The Gunblade: Does it exist?

[Brianith]

A gun... with a sword on it, awesome idea, but do any really exist? If anyone can find some pictures of these, please put them on, I want to know if they're out there.

 

[KurtCQ]

These threads discuss this subject:

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?threadid=7480&highlight=gunblade

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?threadid=10342&highlight=gunblade

 

[Triton]

They did exist I've seen examples in several books and one at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. However from what I've read they are a perfect example of trying to do to much and not being able to do anything well.

 

[Fleadh]

Gunblades did exist but were single shot. People tend to mock their existance or usefullness simply beacuse of the final fantasy association they did exist and enoough were made that its not hard to find examples. There is some info on them in the Disjointed book
"A Collectors Guide to Swords, Daggers, and Cutlasses"
by Gerald Weland (book is terrible but has nice pictures).


Ive seen some on sale on antique sites as well.

Ive heard people say that its a half and half weapon that doesnt do either very well but If the idea is to killl someone than one gunshot before you have to engage them proper, id take that extra shot everytime. The guns arent that obtrusive for their use as a short sword!!

denix makes several replicas of historic pieces..

http://www.by-the-sword.com/acatalog/Denix_Pistols.html

Hope this helps some..

 

[Weltall]

Indeed, until now I thought it was just a cool fantasy weapon from Final Fantasy VIII.

 

[Triton]

Actually most of the ones I've seen weren't combat weapons but were instead hunting implements with the pistol usually being used for the coup de grace on wounded game. I'm sure that there are exceptions of course but suspect that the combatant would be far better served by a sword and a pistol then by some odd amalgamation of the two. As for the thing on that video game I saw a picture and thought it was pretty amusing. A sword that big with a revolver pistol grip?

 

[Daniel Koster]

Bruce Bump makes Pistol Folders - so perhaps there is someone who makes a sword version?

Dan

 

[Weltall]

As for the thing on that video game I saw a picture and thought it was pretty amusing. A sword that big with a revolver pistol grip?

Well, it is a game. There's been stranger things...

 

[FullerH]

OK, there was a US Navy-issue cutlass pistol in the period shortly before the War Between the States called the Elgin Cutlass Pistol. Here is a page from the Dixie Gun Works catalogue advertizing some of their few remaining reproductions: http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=690
and here is a picture of an original version: http://www.ken-drake.com/elgin_cutlass_pistol.htm

I thank CurtCQ for the leads to them.

The Elgin Cutlass Pistol was an interesting device. I have read that it made for a very heavy cutlass that was difficult to use for any length of time as it was too damned awkward to be hefted around in a combat situation for very long and that it was very muzzle-heavy, as you might imagine, for a pistol. But, given the close confines of a boarding party situation or a "Repel Boarders!" situation, I can think that there might well have been those who would prefer such a device. Remember that, by this time, actual boarding under fire was not all that common. Ships stood off and ponded at one another until somebody sank or surrendered.