# Anybody know what this is? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 2, 2007, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463 "2007-05-02T14:54:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/1 "2007-05-02T14:54:53Z")
[Mysterious somewhat gun-like object.](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v665/hautlipz/unusual1911.jpg) I don’t know what it is at all, and none of the gun enthusiasts at another site can say either. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/2 "2007-05-02T15:01:38Z")
Do you have pictures in other angles? With a scale or indication of scale? Other facts? weight/location/etc. With only this picture (of something I don’t recognise) to work with I’d say a lighter or some part of a bigger thingy. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/3 "2007-05-02T15:02:46Z")
I can’t find anything exactly the same, but it has the look of an abattoir bolt gun. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/4 "2007-05-02T15:07:03Z")
It looks photoshopped to me. I’d like to know what it is though if it is real. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/5 "2007-05-02T15:29:15Z")
Sorry, no other pictures or any information. Only this single photo. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/6 "2007-05-03T00:04:04Z")
Anybody? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/7 "2007-05-03T00:09:49Z")
The body itself looks really similar to a Derringer to me. Check out the types on the link under Special additions. I have no idea with the thing on the end is however. [http://www.amderringer.com/guns.html](http://www.amderringer.com/guns.html) ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/8 "2007-05-03T00:57:07Z")
Looks to me like a 9mm with a preposterous lock on it–one covering the muzzle and inserting some doohickey into the chamber to prevent firing … though I’d think a trigger lock would have been sufficient. It looks like someone had too many unpaid range fees and their handgun got “booted.” ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/9 "2007-05-03T00:58:01Z")
It looks European- the handgun action appears to be a 7.62 or 7.65mm “pocket pistol” type semi-auto. No idea what the thing on the end its, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/10 "2007-05-03T01:04:54Z")
Somebody has invented a better mousetrap. You see, the front end of that thing has a door that is held up by the lever thing on top. The chamber is baited with cheese or bacon or what have you, and when a mouse enters the chamber to take the bait, the door slams shut. Then, the user can shoot the mouse at his or her leisure. As the mouse will be trapped in the chamber, the shooter simply can’t miss, thus insuring a clean, quick, humane kill. Other than that, I gots nuttin’. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/11 "2007-05-03T01:09:19Z")
Also, I’ve sent the pic to my retired police officer and gun enthusiast dad, to see if he can ID it. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/12 "2007-05-03T01:10:30Z")
[Additional photos](http://www.louderthanwords.us/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3079) and a little bit of information about the guy who invented/built it, but still no substantive ideas on what it does. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/13 "2007-05-03T01:15:51Z")
[QUOTE=Scumpup] …but still no substantive ideas on what it does. [/QUOTE] That’s the beauty of it! It doesn’t _do_ anything! ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/14 "2007-05-03T08:10:06Z")
[QUOTE=Scumpup] [Additional photos](http://www.louderthanwords.us/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3079) and a little bit of information about the guy who invented/built it, but still no substantive ideas on what it does. [/QUOTE] Like several posters on the linked message board, my first thought was of some sort of industrial application. Having seen the other photos (and still with no ida what it is) I have a couple of observations. Several of the posters on that thread talked about it being a modified 1911, but i think that is a red herring. The barrel looks, to me, as though it breaks in the manner of a single shot shotgun, hinged just behind the trigger. It does not actually look as thought it could be cocked in the manner of a 1911 and the base of the grip does not seem to have a door to accept a clip. The odd handle looking device on the top does not actually appear to be able to be moved, giving me the impression that if one broke the barrel down to insert a round, the arm extending out over the box would be held still (although allowed to pivot), thus drawing the “door” at the front of the device back from the “muzzle.” (Actually, the “barrel”/box does not seem as though it could break down (like a shotgun) but would break up. Since the “door” at the front of the box is currently open, it would seem that breaking the action to load it would effectively close the “door” as the barrel would swing up and the pivoting arm would be thrust forward. (For that matter, the “handle looking thing” could actually be a handle used to break the barrel in an upward direction while the pivoting arm forced closed the mouth of the box.).) The other odd thing (to me) is the appearance from the front that the “muzzle” of the box contains a knife blade. I have no speculation as to what it would be for. I cannot imagine the point of slcing a bullet in half as it leavesthe barrel–particularly since I would think the very nature of placing an object in the path of the muzzle blast would make it ripe for in-the-hand explosions. Rather than slicing a bullet in two, it would make more sense (and be much safer) to simply design the device with two separate (smaller, if necessary) barrels, each with its own round. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/15 "2007-05-03T08:33:39Z")
Some sort of bizarre flash suppressor, maybe? As the action cycles, the little flap opens just long enough to let the bullet out, then closes to contain the flash and vent the gasses out those little round vents. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/16 "2007-05-03T08:43:32Z")
A Gun Sharpener? Doubly dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/17 "2007-05-03T09:00:27Z")
Do not run with gun sharpeners! I dunno. I still think it looks like something that is designed to be used two-handed and at point-blank range, such as for execution, in slaughterhouses, or for euthanising horses, something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/18 "2007-05-03T11:43:32Z")
Maybe you just put blanks and it uses the power for something else that has nothing to do with shooting people. If that is a blade in the front, maybe it cuts something really tough using the power of the detonation. The only thing that appears clear to me (a non gun guy), is that bullets don’t come out of that thing. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/19 "2007-05-03T12:05:31Z")
The photo where you see the front of it is truly baffling. Someone on the board where it’s posted WAGged that it’s some kind of mount for an armoured vehicle. Perhaps the “box” is to help hide muzzle flash so you’re not as much of a target t night… maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463/20 "2007-05-03T12:09:01Z")
I found this about the manufacturer (from one of the the other good pics). From a 2002 vintage gun message board: > [@](#): > > R. F. Sedgley, inc. Philadelphia, Paserial #6pat appl for Have had a drum style magazine in cal. 22 that holds 50 rounds .22 lr. It is spring loaded and appears very similar to an Auto-ordnance Thompson magazine. It is blued and well finished and functions. Also have a brass & steel prototype of a similar configuration. Any idea what it was used for, conversion unit or ? > > Answer: > Richard- No idea what that might be. Sedgley made a lot of gun related parts and even complete guns, some under military contract (often for the U.S. Marine Corps) and for various makers and retailers. They also assembled some guns on their own, largely based on the M1903 Springfields. I do not know much about Thompsons (among other topics) but vaguely recall something about Sedgley making some parts for Thompsons. Tracie Hill has written a superb history of the Thompsons, and it may provide the answer. If what you have is actually a prototype, then it probably has some collector interest and value. A bit more googling shows this manufacturer also made signal guns and all sorts of gun-related odds and ends. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anybody-know-what-this-is/402463.md?page=2)