Three barrel Muzzleloader

[Black Toe Knives]

I seen one this weekend in Nashville. Was I holding a rare piece of history?
It was muzzleloading rifle. The barrels had rotated around a center shaft. Each barrel rotated with it own sights and nipple. With a single lock. A button on the tang released the barrels to rotate. This was pre civil war rifle. I seen all the common mult-barrel muzzle loaders from duck feet to pepper boxes. This idea was popular around 1835 the barrels where mounted on Rotating wheel.

 

[BHP FAN]

Could also be the Classic Arms ''Duck foot'' volley pistol.This was a 1970's replica of a pistol used by ship's catains to put down mutinys in the days of the tall sailing ships. Originals would date from 1730 to about 1830.

 

[arcticap]

Was it a 3 barrel drilling? I could only find examples of modern guns.

Krieghoff

http://www.centerlinefirearms.com/partners/krieghoff_drillings.php


Blaser D99 Drilling

 

[Mp7]

..

http://www.dave-cushman.net/shot/ducksfoot.html

many examples. Follow link.

 

[4v50 Gary]

I've heard of swivel rifles with two barrels, but not a three barrel swivel rifle. It can be done, but it must be unbearably heavy (unless its three smooth bores).

 

[Joe Demko]

During the American Revolution there was a famous rifleman from Pennsylvania named Timothy Murphy who is supposed to have used a two barreled swivel rifle. The Pennsylvania Game Commission had an article about it in their magazine (Game News) years ago. I don't remember whether each barrel had its own pan or he had to reprime between shots.

 

[Macgille]

Swivel rifles were not unknown, but they are fairly rare. I have never seen a triple barreled swivel, but double are more common. Very heavy, and the swivel can be a weak area for malfunctions. Most of the ones I have seen were flinters with a pan for each barrel.

 

[Black Toe Knives]

Oh it was unbearable heavy and Rifled barrels.

 

[Hawkeye748]

Flayderman's has a section on Multi barrel rifles/shotguns. Typical, were the conventional double barrels, either side by side or over and under. Three barrel types were shown as fixed, with double sidelocks, and an underhammer lower barrel. It also shows a four barrel version that pivoted around a central axis with double sidelocks. Seperate sights for each set of double barrels. There were problably dozens of varieties of these produced, with various combinations of barrels. I doubt any were mass production guns.

If you want to see or study the wide variety of different arms produced through history, you must get a Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms. Well worth the $35. or so it costs.


Just thought I would add, seems to me I remember the Jim Bowie character carrying a multi-barrel rifle in one of the Alamo movies. I think it was the John Wayne version.

 

[Joe Demko]

Yeah, he did. Bowie was played by Richard Widmark. The gun in question was a volley gun and fired all barrels at once.

 

[JamesKelly]

Two, three and even a few four-barreled rifles were common in Michigan. Once steel began to be used for gun barrels, in the late 1830"s for Allen pistols. the barrel could be made smaller in diameter with decent strength. Along with faster powder than was available in the 18th century, hence shorter barrels shot just fine, this meant that a double rifle of tolerable weight could be made. I have a three barrel gun, double .38 cal rifles over one shotgun barrel, fixed breech. Here are some photos of a three-barrel swivel .38 cal rifle made by Uri Prindle of Charlotte, Michigan. Photos courtesy the late C.W. Slagle. Mr. Dorr Wiltse & I have compiled some 700 names of Michigan muzzle-loading rifle makers, and, Insh'Allah, will publish one of these days.