The Hand Made Gun
On DisplayA Home-Made pistol style weapon
The Hand Made Gun
This gun was likely made surreptitiously in a workshop in Belfast connected to one of the shipyards or perhaps one of the various engineering works which were prevalent in the city at the time.
It has a wooden stock, tubular metal barrel and various other metal fixings and mechanisms.
Made under the noses of the authorities it would have been one of many makeshift weapons that would likely have been made in the absence of guaranteed supplies of arms.
This particular weapon has been fashioned to accommodate a standard Shotgun Ammunition casing to enable this bespoke weapon to be used with standard issue ammunition.
The weapon itself had lain undiscovered in a North Belfast House until recent renovation work caused a Builder to rediscover the item.
The weapon has been legally decommissioned and having been certified legally as such was gifted to the Museum by the owner.
Owned by the Eileen Hickey Republican History Museum.