Most Bizarre Weapons In History
Unconventional Tactics
Since the dawn of time, humanity has strived toward innovation in all aspects of technology, including combat.
While this may have led to the most deadly armaments in history, it also led to some of the most inefficient, unwieldy, and downright bizarre ones as well.
The Gun Sword
As opposed to the Harmonica, this was much more literal.
The concept dates back to the 16th century, and various combinations were created over the years. Combinations ranged from flintlocks to revolvers, and the “sword” end included blades such as daggers, bowie knives, or cutlasses.
The Flaming Bayonet
The first records of a bayoneted armament come from the 17th century, but those fighting in WWI wanted more.
As an added deterrent, a series of M1917’s had small cases of cartridges attached, which fired six bursts of flame—but it’s unclear whether they ever saw combat. Of course, there are other ways to keep the enemy at a distance.
National Archives and Records Administration, Wikimedia Commons
The Krummlauf
In an almost Looney Tunes fashion, the Krummlauf was a German attachment developed in WWII with a curved barrel and a mounted mirror.
It could supposedly be used to fire at the enemy without peeking out of cover, but it wasn’t the tide-turning solution they thought. Still, people needed to be ready if the enemy did close in.
