea of putting a mill in the stock of a Sharps carbine during the Civil War to grind feed.
According to Arsenal’s records, Lt. Col. Walter King, who was on loan from the 4th Missouri Cavalry from 1864-65 found it thoughtful to install a hand-cranked mill to the stock of a .52 caliber Sharps carbine.
The idea was to have the mill enclosed in the stock with a detachable crank on the right-hand side. As a result, a horse trooper would dump oats or wheat in the bottom opening and grind that up for horse feed whenever on the move if need be.
As the years went by, people assumed that the grinder was meant to grind coffee, which would have been more important to an Army on the move. This was however wrong as the grinder was found unsuitable for coffee beans by historians with the National Park Service.
All in all, less than 100 carbines were ever converted, with an even lesser number being in circulation today.
5. A-Square .577 T-Rex
The .577 Tyrannosaur, or T-Rex as commonly known is one of Lt. Col. Art Alphin’s masterpieces which he developed in 1993 for two professional hunters from Zimbabwe who were on the hunt for a stopping rifle powerful enough to stop anything.
Thankfully, the T-Rex is all of that and more. It consistently fires 750-grain bullets at speeds of up to 2,450 fps with 10,180 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. Recoil can get to 172 foot-pounds in a 13-pound rifle which is far too much for inexperienced shooters.
6. 3-Gauge Kiln Gun
Kiln guns are heavy industrial guns used to knock down mine and quarry overhangs, desist boiler tubes, not to mention break up silo stoppages.
While guns are still in production today, they are different from conventional firearms and come in eight-gauge instead of three. This modern load fires a three-ounce slug at a speed of 1,750 fps and produces 9,000 foot-pounds of energy.
They weigh in at roughly 220 pounds and have a considerable lifespan of a quarter-million rounds. They are however fired parallel to the kiln walls to ensure you don’t punch holes.
There you go gun lovers – a quick look at some of the weirdest guns ever produced. While most of these will still have the same operational issues highlighted in this list, they make exceptional collectible for any gun lover looking to grow their collection. Keep in mind that however that acquiring one of these will set you several dollars back.
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