Item: ONJR25MAMD076
Original U.S. 1865 Patent Ebenezer Pierce Whaling Harpoon Explosive Dart Gun with Intact Original Shaft & Bomb Lance - Inert
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Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. A bomb lance is a projectile weapon used in whaling to injure and kill the object of the hunt. As the name implies, it explodes once it has embedded itself into a whale. The conditions of whale hunting in the arctic led to the invention of the bomb lance. There, the presence of ice floes provide cover for whales to dive under, making it nearly impossible to execute a hand lance kill before the whale can escape. With bomb lances, a well directed shot assures a quick kill. This was manufactured in or around 1865 and is considered legal to own by the ATF. NOT AVAILBLE FOR EXPORTDating to the 1860s & 1870s, this is an extraordinarily scarce whaling harpoon explosive dart gun developed and patented by Captain Ebenezer Pierce in 1865. This example is in great working order, and is only missing the harpoon, rope, and guiding lance. We believe the shaft to be at its full length, but it may have a bit missing from the bottom. The shaft itself measures 63½” tall, and the entire gun with the shaft and bomb lance inserted measures 84½” tall.The contraption itself is actually quite phenomenal for the 1860s, with many working parts that contribute to its goal. Darting guns were made to fasten to and kill the whale in one strike. The gun was mounted on a standard harpoon pole, and hand thrown at close range. A bomb lance was loaded into the gun barrel. A long plunger rod acted as the trigger- once the harpoon had been lodged deep enough it would trigger the firing mechanism of the bomb lance, killing the whale instantly.The bomb lance itself is quite a phenomenal piece of ingenuity. It measures 14½” long, with the top and bottom being unscrewable. Unscrewing the top reveals the cap “nipple” for the attachment of a percussion cap. The bottom piece of the lance fits into the included “casing” which is actually marked on the bottom WINCHESTER NO. 8. This small casing is what allowed for the bomb lance to be fired.The long brass barrel has a small pin in place, which when removed allows for the opening of the barrel at the bottom for insertion of the casing. There are likely other bits missing but, as this is an extremely scarce piece in itself, there isn’t much reference on them.The shaft of the gun is heavily warping with heavy cracking across it, further supporting this being the original shaft affixed to it. Despite the damage, there’s no major loss to structural integrity, and it should look great for display.A fantastic piece of Whaling history, in great serviceable condition. Ready to become the centerpiece of any whaling collection!Early killing methods were as dangerous to the crews as they were deadly to the whale. Hand-thrown harpoons merely attached a rope to the whale to stop it from escaping. Actual killing of the wounded and thrashing mammal was done at close range. A long lance pierced the lungs or heart for a slow death. Bomb lances were introduced with shoulder guns to solve the problem of getting close enough to a whale to lance it, particularly in ice fields, and eliminate the often hazardous lancing operation.The darting gun was invented in 1865 by Ebenezer Pierce, a New Bedford whaler, master of the whaling bark JAMES ALLEN. The darting gun was mounted on a whaling harpoon pole and operated by firing a bomb lance at the whale, which was secured by a rope attaching the harpoon to the gun. Over the next nineteen years Pierce produced five further versions of his darting gun and four other versions of a darting gun were produced by other makers. The introduction of the darting gun produced greater yields for whalers.
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Totally inert, cannot be converted to an explosive device, not available for export. This item is completely legal within the USA. International Military Antiques, Inc observes all Federal, State and Local laws. Everything for sale on ima-usa.com is completely legal to own, trade, transport and sell within the United States of America.
All deactivated ordnance sold by IMA, Inc is engineered to be inoperable according to guidelines provided by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF).
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