Hidden weapons on the example of a cane and an umbrella.

Since time immemorial, the cane was an invariable attribute of the male costume of a person from high society, and among the burghers the cane was not uncommon, but it was not only a symbol of power, an attribute of elegance, imitation or fashion … it was also a weapon. Swords nested in a hollow cane have been known for several centuries. They allowed, without shocking others, to always be "at arms". Canes-swords were loved by both inveterate duelists and simply law-abiding citizens: with an undesirable meeting at night in a dark alley, such a cane allowed a person unexpectedly for a robber who was waiting for easy prey to be well armed.

A more powerful weapon was a tubular cane, inside of which a massive metal ball rolled freely. Such a weapon could pierce the skull of even an elephant.

The canes were designed – the swords were in such a way that all their elements are suitable for self-defense – a knob, a sword and the main part (sheath) of the cane. Usually they even provide locks – fuses that insure against the accidental fall of the scabbard and, accordingly, the unintentional exposure of the sword. The last element (the main part is the sheath) of the cane – swords, made of durable material, can be used as a truncheon, including when fighting with weapons in both hands.

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With the development of technology, European craftsmen hid not only the blade, but also firearms. The sword cane ceased to be a "noble" weapon, however, it did not become less deadly.

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Canes-pistols

There are several versions of the appearance of a cane-gun. One of them says that shooting canes were first developed, not for the needs of special services or self-defense of citizens, but in the interests of poachers. Such camouflaged weapons allowed them to walk openly with a firearm without arousing the suspicion of rangers, forest detours and police officers.

Another says that canes-pistols appeared at the end of the XVII century, becoming heirs and development of canes-swords and canes-daggers. By that time, the nobility was already so lazy that they no longer wanted to strain in the long training of fencing. Already in the first half of the XIX century, firearms with camouflaged capsule locks appeared. Of course, it was impossible to conduct a street fight with such a "device", but the opponents were not among the brave dozen – usually street robbers after the first shot ran, throwing knives in different directions. So, first of all, it was rather a weapon of "deterrence" of the criminal element at a distance or quite frankly hand-to-hand combat.

Closer to the 20th century, shooting canes, like most concealed-mounted firearms, typically use low-yield 5.6mm round-ignition (.22 Short or .22 Long Rifle) cartridges or central-ignition revolver cartridges. With the massiveness of the cane itself and the long barrel, the shooter almost did not feel the recoil, and the shot turned out to be relatively quiet.

In addition to France, "shooting canes" were willingly engaged in Germany – an example of this is the patents of Otto Reich from Hanover in 1882, Karl Wagner of Gottbus, 1883, Adolf Lindner from Berlin 1887 In the handle of Lindner's single-shot "cane" was mounted an extractable trigger mechanism. The striker was equipped with a helical combat spring and cocked by the "tail" protruding from the side. The trigger was a small trigger button.

WEAPONS OF SABOTEURS AND GENTLEMEN

The Central Museum of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Moscow houses a confiscated, once an example of Prussian weapons creativity, a solid looking shooting cane of German production under the Russian 7.62 mm rifle cartridge. The barrel is hidden inside a wooden stick, from the muzzle it is closed with a removable steel tip. The removable handle has a trigger-view lever and a folding trigger. The lever is placed flush on the inside of the handle.

In the inscription under the exhibit it is written that this cane was seized from a German spy during the First World War. The only thing that remains a mystery is why such a powerful rifle cartridge was used in this cane at that time?

Usually, in other versions and for other purposes, the weapon disguised in a cane was small-sized revolvers hidden in the handles or multi-barreled "peperboxes", that is, the cane itself served as a "camouflaged holster". It was even more convenient – it was much more convenient to act at short range with a pistol or revolver than to throw up a massive and relatively long cane.

So, in the handle of the cane "Triumph" was placed a 5-charge revolver for the cartridge of the 38th caliber (9.6 mm), with a folding lever for cocking the trigger and a trigger. The forward-elongated axis of the drum had a thread at the end, with which the revolver screwed into the socket of the stick. At the end of the XIX century, a combined camouflaged cold-fire weapon appeared. The cold or firearm part of it, depending on the circumstances, is assigned a "safety" or duplicate role. In the event of a failed shot (especially in single-shot systems), it is the blade that will be crucial.

Another more modern and widespread option for disguising weapons is as a rain umbrella. Similar systems appeared somewhat later than combined canes, with the introduction of the fashion for umbrellas. Naturally, first there were umbrellas-swords – analogues of canes-swords.

Later, shooting variants of the umbrella appeared. For example, in 1982 in France, Charles Armimrex patented a firearm disguised as the same umbrella.

The central rod of the umbrella is the barrel for a powerful rifle cartridge, and the trigger device is disguised as an umbrella clasp. The rifle cartridge and the impressive length of the barrel make this device a powerful weapon. At the same time, the biggest drawback of such an umbrella is a large weight.

The special services did not pass by such systems either. Here it is appropriate to note the legendary shooting umbrella of the domestic special services, with the help of which, according to rumors, a successful attempt was made on the Bulgarian dissident writer. A pneumatic firing device was allegedly built into the end of the umbrella, which threw out a tiny poisoned grain. The energy of such a "bullet", even when shot at point-blank range, was only enough to pierce the thin outer clothing and skin of the target person, but this turned out to be absolutely enough to achieve the result. Only a verbal description of the device and its graphic reconstruction have been preserved, but there are no technical reasons why such a weapon could not be created and successfully used.