| Place | Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Amiens Harbonnieres Area, Harbonnieres |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | RELAWM00892.002 |
| Collection type | Technology |
| Object type | Firearm component |
| Physical description | Steel |
| Maker |
Manufacture Fse D'Armes & Cycles de St Etienne Unknown |
| Place made | France |
| Date made | c 1913 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Spring from French trip wire gun
Description
Spring trigger mechanism taken from 12 gauge bore trip wire gun.
History / Summary
French trip-wire gun used to give warning of any interference with wire entanglements and suchlike. A trip wire would have been attached to the hole in a simple spring-loaded trigger at the rear of the barrel. Originally designed in the 1880s as an anti-poaching device, these simple guns usually fired a 12-gauge pinfire cartridge to alert defenders to an impending intrusion. They originally cost from between 4 and 6 francs.
This example was made by an arms and cycle company at St Etienne in France. It was found near Harbonnieres by members of the 49th Battalion on 8 August 1918; the gun had apparently been captured by the Germans from the French.