Southeast Asian Hill Peoples Rifle

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

Here's a neat piece I picked up in Tampa Florida in another lifetime... it's been ages! Got it from a Vietnam Vet... one of the early advisors. He got it from one of the Vietnamese hill people. He said the wood stock was made from what the French police in Indochina used as a baton. All the rest was hand made by the hill people. He said the bands were made from silver and bronze French coins. On at least one of the silver ones you can still see a bit of design but not sure if it's something they inscribed on it or if it's from the original coin... very hard to tell.

The flintlock mechanism is an absolute bear to cock. Due to it's age I've only done it about three times to demonstrate it. I've had grown men nearly come to tears trying to do it.

Anyhow I hope no one minds me sharing it here... it's not truly militaria but as it was a bring back by a Vietnam Vet from a war zone I hope it counts.

[Hauptmann]

[Hauptmann]

Dan

[peter monahan]

Very very interesting! That huge mainspring would make it a bear to cock: looks like you could drive nails with the hammer. Any idea what held the flint in - is there a spot for a screw in the hammer? This thing looks technioligically one step up from a zip gun (steel tube, nail and rubber band) but it's a beauty: real, indigenous gunsmithing!

[Chris Boonzaier]

I saw something similar in North Eastern Laos.

Cannot say with 100% certainty if the system was the same.