TanstaaflTovarisch
138581
1821
46
So I watched The Last of the Mohicans recently and, aside from being a bit emotionally ravaged by the ending as usual, I was curious about Chingachgook's weapon. And I did a bit of research.
It is a gunstock war club, used by Native American tribes of the Great Plains and Eastern Woodlands of North America as far back as the 17th century.
The origin of the design of the club is unknown, but prevailing theories are that:
A) Tribes were impressed with the dual use and psychological aspect settlers muskets had in battle and copied the design.
B) The resemblance to the stock of the musket is a coincidence and the weapons existed before settlers ever came to the New World.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunstock_war_club
Dots77
Best movie ever.
DadSavage
My nickname in the military was Magua. For my haircut and my Cherokee ancestry.
YouBetterBelieveThatsAPaddlin
Well, we faced north and real subtle-like we turned left
jasonsanborn776
Fantastic film. Amazing score. And yeah...that ending.
Pot314
Okichitaw is a Canadian indigenous martial art recognized by the World Martial Arts Union whose primary weapon is the gunstock war club
bigpeeler
Russell Means was awesome in that masterpiece.
kevldulf
Looks like the basic design of a club to me. Nearly the same idea as a Shillelagh. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shillelagh_(club)
dietderpsy
Or a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurley_(stick)
thesixfingerman
That’s not what I said, now take her and get out of here!
SailorBOB
Outstanding movie, i just wish i could find a better copy. I bought it on bluray and the sound quality if terrible.
strideo
I hate it when they use shitty masters to transfer a movie to disc. When DVD first came out so many transfers were practically VHS quality.
LeDarkMagician
Daniel Day-Lewis... Worlds greatest actor, hands down. And as a straight male i'm happy to say he's not too bad on the eyes either..no homo.
InterdimensionalMindset
Looks like they made them put of guns they found
vneoaivin
All the earliest known examples of the gunstock design weren't actually made from gun stocks which casts some doubt on that being the origin
teamsleeper
I always was fascinated by his weapon. Thank you @op
53R63
Play Assassin's Creed 3 and use such a war club to beatup Redcoats. Fun to be had.
ATKsyty1917
All I can say is...That dude just gets Fu%king rocked at the end...dude is a Pure badass when he takes dude down a couple pegs.
sadduckfan
On the Netflix show Frontier they have one of these on season 2. I didn't realize it had a name. Also it's a pretty good show.
Pangs
Declan Harp, in a fur coat, with the war club.
TimmyDans
Best part of AC three...killing red coats with these beasts...never finished the game.
MyFrontPorchInMississippi
My native American history class talked about these. Chances are they existed before hand but looked a little different and muskets led...
MyFrontPorchInMississippi
...to a change in design
Gustave13
Assassin's Creed 3 is my favorite and using these clubs was boss as fuck.
thepicklebucket
The primary thing I remember is that you can knock peoples' faces off with it.
satanonaskateboard
Cold Steel makes one. It's made of a high density plastic called polypropylene and 1060 carbon steel. Fun weapon.
GoddammitMrNoodle
It would make sense to turn the gunstock into a club after you ran out of ammunition.
ThemanknownasBehm
Great movie, great soundtrack.
dafuqamidoinghere
one of my all time favorite sound tracks.
dreamstamp
akducks2
“STAY ALIVE” great line because, you would think that he wouldn’t have to say that. But what does the girls sister do? She jumps off a cliff
theritz22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iyLpNNBOy8
jhawker27
BAAAAAAAA BUP BABAAAAAAAAA BUP BUP BADAAAAAAAAA!
YouTookThreeChomps
Same chord progression as... SAIL!!!
AndTheHairsOnTheBackOfMeNeckAreTapedDown
The spot where they’re standing was filmed on Chimney Rock Mountain. Super cool place to visit. You can stand under the falls at the bottom!
HickoryDickoryDoc
The whole soundtrack consist on one song over and over again but GD is it a great one
notashill
I will find you!
ShadyBuddha
Gets me every time
nuushba
They can do some serious damage. Got to play with one at a reservation in Oklahoma. The wood alone can break bones the point is more for (1/
nuushba
1/2) decoration and more weight. Still the point can kill also
FiftyShadesOfCauliflower
Some pre-Columbian Aztec & Mayan weapons look rather similar. Here's an illustration of a tepoztli:
AustrailanSecurityIntelligenceOrganisation
Thanks man, that’s actually really cool never seen those clubs before
Pangs
War clubs as a weapon are old as dirt. The gun stock was just a handy piece of wood to make them with.
visorian
Either this dude is being drug by the hair meaning bird face is super human strong or all the red is him bleeding and birdy is executing
StopAskingMeForAnAccountImgurIWannaLurk
"Drug by the hair" -visorian, 2017
visorian
Either way that's pretty metal
Roland191145
Coldsteel.com cells War clubs that are pretty accurate and durable
pinktoebeans
Can confirm. Bought one for my dad for Christmas.
Roland191145
*sells* Voice to Text screwed me
strideo
Why not just type it? Are you browsing Imgur and driving your car?
johnnya10
I've been wondering about that off and on for bloomin' years. Great film. Good research @OP ! +1
johnnya10
...and now I'm looking at whether or not I can import one into the UK. Can't find a specific law saying no, but I doubt it somehow...
igobeder
+1 for Wes Studi, hell of a badass in this movie.
shyupacabra
Dude was way too quick with the filet knife
SomePeopleSayThatCucumbersTasteBetterPickled
he got a good look at that weapon
MrMuddButler
He was no match for a vengeful father.
Patthegreatandfat
I grew up in Osage county right down the road from his place. We used to help him cut hay and bale it, occasionally bring back stray cattle
CliftonSantiago
He's in a new movie with Christian Bale called Hostiles that looks pretty good, modern western type thing
Claymoremines
detour512
I thought it was hilarious that he was in that movie...
BadgerSims
just before the above scene when they are running through boulders he touches one it is hilariously made of fabric
Canofminus
I always got a kick out of that I.E. @ the end of Volcano where all the rubble was spray painted foam & was being easily moved by the actors
doesntmatter
That's a stone made out of fabrite minerals, they're fairly common in the area this documentary takes place
Pangs
Very rare now because the settlers mined it all to make fancy coats.
notsohasty
I saw these at a museum once and the explanation was that the natives would take their old muskets and convert them into this weapon. (1)
FullSpeedAhead
Not all tribes had access to ammunition or repair service. Made do.
BishlamekGurpgork
Even if you did, you can't reload a musket when you're in melee range.
squelcheswetly
This is what I would expect the origins to be.
TanstaaflTovarisch
What I read said this was the original assumption, but they then found old clubs that had never been rifles.
BishlamekGurpgork
They may have built these clubs after becoming accustomed to using muskets as clubs. You can't reload a musket in the fray, so maybe.
notsohasty
Mix of both probably. Love the post btw.
HsuDoNihm
"We use clubs. Oh look, here's some nice club material... that'll save some work!"
TanstaaflTovarisch
Perhaps read the source instead of arguing with me?
HsuDoNihm
Not arguing, agreeing. If they had clubs shaped similarly (as many clubs are) it'd make sense to use a stock that's similar in shape.
HsuDoNihm
"Looks like what we use... or close. Less work to make it like what I'm used to."
notsohasty
The wood used by the Europeans was extremely hard (giggity) & durable that they made excellent clubs. (2)
morgan0073
Why not just use the barrel as a long metal dummy stick
erischilde
Potentially: if ammo is not available or gun is broken, can make 2 or 3 weapons from different parts?
TrijezniMujo
Not as handy. And if you got a shot out musked it could work. Though you could also bore out the bore and make a shotgun out of it
morgan0073
Muskets were smooth bore anyway.
TrijezniMujo
Yeah, but smaller caliber than a proper shotgun tho.
dogfrost9
Because the stocks are light weight and super hard. The barrels are harder but weigh a lot more. And Indians traveled light and fast.
BishlamekGurpgork
Don't you want to hit people with the heavy end?
RexFury
You gotta be able to swing it efficiently too though