Англоязычная подборка всякого ретро.

Etched and gilt morion of the Saxon Trabant Guard, 16th century \ from Hermann Historica

 

Gold decorated comb morion atrributed to Hans Michel of Nureburg, Germany, circa 1580. \ from The Wallace Collection

Chinese officer’s helmet, Han Dynasty, 200 BC - 200 AD \ from Global Auctions Inc.

Bronze sword, Greece, 12th-8th century BC \ from Pax Romana Auctions

Myeonje Baegab body armor

A design of bulletproof armor commissioned by  Heungseon Daewongun, ruler of the Korean kingdom of Joseon after the French expedition of 1866. It was made up of 30 layers of cotton fabric and proved to be able to resist bullet impact in the American expedition of 1871, although it was flammable and too hot to wear in the summer. 

An exceedingly rare Flat-top Great Helm, Holy Roman Empire, 1251-1300, housed at the Germanisches Historisches Museum.

Smallswords developed out of the rapier in the 1650′s. They are also thrust-centric swords, but they are typically (true to their name) very small.

The broad, single handed, double edged arming sword is the preeminent sword of the middle ages. They develop around the year 1000, and see use well into the 16th century. For a european soldier in the 14th century, the arming sword would be the most common option.

The two handed longsword was also an option, though less common.

While a flat blade may be able to fit between some of the less tightly fitted plates where a triangular blade will not, a triangular blade provides a great degree of rigidity, allowing more of the energy of a thrust to pass into the target, rather than into bending the blade.

Кликабельно. A kusarigama (chain-and-sickle weapon) with inscriptions. Japan, Muromachi Period, 1514

Illyrian type bronze helmet, Greek, 6th-5th century BC. \ from Phoenix Ancient Art

Smallswords, though developed as civilian weapons to be worn with formal court dress, were also used by infantry officers and high-ranking field commanders in battle. Designed for military use, this example is fitted with a coliche-marde blade, which has a widened section at the fort near the hilt to strengthen the blade against heavy attacks. George F. Harding Collection
Size: Overall L. 99.5 cm (39 3/16 in.) Blade L. 81.3 cm (32 in.) Wt. 1 lb. 1 oz.

Roman pugio uncovered in Lower Saxony, 3rd century AD

German executioner’s sword dated 1613, inscribed “ET VERBVM CARO FACTVM EST” (And the Word became Flesh) \ from Czerny’s International Auction House

Палаш немецкого палача, датированный 1613 годом, с надписью «ET VERBVM CARO FACTVM EST» («И Слово стало плотью»).

The Pistol Armor of Charles Noe Daly,

Charles Noe Daly was an antiquarian who discovered this bizarre piece at Bordeaux in 1917. It was a steel cuirass mounted with 19 pistols. Here is a further description from Firearms Curiosa,

“…cuirass of steel … when brought into a right angle position may be fired in batteries of four and five by pressing the studs and levers, which release the hammers which are cocked by a hook carried on a chain.“ The armor also came with a pair of stirrups that contained two pistols, which would fire by pulling on a strap in case one is pursued or attacked from behind.”

Револьвер Apache, Бельгия, конец 19-го века

Миниатюрное оружие "Апач"– пистолет, кастет, нож в одном флаконе. Излюбленное оружие французских бандитов начала двадцатого века. Пистолет разработан и запатентован в Бельгии, в городе Льеже.

 

Arisaka Type 2 paratrooper rifle

Manufactured by the Nagoya arsenal in Japan c.1943~45 from the Type 99 rifle designed by Kijiro Nambu and Nariakira Arisaka in 1939.
7,7x58mm Arisaka 5-round fixed box magazine, fed with stripper clips, bolt action, take down stock for use by paratroopers.
Since we’ve entered a new year it might be appropriate to very briefly explain Japanese military nomenclature. Before 1929, weapons and vehicles and whatnot received their name/number based on how far along in their reign the Japanese emperor was, as such the previous Type 38 rifle of 1905 was named after the 38th year of Emperor Meiji’s reign. After that, the system was switched to represent the Imperial Year, which itself is based on the reign of mythical Emperor Jimmu starting in 660BC, leading to the Type 99 rifle of 1939 being named after the 2599th imperial year, and the Type 2 being named after the 2602nd.

 

The Type 2 paratrooper rifle was based on the Type 99 short rifle, which was designed to replace its predecessor and its 6,5mm cartridge, which was considered underpowered. Due to its being introduced in 1939, the two models coexisted and both were converted for paratrooper use in the middle of the war.
The conversions aimed to make the already shorter than average rifles more compact for airborne troops, with mixed results. The Type 1 paratrooper rifle, based on the earlier Type 38, attempted to use a hinged wooden stock which would have provided with a cheap and easy way to get a compact weapon that can quickly be put to bear, but unfortunately it made the stock too weak and it cracked often during testing, leading to the Type 2 model.

Colt M1873 Single-Action Army \ Made by Colt’s Patent Firearm Manufacturing Company c.late 19th century.

Springfield M1884 Trapdoor rifle with Rice trowel-bayonet

Manufactured at the Springfield Armory c.1885, bayonet designed c.1868-73 - serial number 474719.
.45-70 Gvt single shot rifle, trapdoor breechloading mechanism, broad-bladed Rice socket bayonet doubling as an entrenching tool for digging shallow foxholes.
An idea that worked out surprisingly well, at least for a time. For the full year it was issued, reports indicated that the bayonet was as mean as it looked, and it was only replaced when a decision was made by the higher-ups that an entrenching tool would be better paired with a combat knife. Incidentally both these items were new concepts to be issued to infantrymen at the time.
These trowelonets were then repurposed as regular trowels with the use of a wooden plug to elongate the handle, before the early 20th century when digging a fortified emplacement became less ‘10cm into a prairie’ and more ‘whole underground city in Flanders clay/melee weapon for the fight against the mole people’.

Genhart turret pistol

Manufactured by Heinrich Genhart in Liège, Belgium c.1860′s.
.36 self-contained cartridge 10-shot revolving ‘turret’, double action, 19cm octagonal barrel, neoclassical grip.

Tower-marked 1844 QORY cavalry carbine

Stamped with the British broad arrow and Queen Victoria’s VR, manufactured c.~1844 for - no serial number.
.67 caliber, smoothbore 20″ barrel, brass fittings, captive ramrod, saddle ring.

Brand 1846-49 Allen Patent No.2 whaler’s shoulder

Designed c.1846 by Oliver Allen and manufactured c.1849~1850′s by Christopher C. Brand - no serial number.
28,5mm caliber, percussion lock, made entirely of cast iron for strength.

Mauser T-Gewehr M1918 antitank rifle

Designed c.1917 and produced c.1918 by Mauser in Oberndorf, German Empire - serial number 1958.
13,2x92mmSR TuF single-shot rifle, Mauser bolt action, MG08/15 bipod, total weight of around 18kg/40lbs.
As tanks became more common, refined and armoured on the Western Front, the repurposed elephant guns or German K bullets used so far to pierce armor plates became insufficient to damage them. This prompted development of a new purpose-made infantry antitank rifle, which took form of a rifle using the previously designed Tanks und Flieger cartridge meant to feed an antitank antiaircraft Maxim gun to be deployed in 1919.
This beast of a rifle offers its shooter all the comfort once could expect during WW1, that is a pistol grip and a medal for when the recoil eventually breaks your shoulder after repeated firing.

Sturmpistole Z

Manufactured by either Erma or Walther c.WW2 by adapting Mod.34 ‘Heer’ army flare pistols.
~27mm caliber smoothbore barrel with rifled insert, firing explosive projectiles of all sorts. Panzerfaust-type sights, MG13 / GrB39 style of stock with cushioned shoulder pad. Top break action, single shot.

The Kampfpistole Z was designed to provide better urban combat weapons to the German army around 1942. Allegedly inspired by a German soldier firing a grenade stuck to a flare from a standard signal pistol out of desperation, killing several enemy soldiers and breaking his arm, it was meant to fight off lightly-armored vehicles with shaped charge projectiles and otherwise use the variety of specialized cartridges developed for its predecessor. These included message canisters, smoke bombs, grenades, and of course regular flares.
The Kampfpistole obviously had a strong recoil, and it was very soon issued in the Sturmpistole configuration with better sights and a welcome stock.

26,5mm Nebelpatronen Z smoke cartridges

27,2mm Panzer-Wurfkörper 42 LP

27,2mm Sprenggranatpatrone 326 P-Pz

 

Meunier A6 infantry carbine

Designed after 1909 for WW1 by Etienne Meunier, prototype probably produced at the Manufacture d’Armes de Tulle.
 7×56.95mm APX Meunier 10-round fixed box magazine, long-recoil semi-automatic.
The last development of the best rifle that was ever so slightly used in World War 1. Supposed to be the new French infantry rifle in 1910, the A6 Meunier was already a semi-automatic high-velocity rifle, and this upgrade made it carbine-sized and with a large magazine.

 

Colt M1903 pistol

Designed by John M. Browning c.1900~1903, produced by Colt’s Manufacturing Company c.1903-45.
.32ACP 8-round magazine, blowback semi-automatic, shrouded hammer.
Here with a penny for scale. If you get a hundred thousands of those you can buy yourself the gun next to it.

Spanish Remington rolling block carbine

Designed c.1864 by E. Remington and Sons in Ilion, New York and manufactured by the  Fábrica de Armas Oviedo in Spain for the Spanish army c.1870-93.
11,15x58mmR/.43 Spanish, single-action rolling block breechloader.
The Remington rolling block action was an incredibly strong and long-lasting design, being used by a good dozen military forces throughout the end of the 19th century and still seeing use with rear echelon troops in WW1.

 

 

 

Lebel Mle1886 M35 carbine

Made by the Manufacture d’Armes de Tulle and modified c.1938 into a carbine by the Manufacture d’Armes de Châtellerault.
8x50mmR Lebel 3-round tubular magazine, bolt action repeater.
By the time the production of the new and incredibly short MAS-36 rifle had started, it had been decided to recycle the old Lebel rifles into carbines. The initial attempt to convert them with a box magazine in 1927 had proven to expensive, and so with the war looming ahead it was decided to simply cut them short instead.
This meant cutting into the tubular magazine, which seriously limited its ammo capacity and usefulness on the battlefield.

Rare, factory engraved, gold inlaid Colt Government Model, circa 1917.

 

Elvis Presley Owned 1922 Colt “Police Positive” .32 Caliber Revolver with Ornate Engraving and Ivory Inlaid Grip by Edward H. Bohlin - Gifted to Tour Promoter Tom Hulett.

from The Auction at Graceland

 

 

 

Turkish miquelet tufenk, 19th century \ from Czerny’s International Auction House

Mle 1856 ‘Arcelin’ Cavalry Musketoon with sword-bayonet

Manufactured by the Manufacture d’Armes de Châtellerault in France c.1856.
Chambered for 12mm paper cartridges primed with an external percussion cap, bolt action with spring-loaded folding bolt handle, single-shot.
The bayonet is 109cm long, or only 9cm shorter than the carbine itself, and features a double-fullered backsword-type blade ending with a false edge. The guard has three brass bars and a knuckle bow. When mounted this bayonet would allow the use of the rifle as a small lance for cavalry use.

 

British East India Company Pattern 1841 Sapper and Miner sword-bayonet

Manufactured by/in Heighington c.1840′s in the United Kingdom - serial number 24.
22″ long single-edged fullered steel blade with simple hilt and knuckle bow, socket mount.

p.s.