Recently sold on IMA ...
This is definitely a very interesting, almost BIZZARE item! Originating from the ‘Hill People’ or Montagnards of the central highlands of Vietnam right around the DMZ, these indigenous people were found during the war in the 1960's and 1970's to be living virtually back to the Stone Age. Their principal weapon was a rudimentary crossbow and they carried on their existence largely ignoring the terrible conflict going on around them. These most unusual "firearms" of truly ancient design were as far as they had ever got into "modern technology" at that time. Based on the 17th century French ignition system, the Montagnard system is even MORE primitive. This is most likely a bring back from the Vietnam War and could be 200-years old or even 20th Century.
It has a 40" barrel in approximately 45 caliber muzzleloading smoothbore. It has a very light wood stock culminating in almost a walking stick handle butt end. The barrel is attached to the very light fore stock with bands that look to be copper at the rear, with four silver bands along the barrel. The lock is really primitive but does bear some line engraving. There does not appear to be a pan per se but we understand some sort of flammable fuse was plugged into the touch hole and the frizzen was lowered on top of it. Once the trigger was pulled the frizzen was knocked out of the way and the fuse ignited.
This is definitely a very interesting, almost BIZZARE item! Originating from the ‘Hill People’ or Montagnards of the central highlands of Vietnam right around the DMZ, these indigenous people were found during the war in the 1960's and 1970's to be living virtually back to the Stone Age. Their principal weapon was a rudimentary crossbow and they carried on their existence largely ignoring the terrible conflict going on around them. These most unusual "firearms" of truly ancient design were as far as they had ever got into "modern technology" at that time. Based on the 17th century French ignition system, the Montagnard system is even MORE primitive. This is most likely a bring back from the Vietnam War and could be 200-years old or even 20th Century.
It has a 40" barrel in approximately 45 caliber muzzleloading smoothbore. It has a very light wood stock culminating in almost a walking stick handle butt end. The barrel is attached to the very light fore stock with bands that look to be copper at the rear, with four silver bands along the barrel. The lock is really primitive but does bear some line engraving. There does not appear to be a pan per se but we understand some sort of flammable fuse was plugged into the touch hole and the frizzen was lowered on top of it. Once the trigger was pulled the frizzen was knocked out of the way and the fuse ignited.
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. The two families I was friends with, we're just 10 years removed from headhunting, and possible cannibalism. Oh, and the women are beautiful till old
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