The Apache — A 19th Century Personal Protection Weapon

[Shotgun Steve]

The Apache was a combination dagger, pepperbox, and knuckle duster manufactured
and sold in the United States from 1870 through 1900.

[Delmonico]

Them things look more dangerous to the owner than they would be to the perp.

[French Jack]

I'd hate to stab and shoot myself in the pocket with one of those contraptions.

[litl rooster]

make a nice club

[John Smith]

For some reason, I always thought these got their name from a gang in Paris called the "Apache" because of their violent ways.  The weapon was made in France and quite rare outside there.

[Shotgun Steve]

I read the same thing about the French gangs and how the gun got it's name, but I don't
recall it being rare outside of France.

Shotgun Steve

[Roscoe Coles]

Notice that its a pin fire, which means that each chamber was  holding a round with a "firing pin" resting on the primer and projecting out the side!  How would you like to carry that around in your pocket?  A good bump and you could shoot your wedding tackle off

[Angel_Eyes]

Just as a matter of interest, when I first got my Walker, I looked at the length of the cylinder and the overall length of the pistol and had a thought!! (Yes, I know,,,save it,,,I might not get another!)

I removed the barrel and made up a spacer for between the wedge and cylinder face.
Loaded 25gr of Holy Black per chamber, balls and caps.
Stood back at about 5 yards and aimed at an old PP1 terrorist target, 3 shots all within the 9 ring.
Back to 10 yards and let fly again, all 3 shots kept inside the 8 ring.

Measured up and found that all shots in an 18" group.

I cant testify as to penetration effect, but, it would seem to be a useful self defense weapon.
The flash in the indoor range was awesome!!

Anyone else done that kind of experiment

AE

[Daniel Nighteyes]

Them things look more dangerous to the owner than they would be to the perp.

Yup...

[Professor Marvel]

These 7 mm pinfire pepperbox/knife/knucks were in fact a cheap weapon that was adopted by some of the Parisian Apache Gang, aka "les Apaches." Most Apaches, however, preferred large curved knives.

"The Apache Dance was first reported as a domestic street fight between two men and a woman in the 'Montmart section' of Paris in the front of a night club that was indirectly responsible for the name "Apache." A local Parisian gazette journalist reported that "The fury of a riotous incident (a fight) between two men and a women rose to the ferocity of savage Apache Indians in battle." These participants, proud of their reported deed, formed "Apache Bands" which were actually street gangs that would become known as "les Apaches.""

"Les Apaches" were typically small time street thugs/pimps who acquired a reputation for  such extremely vicous attacks that they became newsworthy all over Europe, Britain and theUS East Coast. Whilst they initially fought amongst themselves and other gangs, They later preyed upon on "upper crust" Parisians who somehow thought it delightful to "go slumming" for entertainment. "Les Apaches" took exception to this sneering wealth invading their turf and sought to redistribute the wealth and re-arrange the body parts of the visitors. A particular preferred method was to kick at the shins and knees with heavy boots until the victim dropped, then Stomping the victims face.

They had quite a collection of street fighting techniques, and also had knowledge of "La Savate", the French  style of Kick Fighting. The Paris Savate Masters  wished to counter "Les Apaches"and With the recent opening of Japan, they  began to incorporate techniques they learnt from JiuJitsu , (technically the violent hard style of unarmed grappling with an armed and armored opponent),  along with various Cane fighting techniques.

Around WW1 a gang of "Les Apaches" called the Vampires achieved notoriety in a 7 hour silent film about the French Underworld called  'Les Vampires'.

yhs
Prof Marvel