Curved barrels for firearms

[Jon]

A curved-barrel firearm design, intended for urban combat. Originally developed by the Germans in WWII, and then experimented with by the Russians. Available in 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90° bends.

The first example was the Krummlauf, a barrel attachment for the German Sturmgewehr 44:


Then the Soviets experimented with this concept on a PPSh-41:


The curved barrel attachments had extremely short lifespans, around 150-300 rounds, depending on the angle of the barrel. Bullets would also occasionally shatter in the barrel, producing a dangerous shotgun-like effect.

Forgotten Weapons covering the Krummlauf barrel:

This concept is similar to the WWI-era trench warfare periscope rifle, which was essentially a rifle modified to be sighted with a periscope.

A 1915 WWI photo of a periscope rifle and its inventor:


The modern era equivalent is the CornerShot, invented by Amos Golan of the Israeli Defense Forces for hostage rescue, although now available in the civilian market. Interestingly, it's more similar to the periscope-style WWI version. The barrel doesn't curve; various handguns can be inserted into the CornerShot, which can then be angled. Targets can also be viewed around a corner via a video camera attached to the CornerShot.

[mklotz]

And, if you bend the barrel far enough, you get the Darwin 38 special...

Remember those Bugs Bunny cartoons where Bugs bends Elmer Fudd's shotgun barrel into a U? I can remember as a little kid wondering if that would really work. Mythbusters did a segment where they were able to successfully fire through 90 degrees.

[Frank S]

ROFL I particularly like the Darwin .38 I know a few I'd like to send one of those as a Christmas present along with a free range pass for them to familiarize themselves with it

A few major problems with those gadget laden corner shot firearms are, first off the 3 to 5 extra pounds of hardware it requires to make the thing functional reduces an individuals ability to carry a substantial amount of ammo which had he not been laden down with the gimmick gadget he would be able to carry enough ammo for a sustained fire fight. Next targets are rarely stationary plus most combatants you may face in an urban type battle zone will present you with only the briefest exposed silhouette trying to locate them through a view screen with a limited field of focus will be most difficult. Should the camera view be wide range then your eyes must search the entire field of vision then process all of this information on a tiny little screen, which as anyone who has ever tried to use their smart phone in the bright sunlight is not next to impossible it is impossible cubed. Your best chance for a kill shot is to take as low of a supported firing position as possible or a well camouflaged one then use something to draw their fire slightly away from that position like placing your helmet on a stick that you can partially expose at about normal standing height when they stick their head out to get a shot you place a round right along side the barrel of their weapon, even if you place it right down the bore of their weapon is just fine. He won't be returning fire with that weapon

[Toolmaker51]

Remember those Bugs Bunny cartoons where Bugs bends Elmer Fudd's shotgun barrel into a U? I can remember as a little kid wondering if that would really work. Mythbusters did a segment where they were able to successfully fire through 90 degrees.

Oh, yes. Cartoons were the CGI of decades past. I still admire either the hand drawn cells and [at that time] near impossible images they conjured. Not to mention Mythbusters; we'll miss Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage. THOSE are serious HomemadeTools guru's.
How do we send them an invite to HMT.net?

[C-Bag]

I missed the Mythbusters with the curved barrel. I loved that show but lost faith in them when they said they "busted" the myth you couldn't get shocked by peeing on an electric fence. I inadvertently proved that was no myth on my grandpa's fence when young. I didn't do that one twice.

I do agree with all of Frank's points about the around the corner gun. That seems a Pentagon boondoggle if I ever saw one! Even VR doesn't give one the situational awareness necessary, much less some silly little screen. Looks cool, but that about all. Can you imagine the cluster of trying to reaquire with every shot with that silly screen!

Warner Bro's cartoons, some of my favorites. The best part besides the hand painted cells was Mel Blanc's voices. All those characters by one guy! Warner cartoons were still good when they went to cheaper production values with Mel Blanc, but when they lost Mel......they lost me.

[Frank S]

Thanks C-bag, All of the technology in the world will never replace the abilities of a true marksman and a well maintained simple reliable firearm

[C-Bag]

Thanks C-bag, All of the technology in the world will never replace the abilities of a true marksman and a well maintained simple reliable firearm

I agree 100% Frank and that statement so applies to so many things, like machining for 1. I know everybody is totally enamored of tech but when you are not turning out thousands of pieces, CNC at home seems so anti craftsman to me. But that's just me. But even though I agree with your quote, meanwhile robots and tech of all kinds are being pushed by military industrial complex and if they have their way(and budget) soldiers will be like CNC machinists, machine tenders. This is a self fulfilling prophesy I'm afraid as those skills and their real world application atrophy.

[Jon]

Plus with cartoons, we still had that clean distinction between drawn animated and filmed real-life movies. Filmmakers were forced to use tricks of perspective, mirrors, miniature models, etc. Now that we can do anything with CGI, the ingenuity is gone from film.

These two gifs from the silent film Safety Last show how a stunt was done in 1923.




More: How some cool silent film effects were done - Album on Imgur

[C-Bag]

That is interesting Jon. But I would bet that second one when it pans back is mostly CGI. Certainly the foreground with the camera and the building to the left of the set looks CG to me.