Uncomplicated's most unusual weapon. The rarest types of weapons. PHASR laser rifle
This article will focus on what is beyond the mainstream. And there are, albeit outlandish, but very effective types of weapons, and ammunition for it ...
1. Sarbakan
As a jungle weapon, many have heard of the sarbakan. But for those who read The Countess Monsoro, it’s time to think: where did this weapon come from in France in the 16th century, why did it suddenly become such a fashion among the French aristocracy, up to and including the king? Or is it an invention of Dumas?
No, not fiction. "Blow gun", "wind pipe", sarbican - all this is one and the same weapon, however, existing in several quite different versions. It was brought to Europe shortly after the beginning of the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries and immediately became a favorite "toy" of the most diverse strata of society. True, the sarbakan did not become a truly military weapon there - in contrast to the "native" regions. In Europe, it was used both for fun and for practicing aiming skills, sometimes even as a means of secret communication (sarbakan bullets were sometimes rolled from secret notes, which could thus be silently “sent” out the window or directly into the hands of the addressee) . As an entertaining and game projectile, this “spitting pipe” still exists, primarily among teenagers. Writers, as we see, do the same, especially in historical novels (and in fantasy as well). But still, few teenagers, science fiction writers and lovers of historical fiction imagine its capabilities as a military or hunting weapon.
First and foremost. For some reason, everyone, well, everyone really loves to shoot thorns from a sarbican, plucked from the trunk of the nearest palm tree or a branch of the nearest bush. In vain! It is necessary to make a very even and extremely carefully processed arrow 20-30 centimeters long, less than a knitting needle thick, it is necessary to wrap its stalk near the middle with a special sealant so that it fits properly to the trunk, it is necessary to painstakingly sharpen the tip, sometimes even do it on there are cuts in front of the point so that it breaks off in the wound (and, accordingly, so that the poison that accumulates primarily in the depths of these cuts can do its job without interference) ... Easier than making bow arrows, but also a whole story .
Although - in fact, the “projectile” of a sarbakan may not resemble a knitting needle, but, excuse the expression, a tampax. But this is already a weapon of exclusively “interhuman” relations, moreover, only very close combat, urban, even rather corridor. A dense short tourniquet of a fibrous (not necessarily cotton) “body” saturated with poison, and a triple needle sting protruding from it in the form of a mini-prison. This tip, of course, is forged. And the arrow-spoke usually does without metal on the tip.
(Those poisoned arrows that the ninja used were just such “tampaks”, not spikes. The source of the poison in this case was the aconite root. But in general, of course, the art of “fukibara-jutsu”, live shooting from blowpipes, even in Japan, it was inherent not only to ninja.But in any case, it was an attribute of a close sabotage battle, and not a field battle or a siege battle.However, during the siege, sometimes there was an urgent need to use saboteurs...)
It's still "first and foremost". Let's move on to the second. Sarbakan, as a weapon, not just a military one, but also a rather “main” one, was noted, first of all, in the Indonesian-Malay region - as well as in South America. The Old World Sarbakan is a bit more powerful and easier to handle, because it is equipped (well, not always, but often) with a mouthpiece. Namely, it was he who came to Europe at the still just post-medieval stage. Modern readers of The Countess Monsoreau probably cannot understand in any way: through which bell one of her heroes manages to make sepulchral sounds, embarrassing the royal soul. And this is the funnel of the muff. There is nothing of the kind in today's teenagers shooting elderberry or mountain ash, but they are a degraded type of "weapon", not intended for murder (and thank God!).
A “combat” shot from such a sarbakan is carried out by a strong and sharp exhalation: not costal, but diaphragmatic. In Indian style, without a lip cap, they shoot differently: you should squeeze it tightly with your lips and plug the hole with your tongue, and then with a powerful but smooth exhalation (also due to the diaphragm) inflate your cheeks to capacity - and a moment before this very “from -kaza" remove the tongue.
(Did you, dear reader, do without such tricks in your adolescence? But - we bet on anything! - you didn’t shoot a single conquistador from your then “sharkalka”, and most likely, there are not many jaguars on your account. ). It seems that not a single science fiction writer has yet tried to penetrate armor from a sarbakan. And the same conquistadors (they were sorely lacking in advance) usually strove to cover themselves and their horses with special “robes” cut out of them. blankets. This cover did not give a full guarantee, but still allowed to save a lot of hit points. True, it is still smaller than in the computer game Diablo, where the Indian-pygmy type of savages (where are the adherents of political correctness looking?!) hit you with sarbicans almost point-blank, in volleys, but manage to only minimally spoil your well-being.
But still, if no jokes: what is the combat distance of such shooting?
The most complete data appeared after, during the Second World War, American and Australian instructors checked the possibility of involving the Dayak tribes of Indonesia in the partisan struggle against the Japanese who occupied the islands. The Dayaks acted, of course, with their traditional weapons, from which sarbicans showed themselves best in the jungle war.
At a distance of 20-25 m, the wind arrow confidently hit a target the size of an orange, piercing deep enough into it.
At a distance of about 35 m (and then they don’t shoot in the jungle), she pierced the army uniform - but, in fact, there was no need for that, since the accuracy remained sufficient to choose to hit parts of the body that were not covered by thick clothing.
The maximum range of the shot was not tested - both the Dayaks and the instructors approached the matter practically. However, at a distance of 10-15 m, the sharpest light arrow was guaranteed to pierce a person’s chest, which in the conditions of the jungle could ensure certain death without the use of poison, and even without hitting the heart. The latter would not be the case: at such a distance, an experienced shooter hit ... a pushpin!
Conclusion: on a double-triple length of the tube (a little later we will see what kind of length it is!) An arrow will pierce the blanket. But it’s not always possible to make a combat shot at such a distance. Unless from an ambush.
And the dimensions of the hunting-combat sarbakan are quite solid: at least 2 m in length, quite often 2.5-3. Sometimes it was even equipped with a sight and a kind of front sight (!), sometimes with a light pad (!!). In very special cases, the “slinger” could be alive: then the sarbican was controlled together with the “squire”, who put the barrel on his shoulder or bent back (!!!).
Usually, after all, the shooter managed without such extremes. But you can’t pass off a powerful sarbakan for a pipe! Here, even from the noiselessness of the shot (to be honest, it is far from complete) there is not much use in terms of disguise. This refers, of course, to a situation where, in addition to the “target” hit by the first hit, there are also its comrades, armed and ready for battle. Even if none of these candidates for new targets hears a powerful “jogging” exhalation at 20-35 meters - and it sounds like a muffled cough, so it can really dissolve in the noise of foliage, waves, hooves , - then they are still able to ask themselves the question: why is it that not at all suspicious passer-by suddenly, with a completely unconstrained and natural movement, innocently raised to his lips an absolutely unattractive shaft one and a half of his height ?! (Fig. 1)
Don't worry, readers: there are smaller sarbicans. And with a cane, and with a flute. And even with a fountain pen. But. It is still impossible to confidently shoot from them at tens of meters, albeit a few. Punching clothes thicker than a shirt - too.
However, for a sarbakan, a truly deep penetration is not necessary: the poison takes on the main work. However, not everything is so clear-cut here.
In general, poisoned arrows deserve a separate article - if only because they are also associated with a fair amount of errors that have nested in the mass consciousness (even among weapons experts). And yet, that is why a few words about them can be said right now:
A lot of authors both poison the arrows of their heroes once, and then wear them (together with the heroes) in this form for a long, long time: in field conditions, and, as a rule, in an open quiver ... No, wear -they are indeed possible, and the wound from such an arrow, perhaps, will heal worse than from a completely non-poisoned one. But in this case one should forget about any quick action of the poison, which manifests itself directly “on the spot”. Even the famous curare, which is preserved for a very long time in laboratory conditions (on an arrow in the ideally dry air of a museum showcase - too!), In a “field-field environment” it will very soon weaken. By the way, it is extremely sensitive to humidity - so much so that on a rainy-foggy day it is better to lubricate the arrow not just before hunting or fighting, but right before the shot: of course, if you want the victim to fall down like a mowed down even from a non-fatal wound ... But in general, poison (both liquid and mushy) in a campaign should not be worn on arrowheads, but in a bottle with a ground-in lid (Fig. 3).
By the way, about non-fatal wounds. If these lines are read not just by the "consumer" of weapons literature, but by its creator, the author, who is preoccupied with the above (i.e., with an instant damaging effect) - nevertheless, let him take care to injure his enemy quite deeply, and even closer to vital organs. True, you can do this with a very thin and light arrow - and here the sarbican is not inferior to the bow at close range. But still, from the sarbakan on the spot, and even with one shot, they put, first of all, small game. If you need to do this with a dangerous enemy (especially a two-legged and armed one), then they strike from an ambush, from a minimum distance, delivering poison directly to the region of the heart and lungs or to the “key nodes” of the head and neck: yes, on such a distance the human body breaks through and spit. With any other hit, the adversary, of course, will also die - but he will have time to shoot back and scream, raising the alarm.
Sometimes the poisoning effect can be achieved without poison. For example, a bronze tip, left in the wound (and some of them were attached to the shaft very weakly in order to “remove” at the first attempt to pull it out), very soon, on the same day, begins to oxidize so that either surgery or amputation can save.
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At the end of the 19th century, between about 1859 and 1862, the French inventor A.E. Jarre received several patents for weapons of a very unusual design. An American patent was registered in 1873. The stud cartridges used at that time, due to the studs protruding from the sleeves, created difficulties for their centering relative to the impact part of the trigger in a multi-shot weapon
Jarre decided to make a horizontal block of chambers in which the cartridges were located. In fact, it turned out to be a drum deployed in a horizontal line. Due to the fact that the chamber block looked very much like a harmonica in appearance, the weapon was called the Harmonica pistol (Harmonica Pistol or Harmonica Pistol Jarre).
Pistol Bergmann Simplex (Bergmann Simplex)
The Bergmann Simplex pistol uses a new 8mm caliber cartridge.
Cartridge sleeve length 18 mm.
Forsyth's Revolver Ring
Shooting rings are a rather unusual variety of atypical weapons. The Scottish priest Alexander John Forsyth was the founder of capsule ignition systems that replaced flint and wheel locks
The revolver ring consists of a base made in the form of a ring, a drum and a trigger mechanism. The mainspring is made in the form of a thin plate fixed on the outer surface of the ring. On the one hand, the mainspring enters under the protrusion of the trigger, on the other hand, it is fixed to the base of the ring with a screw. The drum of the revolver ring is five-shot, cylindrical in shape with notches along the contour for the convenience of turning it with the fingers of the hand. Perpendicular connecting channels are made in the drum - five chambers. Mercury fulminate granules are placed in the channels parallel to the drum axis, and round lead balls are placed in the channels perpendicular to the drum axis. The drum is fastened to the base of the ring by means of a screw, which acts as the axis of the drum. The trigger is fixed at the base on the axis and consists of a spoke and a shock cylindrical part. A latch is installed on one of the side surfaces of the revolver ring. The latch protrusion enters the recesses on the back of the drum and holds the drum in such a way that its chambers with the percussion composition are strictly opposite the hammer striker.
Along or across? It is obvious to everyone that for any revolver the drum rotates in a vertical plane, and its axis of rotation is parallel to the bore. However, 150-200 years ago this was not obvious to everyone. Then, along with the revolvers of the "classic" scheme, revolvers were produced, in which the axis of the drum and the barrel were perpendicular, and the charges in the drum were placed with an "asterisk", like cartridges in machine guns with disk power, like "Lewis" or DP. The most ardent adept of such systems was the inventor from New York, John Cochrane. For almost 40 years of his design activity, he received 25 patents, most of them for various types of multiply charged weapons with drums mounted perpendicular to the barrel. He patented the first revolver of this kind on October 22, 1834, a year and a half before Samuel Colt organized the production of his "great equalizer". Compared to Colt's world-famous product, the Cochrane revolver turned out to be heavier, bulkier and uncomfortable to wear, but it was also mass-produced and was sold in the amount of approximately 150 copies.
Cochrane's first revolver, model 1834. The 0.4-inch 7-shot revolver had primer ignition and fired round lead bullets. The trigger, located below, in front of the trigger guard, was cocked manually, while the drum rotated synchronously. To reload and replace capsules, the drum had to be removed.
Cochrane revolver with wooden cheeks, produced by the Allen gun factory in Springfield, Massachusetts. This revolver was recently sold at auction for $10,000.
In addition to revolvers, Cochrane repeating shotguns with the same drums were produced, and they were in higher demand - about 200 people bought them.
Charles Bayle's six-shooter pistol The Museum of the Prefecture of Police of Paris has an amazing exhibit in storage. This is one of those instances of pistols, looking at which one never ceases to be surprised at what different directions the designers went to ensure not only a multi-shot, but also a compact weapon. Quite a lot of such weapons appeared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when gunsmiths were looking for ways to meet the market demand for reliable and effective self-defense weapons. Charles Bayle, a commodity broker, on July 26, 1879 received the first French patent number 131971 for a multi-shot pistol. The weapon was pompously described as a Bayle pocket machine gun.
The gun of Charles Bayle consisted of a brass frame in which the trigger mechanism and the barrel unit were fixed. The frame of the pistol was hollow, thanks to which the parts of the firing mechanism were placed in plain sight and did not protrude beyond the dimensions of the frame. This is what ensured the minimum thickness of the weapon and the ability to covertly carry it in a pocket of clothes or luggage. The barrel block was a rectangular metal plate in which 6 barrel channels with chambers were machined. The barrel block is hinged in the frame of the pistol and in the firing position is kept from rotating by a special spring-loaded latch located at the bottom of the frame.
The entire history of earthly civilization is marked by wars. At all stages of development, man has created and continues to create weapons. Some samples are striking in their characteristics, capabilities and harsh aesthetics, while some seem completely ridiculous. It is simply impossible to describe all the most unusual weapons ever invented by man. Firstly, everyone has their own ideas about normality and strangeness, and secondly, progress does not stand still, and what until recently seemed like a formidable death machine can be perceived by subsequent generations as a pile of useless iron.
What is a common weapon?
Before discussing the most unusual weapons, let's mention what requirements are put forward by master gunsmiths and soldiers. The main ones are reliability, striking power, safety for the shooter. When it comes to wearable weapons, weight and dimensions are important. Depending on the type, such parameters as effective range, radius of destruction, rate of fire, flight speed of the ammunition, convenience and ease of loading, number of crew and crew are evaluated.
Modern weapons enterprises, especially those working for the state defense industry, strive not only to develop the best performance characteristics, but also to reduce production costs.
Therefore, among professionals, weapons are either too heavy and large for modest characteristics, or prohibitively expensive to manufacture and maintain, or unsuitable for real combat missions for various reasons.
heavy equipment
The heyday of the era of unusual weapons has always been periods of war. The need for new non-standard solutions, the austerity regime, limited time frames, the lack of the necessary, partially compensated by improvised material and unsuitable trophies - these are often the main motivators.
During the Second World War, many fundamentally new types of weapons were urgently created. The best minds on both sides of the front worked diligently in this direction. It is difficult to name the most unusual, but some specimens certainly deserve attention.
The German Dora strikes with its power with a mass of 1250 tons and a height of 11.5 m. groups. But "Dora" could fire a projectile weighing from 4.8 to 7 tons! She had to make war only twice: in Warsaw (1942) and near Sevastopol (1944). The Wehrmacht managed to create two samples and about a thousand shells.
Even a huge damaging effect could not compensate for all the difficulties and costs. Moreover, self-propelled guns, MLRS and aviation cope with such tasks.
The American Chrysler tank, developed in the 50s, can also be recognized as strange. True, the matter did not go beyond the prototype. As conceived by the developers, the Chrysler was supposed to float and even shoot directly from the water, and its work was based on the use of an atomic engine. The huge cast egg-shaped body looks more funny than menacing.
Soviet gunsmiths also showed creativity. It is worth mentioning the tank-aircraft, the aircraft carrier and the tractor-tank. None of these entered mass production, but armored tractors had to go through baptism of fire all in the same World War II.
Mortars and mines
A rather formidable, albeit cumbersome, weapon of the German army was the Goliath, a self-propelled mine. The Goliath had weak armor, the control wire was not protected at all, and the maximum speed did not even reach 10 km / h. At the same time, production required considerable costs. It was risky to drive a bulky self-propelled gun, and the enemy’s engineering idea also sometimes reached the incredible.
At least a mortar-shovel! The curb weight of the gun reached only one and a half kg, and a 37-caliber projectile fired from it could cover a distance of 250 m.
Having finished shooting, the artilleryman could easily turn the device into an ordinary soldier's shovel. In the Airborne Forces, this weapon was used until the end of the war. Perhaps the mortar-shovel became the reason for the terrible legends about Russian paratroopers?
Small arms of past eras and our days
The 4-barreled duck-footed revolver is not the only one of its kind. Listing the most unusual weapons, one cannot ignore the multi-barreled inventions that were common in the 17th-19th centuries. But we have to admit, the look of such pistols and revolvers is awesome.
To many, the Belgian FN-F2000 submachine gun seems rather strange, having excellent shooting performance, but for some reason also distinguished by remarkable aerodynamics. A person who is accustomed to an AK or M-16, looking at it, will not immediately understand how to put it in the correct position for firing.
The old comfrey will certainly be perplexed by such a common phenomenon among mafia groups in Latin America as designer AKs. Covered with inlay, rich carving and even gilding, weapons in that environment are still an indicator of status today. However, this does not detract from its combat characteristics.
The experience of gunsmiths of the past inspires today's engineers. But modern designers are trying to increase the number of ammunition, not barrels. There are many examples of this: repeating shotguns, the ammunition supply system for the Scorpion PC, twin and spiral drums.
Non-lethal weapons of law enforcement
The most unusual weapons can be found not only on the battlefields. Law enforcement officers also sometimes resort to non-standard solutions. For example, the Israeli development "Thunder Generator". The device is designed to disperse demonstrations and suppress the enemy. It strikes at a distance of up to 150 meters without harming health. However, the calculation at the time of the shot also has a hard time. Even weirder is the Vomit Pistol, which sends out pulses and pulsating beams. The result of exposure is general weakness, nausea and even vomiting.
Shooting pens and other items
Not all weapons look like weapons. Many items fall into this category. The most unusual weapons, disguised as stationery, canes, rings, buckles and other items, are now used by special services.
Melee weapons: swords, sabers
Sunny India gave the world not only the "Kama Sutra" and yoga, but also many examples of amazing weapons. For example, urumi has no analogues in the world. This sword of thin sharp steel can be girded. In battle, the sword belt is quite formidable.
From there, the pata comes from - a sword with a protective glove attached to the guard.
Knives and claws
The most from Japan is tekko kagi, which means "tiger claws" in translation. It may seem that the shape is too unusual for a weapon, and this item is more like a prop for a superhero movie. How can you not remember Wolverine? But with the help of tekko kagi, the warrior of the Land of the Rising Sun could easily tear the flesh of the enemy into shreds and even reflect sword blows. By the way, the analogue of metal claws was also familiar to the ancient kshatriyas.
We can say that the Qatar, which combines the features of brass knuckles and a knife, and even with a blade that can be extended into three parts, is the most unusual edged weapon. But in the modern world there are many of its analogues. A specialist in knife combat is unlikely to take such weapons seriously, but among street gangs, a brass knuckles knife is common.
Some ancient peoples had an even more unusual knife worn on the finger. It was used not only in fights (to damage the eyes and neck), but also in everyday life.
Conclusion
As you can see, a person was always ready to go quite far in an attempt to arm himself better than a potential enemy. We see the strangest weapons among the samples from the superpowers with huge military budgets, and among non-contact savage tribes.
And I would like to end our review with the words of Mikhail Kalashnikov. The brilliant Soviet designer has repeatedly mentioned that it is not the weapon that kills - it is only a tool.
Yawara
It is a wooden cylinder, 10 - 15 centimeters long and about 3 centimeters in diameter. Yawara is clasped with fingers, and its ends protrude on both sides of the fist. It serves to weight and enhance the impact. Allows you to strike with the ends of the ends, mainly in the centers of the nerve bundles, tendons and ligaments.
Yawara is a Japanese weapon that has two versions of the appearance. According to one of them, the Japanese brass knuckles are like a symbol of faith, which was an attribute of Buddhist monks - vijra. This is a small shaft, reminiscent of the image of lightning, which the monks used not only for ritual purposes, but also as a weapon, since they needed to have it. The second version is the most plausible. An ordinary pestle, which was used for crushing cereals or seasonings in a mortar, became the prototype of the Javara.
Nunchaku
It represents sticks or metal tubes about 30 cm long connected to each other with a chain or rope. Flails used to thresh rice became the prototype of home-made weapons.
In Japan, threshing flails were considered a tool and did not pose a danger to enemy soldiers, so they were not seized from the peasants.
Sai
This is a stiletto-type piercing bladed melee weapon, outwardly similar to a trident with a short shaft (maximum one and a half palm width) and an elongated middle prong. The traditional weapon of the inhabitants of Okinawan (Japan) and is one of the main weapons of Kobudo. The lateral teeth form a kind of guard and can also play a striking role due to sharpening.
Unusual weapons of antiquityIt is believed that a fork for carrying bales of rice straw or a tool for loosening the soil became the prototype of the weapon.
Kusarigama
Kusarigama (kusarikama) is a traditional Japanese weapon consisting of a sickle (kama) and a chain (kusari) that connects it to a shock weight (fundo). The place of attachment of the chain to the sickle varies from the end of its handle to the base of the kama blade.
Unusual weapons of antiquity Kusarigama is considered to be a medieval invention of the ninja, the prototype of which was an ordinary agricultural sickle, with which the peasants harvested, and the soldiers cut their way through high grass and other vegetation during campaigns. It is believed that the appearance of the kusarigama was due to the need to disguise weapons as unsuspicious objects, in this case an agricultural tool.
Odachi
Odachi ("big sword") is one of the types of long Japanese swords. To be called an odachi, a sword must have a blade length of at least 3 shaku (90.9 cm), however, as with many other Japanese sword terms, there is no precise definition of odachi length. Usually odachi are swords with blades 1.6 - 1.8 meters.
Unusual weapons of antiquity Odachi completely fell into disuse as a weapon after the Osaka-Natsuno-Jin War The Bakufu government passed a law according to which it was forbidden to have a sword of more than a certain length. After the law went into effect, many odachi were cut to fit the established norms. This is one of the reasons why odachi are so rare.
Naginata
Known in Japan at least since the 11th century. Then this weapon meant a long blade from 0.6 to 2.0 m long, mounted on a handle 1.2-1.5 m long. In the upper third, the blade slightly expanded and bent, but the handle itself had no curvature at all or it was barely scheduled. They worked with the naginata at that time in wide movements, holding one hand almost at the very edge. The shaft of the naginata had an oval section, and the blade with one-sided sharpening, like the blade of the Japanese yari spear, was usually worn in a sheath or case.
Unusual weapons of antiquity Later, by the XIV-XV centuries, the naginata blade was somewhat shortened and acquired a modern form. Now the classic naginata has a shaft 180 cm long, on which a blade 30-70 cm long is attached (60 cm is considered standard). The blade is separated from the shaft by an annular guard, and sometimes also by metal crossbars - straight or bent upwards. Such crossbars (jap. hadome) were also used on spears to parry enemy blows. The blade of the naginata resembles the blade of an ordinary samurai sword, sometimes it was it that was planted on such a shaft, but usually the blade of the naginata is heavier and more curved.
Qatar
Indian weapons gave its owner the claws of a wolverine, the blade lacking only the strength and cutting ability of adamant. At first glance, the katar is one blade, but when the lever on the handle is pressed, this blade splits into three - one in the middle and two on the sides.
Unusual weapons of antiquityThree blades not only make the weapon effective, but also intimidate the enemy. The shape of the handle makes it easy to block blows. But it is also important that the triple blade can cut through any Asian armor.
Urumi
A long (usually about 1.5 m) strip of extremely flexible steel attached to a wooden handle.
Unusual weapons of antiquityThe excellent flexibility of the blade made it possible to wear the urumi discreetly under clothing, wrapping it around the body.
Tekkokagi
A device in the form of claws attached to the outer side (tekkokagi) or the inner side (tekagi, shuko) of the palm of the hand. They were one of the favorite tools, but, to a greater extent, weapons in the arsenal of the ninja.
Unusual weapons of antiquity Usually these "claws" were used in pairs, in both hands. With their help, one could not only quickly climb a tree or a wall, hang from a ceiling beam, or turn a mud wall, but also resist a warrior with a sword or other long weapon with high efficiency.
Chakram
The Indian throwing weapon "chakra" may well serve as a clear illustration of the saying "everything ingenious is simple." The chakra is a flat metal ring honed along the outer edge. The diameter of the ring on surviving specimens varies from 120 to 300 mm or more, the width is from 10 to 40 mm, and the thickness is from 1 to 3.5 mm.
Unusual weapons of antiquity One of the methods of throwing chakram was to unwind the ring on the index finger, and then throw the weapon at the enemy with a sharp movement of the wrist.
Skissor
the weapon was used in gladiator fights in the Roman Empire. The metal cavity at the base of the scissor covered the gladiator's hand, which made it possible to easily block blows, as well as inflict their own. The skissor was made of solid steel and was 45 cm long. It was surprisingly light, which made it possible to strike quickly.
Kpinga
A throwing knife used by experienced warriors of the Azanda tribe. They lived in Nubia, a region of Africa that includes northern Sudan and southern Egypt. This knife was up to 55.88 cm long and had 3 blades with a base in the center. The blade closest to the hilt was shaped like a male genitalia and represented the male power of its owner.
Unusual weapons of antiquity The very design of kpinga blades increased the chances of hitting the enemy as hard as possible on contact. When the owner of the knife got married, he presented the kping as a gift to the family of his future wife.
Melee weapons have always accompanied great warriors in their battles. Each country has its own national weapon with a long history. Cold steel, a sharp blade can both cause fear and become a loyal defender on the battlefield. As long as there is a story, so much there is a weapon.
Urumi
Let's start with the unusual edged weapons of India, and first of all - this is urumi. The exact date of the appearance of this sword is unknown, but, presumably, it began to be used in the period of the 9th century. BC e. This is a long double-edged sword, which was made of flexible steel. The length was 6 meters.
In the past, it was used by assassins who discreetly wore weapons on a belt, wrapped around the torso. Thanks to the combination of the effect of a sword and a whip, they could deliver slashing and slashing blows. It has earned the reputation of the most dangerous weapon in India.
Pata
Pata is also from India. Initially, this edged weapon was used by the ancient warrior caste - the Marathas. This sword was attached to a plate gauntlet, the design of which made it possible to protect the warrior's arm up to the elbow. The warrior's wrist remained motionless, and all actions with this weapon had to be performed from the elbow.
From the memoirs of a British officer, it is known that the technique of working with stalemate involves rotational strikes with constant movements, and only a few could skillfully wield this weapon. Most often it was used by riders. The length of this weapon ranges from 60 to 100 cm, weight - 1.5-2 kg.
Skissor
Scissor is an exotic, little-studied edged weapon of the Roman gladiators of the same name, which protected the warrior's arm to the elbow, just like the stalemate. In addition, it was quite effective in combat, since it simultaneously delivered serious blows to the enemy and blocked counterattacks.
The length of the skissor reached 1.5 meters, the weight did not exceed 3 kilograms.
lantern shield
This kind of edged weapon belongs to the era of the early Middle Ages. The shield had a round shape, was made of wood and upholstered in leather. A gauntlet with blades was attached to a small round shield, and in the center were long spikes and a lantern.
It is known that not a single shield was produced by the master until the bulletproof test was passed. To do this, as an experiment, a test shot from an arquebus was made at him. It was used in fights and as a means of protection from criminals on dark streets.
Khopesh
Khopesh is one of the types of cold Egyptian weapons, which were originally made of bronze, later - of iron. It had a sickle-shaped structure and a wooden or metal handle.
Due to the specific shape of the blade, they could disarm the enemy, stab or chop. Sharpening had only the outer edge of the blade. Khopesh is a symbol of the New Kingdom, many pharaohs were depicted with him in the tombs, including Tutankhamen.
Macuahutl
Macuahutl is an ancient Aztec melee weapon, the exact origin of which is still unknown. In shape, it resembles a club with spikes, the length did not exceed one meter.
The base of the makuahutla was made of wood, and sharp pieces of volcanic glass were attached along it. The wounds inflicted by this weapon were terrible: it was possible to decapitate the enemy and deprive him of limbs with one blow.
Kpinga
Throwing edged weapons of the peoples of Africa with several blades. It was used in war and hunting. It symbolized power, the status of a person and a good financial situation. Several blades increased the area of damage inflicted on opponents. The weapon was thrown horizontally and could kill several opponents at once.
The length of the kpinga was about half a meter. There were many variations of weapons, and the forms could vary.
Tekko-kagi
This is a melee weapon of secret ninja, thanks to which the warriors easily ran up the sheer walls with the help of claws, like a wolverine, or knocked out the blades from the enemy. Its sharp claws protruded to a length of 10 to 30 cm.
Melee weapons inflicted non-healing wounds and left scars on the body.
Shuko
Shuko is a melee weapon of ancient Japanese ninjas. It looks like a spiked ring. They wore it one or two, with spikes in or out.
It was intended for delivering shocking blows and subjugating opponents. Such a weapon could easily kill, especially if lubricated with poison. Shuko was often used by female ninja.
Odachi
Odachi is a long Japanese sword. The length of the blade was 1 meter 80 centimeters. These blades are very rare, having fallen into disuse as early as 1615.
Then in Japan it was officially forbidden to wear swords of a certain length. Odachi could be used as an offering to a temple or for ceremonial purposes.
Below is a video that talks about the most unusual types of melee weapons: