Most Unusual Weapons through History

We have come a long way from the Flint-Knapping process where the pre-historic man fashioned weapons out of stone. It’s ironic that as we have progressed and climbed the evolution ladder we have developed more new weapons only to harm fellow humans.

Here is a chronicle of some interesting weapons used in our times. I hope you will enjoy.

The Urumi

Also known as “chuttuval,” which means “coiled sword,” this flexible weapon is used in the South Indian Martial Art of Kalaripayatt. The is flexible enough to be rolled up and stored when not used, or even worn as a belt and whipped out on demand.

The Tekko-kagi (“hand claws”)

Predating X-Men’s Wolverine by hundreds of years, ninjas would use the tekko-kagi claws to guard against sword attacks, allowing them to swipe and potentially knock the sword from an assailant’s hands.

The Kusari-gama

A combination sickle and mace, the Kusari-gama was used by traditional Japanese warriors, swinging the sickle at opponents to either slice them with the sharp blade or bludgeon them with the heavy iron weight attached by chain.

The Trebuchet

A much more powerful and accurate evolution of the medieval catapult, the trebuchet used counterweights to increase the velocity of the objects it hurled. It was used primarily by Christian and Muslim forces throughout the Mediterranean region during the 12th century.

The Paris Gun

The German military used its mammoth Paris Gun in 1918 to terrorize the French public during World War I. The Paris Gun had an approximately 92-foot-long barrel that could fire 210-pound shells and reach distances up to 75 miles away.

The Goliath

The Goliath was essentially a mobile tank or mine that could be remote-controlled from a safe distance from enemy lines to deliver explosives.German automaker Borgward produced more than 7,500 of the Goliaths, but the weapons were ultimately deemed ineffective due to their slow speed .

The FP-45 Liberator

Manufactured by General Motors the FP-45 Liberator was a pistol manufactured for the United States military during World War II. GM’s inexperience in crafting weapons, the FP-45 was an unreliable weapon and often unusable after the first firing.

Zip Guns

These are small guns, sometimes commercially made but often crafted by individuals that are usually disguised as other items. Often zip guns are crude, and can’t be used multiple times as the force of firing the bullet may render the weapon inoperable, but their impact can still be deadly.

Dolphins as Weapons

Dolphins have been used by the US military in various capacities for the past several decades, but the Navy has repeatedly denied rumors. There have been reports over the years of other military uses of dolphins.

Japanese Balloon Bombs

In late 1944, Japan sought to wreak devastation on American cities, but had no way to reach America via plane or boat without being shot down. So, it devised one of the strangest weapons to be deployed during World War II: the balloon bomb.