A Conversation for Picture Quiz: Ancient Pistol

Why the knob ?

Post 1

Prof Animal Chaos.C.E.O..err! C.E.Idiot of H2G2 Fools Guild (Official).... A recipient of S.F.L and S.S.J.A.D.D...plus...S.N.A.F.U.

smiley - rofl I'm going to get yiked for this! smiley - laughBUT! I gotta put it (reputation and all that smiley - whistle)

It's to distinguish between male and female guns smiley - erm

Apologies! Folk


Why the knob ?

Post 2

bobstafford

Hi Prof not so sure it is its the correct answersmiley - winkeye


Why the knob ?

Post 3

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

Whoever designed the pistol was just horsing around, but the knob caught on.


Why the knob ?

Post 4

bobstafford

Well as they wore thick leather gauntlets and when fired, the knob would help to hold on to it.
However, when fired it the ball would also make a handy club to sort out a storey peasant or two!

Nerd alert
Interestingly the North American Indian tribes made a very similar ball-shaped club head.

A wheel lock also had to be wound with a detachable leaver! If you look at the picture in the centre of the guided round plate, there is a square piece of steel.
This was turned with a tool similar to a small ring spanner, this was the original "Spanner" and this action was called "spanning" the lock. It is no coincidence that all modern spanners get their name from this tool.



Why the knob ?

Post 5

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

That sounds unwieldy. When you needed to fire multiple shots, it must have taken a while to reload. smiley - sadface


Why the knob ?

Post 6

bobstafford

Up to 2 minutes
smiley - smiley


Why the knob ?

Post 7

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Wow! Thanks for the info, Bob!


Why the knob ?

Post 8

bobstafford

I believe the saying "spick and span" is connected somehow!
Be aware of the graphic description beyond this.



The wheel lock was rendered obsolete by the reliable flintlock, a more nastier and robust weapon. The led ball double charged (2 measures of powder) The ball made a neat hole in the victim on the way in, on the way out it left a hole you could not cover with both hands! (on the way through the lead ball flattened and broke up and ripped out of the other side of the body

Our ancestors did things the hard waysmiley - erm


Why the knob ?

Post 9

Prof Animal Chaos.C.E.O..err! C.E.Idiot of H2G2 Fools Guild (Official).... A recipient of S.F.L and S.S.J.A.D.D...plus...S.N.A.F.U.

many flintlock type guns had those "balls" but because it took so long to reload in a fight etc - they used it as a club/hammer


Why the knob ?

Post 10

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

The knife bayonet became the universal form by the Second World War. If you were close to your enemy but were out of ammo, you could basically spear him (and he you)> smiley - bruised


Why the knob ?

Post 11

Caiman raptor elk - Inside big box, thinking.

I thought the ball was just to determine which end to point atyour opponent, so as not to shoot yourself.


Why the knob ?

Post 12

Prof Animal Chaos.C.E.O..err! C.E.Idiot of H2G2 Fools Guild (Official).... A recipient of S.F.L and S.S.J.A.D.D...plus...S.N.A.F.U.

NUG is a gun that backfired smiley - erm


Why the knob ?

Post 13

Caiman raptor elk - Inside big box, thinking.

and a plosion is an unignited bomb.


Why the knob ?

Post 14

bobstafford

smiley - laugh


Why the knob ?

Post 15

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

Woody Allen has taught us that a gub is a misspelling.


Why the knob ?

Post 16

Prof Animal Chaos.C.E.O..err! C.E.Idiot of H2G2 Fools Guild (Official).... A recipient of S.F.L and S.S.J.A.D.D...plus...S.N.A.F.U.

The "plosion's" smiley - biggrin first married, then divorced, now an explosion smiley - erm


Why the knob ?

Post 17

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

Don't let Mr. Plosion remarry. I don't want to see stepplosions and Plosions-in-law, etc.


Why the knob ?

Post 18

Prof Animal Chaos.C.E.O..err! C.E.Idiot of H2G2 Fools Guild (Official).... A recipient of S.F.L and S.S.J.A.D.D...plus...S.N.A.F.U.

smiley - laugh


Why the knob ?

Post 19

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

The knob is, of course, a result of having been designed on Nob Hill in San Francisco, a posh place.


Why the knob ?

Post 20

Caiman raptor elk - Inside big box, thinking.

It could also be the reservoir where they keep the BANG. Trouble is always is to get it in and keep it in until you screwed the reservoir back on.


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Why the knob ?

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