This year we bring you something similar: a gun disguised as a crucifix? A Single Action Army dedicated to monsters, a rifle decorated in the "Dance of Death" style, a new monster hunting kit an AR sporting rifle dedicated to Dia de los Muertos and a shotgun nicknamed the "Devil's Shotgun"
First we have another monster hunting kit. I found it on imgur, it was made by a gunsmith in Florida, it contains a 19th century black powder .45 revolver with a conversion cylinder to fire .45 Colt cartridges.
I like the choice of gun, Bram Stoker's book: Dracula, brought us much of the lore about Vampires and introduces the concept of a "Monster Hunting Kit". It stands to reason that such a kit should contain a gun from the era. Bram Stoker's novel was first printed in 1897 and the story is set sometime in the 1890's.
The contents include:
The Revolver (Remington model of 1858, I think?)
Powder Flask
Ram Rod
Percussion Cap Box
.45 lead balls
.45 Colt cylinder
.45 Colt Winchester Silvertips
Vial of Holy Water
Wooden Stake (mounted in the lid)
The nickel plated grip frame has the name of the famous vampire hunter, Van Helsing
Winchester Silver Tip Hollow Points, in .45 Colt
magnets embedded in the wood hold the stake in place on the lid
The cork in the center of the cartridges is the top of the Holy Water vial
Here is a weapon that would have suited the great Dr. Van Helsing, a gun that doubles as a crucifix or vice versa....
Next up is a Colt Single Action Army, known as the "Monster Legacy". It was commissioned by a private collector to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Colt Single Action Army (1973). Engraved by Bryson Gwinnell, it sold at auction for $60,250. the Colt has all of the ghouls, goblins, devils, mummies, vampires and assorted monsters that you could think of.
You may recognize the fella climbing from the coffin as Samuel Colt himself.
Underground Tactical created this next one, they call it Maquina de Muerte, which is spanish for Machine of Death.
The rifle is engraived in the Mexican "Dia de los Muertos" style.
The AR-based rifle was sold for $10,000. See more here
Next up is this is a rather ornately engraved percussion rifle that is dedicated to the "Danse Macabre", which is French for the "Dance of Death".
According to Wikipedia the Danse Macbre is "an artistic genre of late-medieval allegory on the universality of death: no matter one's station in life, the Dance of Death unites us all. The Danse Macabre consists of the dead or personified Death summoning representatives from all walks of life to dance along to the grave, typically with a pope, emperor, king, child and labourer. They were produced to remind people of the fragility of their lives and how vain were the glories of earthly life."
The expression and artwork date back to the years 1424/1425, not long after the Black Death, aka the Black Plague swept through Europe.
I suppose the plague changed the way European's viewed death and this genre reflects that change.
The rifle below was built in the 19th century to pay homage to the genre.
The words below were taken directly from the Rock Island Auction Company website, remember to click on the pictures for larger versions.
This is simply the finest exhibition quality gold and silver inlaid percussion target rifle that Rock Island Auction Company has offered for sale. The firearm was showcased at the Exhibition of Products of French Industry in 1839 where it received the distinction of a "Mention Honorable." Francois-Jules de Petigny (1801-1858) of Soissons handcrafted the rifle. He and Evradrd-Latron restored the Maison de L'Arqubuse in 1833 and it remains to this day. The carbine was richly decorated by celebrated engraver Joseph Fallois (1812-1886) in a "Danse Macabre" tableau theme closely related in style to Guy Marchand's famous work from the 1490s. Fallois lived in Liege and Paris and also presented work at the famous 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London. Part of his work from that event is now part of the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the Hyacinth Tourey shotgun he engraved for that exhibition is currently a centerpiece in a private American collection. 1839 was just a few years before the 500th anniversary of the Black Death in Europe. The heavy rifled Damascus steel barrel was forged by Parisian master gunsmith Louis Pincon and bears his stamp and punch. It is nearly (completely) covered in a floral scroll and panel scene etched engraving. The left and right barrel flats are 100% covered in a floral scroll engraving while the upper left and right barrel flats feature 30 engraved scenes; each scene depicts an effigy of Death visiting individuals of various positions. Each panel scene has a gold inlaid caption:
This next one comes courtesy of the National Firearms Museum, from their website:
Nicknamed "The Devil's Shotgun," this regally crafted and cased
16 ga. percussion shotgun won a medal at the 1849 Paris
Exposition (just 10 years after the rifle above...).
It is ebony-stocked and elaborately embellished with numerous multi-color gold inlaid renderings of demons and other bizarre creatures, along with their human victims. French humor of the period sometimes involved private health issues in open discussion; in this case the use of a clyster syringe in several scenes.
Of equally ornate and rococo construction are the cased accessories, including an elegantly curved horn powder flask and a ramrod made of baleen. Brun's craftsmanship exemplifies the pinnacle of the Parisian Empire movement that blended engraving, sculpture and precious metal work to transform sporting arms into works of art.
It is ebony-stocked and elaborately embellished with numerous multi-color gold inlaid renderings of demons and other bizarre creatures, along with their human victims. French humor of the period sometimes involved private health issues in open discussion; in this case the use of a clyster syringe in several scenes.
Of equally ornate and rococo construction are the cased accessories, including an elegantly curved horn powder flask and a ramrod made of baleen. Brun's craftsmanship exemplifies the pinnacle of the Parisian Empire movement that blended engraving, sculpture and precious metal work to transform sporting arms into works of art.
Reference:
Rock Island Auction
Wikipedia
National Firearms Museum
Free Republic
IMGUR
Davide Pedersoli Official Blog