There’s no doubt that World War I was a mess. It was a complicated geo-political situation involving a lot of countries and empires that didn’t like each other, and the assassination of an Archduke lit the powder keg that erupted into World War I. It was a massive conflict that involved millions of men, animals, vehicles, and guns. As far as guns go, it was one of the most diverse, with countries using just about anything they could get their hands on, including experimental weapons. This resulted in some rather weird weapons being developed and employed by the belligerents of World War I.
As a self-proclaimed gun nerd, I find great joy in delving into the history of weapons, understanding their adoption, and exploring their utilization. The more unconventional the weapon, the more it piques my interest. The enormity of World War I propelled creativity and innovation to the forefront, shaping the future of warfare. In my extensive research, I’ve encountered some truly peculiar weapons, and I’m excited to share these weird weapons of World War I with you.
Revolvers With Bayonets
Let’s ease into the world of weird World War I weapons with a relatively normal gun adorned with an odd feature. During The Great War, the battles in the trenches were chock full of brutal hand-to-hand combat. Troops adopted a variety of melee weapons for trench raids, from purpose-built clubs to axe handles. The British realized the proximity of the fighting and began strapping bayonets onto their Webley revolvers.
What’s better than a gun that shoots? One that stabs and shoots! The Brits took the stout Webley Mk VI revolver and attached a Pritchard-Greener bayonet. If you fired your six .455 Webly cartridges, you could start poking; at least, that was the idea. The 8-inch blade extended your hand-to-hand range, providing a nasty little fighting implement for those close-quarter trench raids. These weren’t a common tool, but enough were produced and used to be notable.
The Villar Perosa
Those pesky Germans get credit for the first SMG, but the idea actually belongs to the Italians, who discovered it by accident. The Villar Perosa is no ordinary SMG. The Italians designed the gun to be used as a support weapon and a light machine gun. The best way to describe the weapon was that it was two guns connected by the grips: two barrels, two actions, two magazines, and one trigger system.
Machine guns of the era were big, heavy, and bulky. The Villar Perosa weighed 14 pounds, making it super light in comparison to those bigger weapons. The gun fired a 9x23mm Steyr pistol cartridge, so the recoil was light. A pair of twin 25-round box magazines stuck out of the top, keeping the weapon firing, though the gun lacked any form of stock and was typically used with a bipod.
Italian stormtroopers used a platform that positioned the guns before them and made them human technicals. Eventually, the Villar Perosa faded away as more conventional SMGs became available.
Modified Frommer Stop Pistols
One good turn deserves another, and the Austrians noted the effectiveness of the Villar Perosa. A full-auto, light-support weapon that was very portable seemed appealing, so they took the ugly but robust and reliable Frommer Stop and got to work.
The madmen took two pistols, converted them to full auto, flipped them upside down, fitted them with 25-round magazines, and then connected them side by side. The triggers were removed, and a set of rods with a spade grip operated the weapons. The barrels were lengthened, likely to help support machine gun fire.
A set of dual, full-auto, .32 ACP machine pistols sounds like a blast. They refined the mag catches to make reloading easier, and the gun was mounted to a tripod for easy use. I imagine the recoil would be light. The Germans tested the gun, but it wasn’t successful and was never produced in large numbers.
Lancaster Pistols
British forces didn’t issue Lancaster Pistols but were popular with experienced British Officers. These were private purchases, and officers from Africa and India had them on hand. The Lancaster pistols weren’t revolvers or semi-automatic pistols but multi-barreled pistols with two to four barrels. They came in various calibers, and the .455 Webley was among the most popular.
These massive pistols fired as fast as a semi-auto. They were double-action-only guns with a revolving striker device. These guns were prized for their reliability, as they were straightforward and not prone to breakage like a revolver or semi-auto pistol. Though the low capacity was a bummer, the weapon was known for always going “bang” when needed.
Mondragon Rifle
The Mondragon Rifle took the longest route to WWI. It was developed in Mexico and adopted by the Mexican military for a short period. Mexico contracted Sig Sauer to build the rifles, but the company only delivered 50, and the Mexican government found them unsatisfactory and canceled the contract. Sig Sauer had 4,000 sitting around, and the German Empire purchased them all. They later gave the rifle to the Flying Corps with varying magazine capacities, up to and including a drum mag.
The Mondragon was the first semi-auto rifle adopted by a major military force. It wasn’t just a semi-auto. The user could convert the weapon to a straight-pull bolt-action rifle. This allowed it to function even when gummed up and dirty—just pull, push, and fire! The Mondragon Rifle was tossed into planes but eventually replaced by machine guns. It’s an odd duck but a fascinating one.
Elefantengewehr
So, we have this problem. Those snipers are hiding behind steel plates, and our rifles can’t do a thing to punch through them. Oh, what will we do? A good start is getting a bigger rifle, which is exactly what German and British forces did. They grabbed elephant guns or “elefantengewehrs,” if you’re German. Antimaterial rifles didn’t exist yet, so when you needed to punch through armor, the elephant rifle was the tool for the job.
The Brits and Germans both had colonies in Africa and were familiar with big, beastly weapons. The Brits used them to take out snipers hiding behind steel plates, and the Germans used them to punch through any cover the trench offered. These beastly guns were designed for hunting and often had double-barreled guns. They later inspired the anti-tank rifles of the First and Second World Wars.
Stay Weird
Who doesn’t love a good, weird weapon? Especially ones used in warfare. These weird guns would often go on to help inspire and develop more appropriate and better-designed options. They serve as the bizarro template for something that makes sense. The battlegrounds of World War I provided a ripe opportunity to test, improve, and modernize armed forces. Sometimes, a weird gun evolves and becomes a staple of modern firearms, and they all have to start somewhere.
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