Fictional Guns

Introduction

This page collects all the fictional firearms I’ve created for my Deadlands 1876 campaign. As my campaign downplays the more flamboyant steampunk elements found in the published milieu, most of these firearms are reasonably plausible—given the existence of ghost rock, azrucite alloys, and Difference Engines, of course! Some of these guns are simply historical firearms copied and modified by fictional armories. The Nauvoo Springfield and the Palmetto Winchester are two examples, and both make sense given the balkanized state of North America and the extension of the Civil War. Other guns are based on historical firearms that were developed at a later period. The Nauvoo “Prophet” and the Lee-Whitworth “Engine Rifle” are two good examples, and both anticipate rifles from the following decade. However, the most unusual additions to the Deadlands Armory are those which incorporate fantastic elements such as ghost steel and azrucite rounds. Guns such as the Locke & Becker “Tartarus” rifle and the Valentine “Hesselius” pistol could only function in the haunted world of Deadlands. Even so, I often base the physical appearance of these firearms on real-world models. For instance, the “Tartarus” rifle is inspired by George Tibert’s revolving rifle, and the Hesselius is based on the Remington XP-100.

The Armories
This section is broken down by armory. Some of these are historical, such as E. Remington & Sons. Others have been granted a new lease on life, such as Palmetto Iron Works & Armory and the New Macon Armory, which emerged from the ashes of Griswoldville. Others are entirely fictional, such New Canaan and the workshops of the Great Maze. I plan to detail these armories in a future expansion, providing each one with a complete history and profiling its brightest gunsmiths. For now, I have limited myself to a brief description, followed by the relevant fictional firearms produced by that armory.

Note
Finally, a reminder that this is an aggregate page. The guns depicted below have been collected from the other pages of the Armory, usually profiled under the appropriate general category: breech-loading rifle, muzzle-loading pistol, derringer, revolver, etc.

Remington
Ilion, New York

Founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington, E. Remington and Sons is one of the United States’ premiere firearms manufacturers, forming a nineteenth-century “holy trinity” with Colt and Winchester. There is little difference between the historical company and its Deadlands counterpart; however, the longer Civil War has resulted in a period of explosive growth throughout the 1860s and early 1870s, and Remington has formed an ironclad relationship with New York City and Union Blue Railroad. Additionally, the Blue Plague never reached the interior of New York, so Ilion was spared the widespread horrors of the Plague Years, and even attracted gunmakers fleeing Springfield, Hartford, and New Haven. The Remington firearms presented below are minor variations of historical firearms, and for that reason are “less fictional” than many of the guns that follow.

Remington Model 1863 Percussion Contract Rifle, “Zouave”
1863–1865, USA, muzzle-loaded caplock. Caliber .58 Minié-Burton, Range 60/600/1200, Capacity 1, Rate of Fire 1/5, DAM 1d10+1d12, STR d6, Rare. Note: The 1868 rolling-block conversion is Caliber .58 centerfire.In the years before the Civil War, E. Remington & Sons of Ilion, New York had developed a pretty solid reputation producing contract Model 1841 “Mississippi” rifles for the U.S. Government. When it came time to deliver another batch in 1863, Remington found themselves coming up short. Turning a problem into an opportunity, Remington offered to lower their prices if the U.S. Government would award them a new contract for 40,000 Model 1861 rifles. Uncle Sam agreed, and Remington completed the last of the Mississippi rifles in January 1864. However, much as Colt did with the Model 1861, Remington took the liberty of “improving” the aging pattern, making the hammer more responsive, case-hardening the lock, and adding brass furnishings. Handsome, accurate, and reliable, today the “Model 1863” is widely considered to be one the finest muzzle-loaders of the era. It is also one of the last.

Historically, the Model 1863 rifles came too late in the War to have any impact, and there is no evidence they were ever used. Known to collectors as “Zouave” rifles, the origin of the name is debated—some believe it’s on account of their flashy appearance; others contend they were actually issued to a company of New York Zouaves. In the fictional milieu of Deadlands 1876, the Model 1863 was indeed issued, and quickly became the favorite of the Zouave and Chasseur regiments of New York and Pennsylvania. Many of these muzzle-loaded rifles were later converted to rolling-blocks, which the new Remington Model 1877 “Centennial Gotham” will shortly replace.

This modern reproduction was made by Miroku Firearms of Japan, but represents a fine Deadlands Zouave rifle as customized for Colonel Edward Brush Fowler of the 14^th Regiment New York State Militia, the famous “Brooklyn Chasseurs.”

Model 1874 Rolling Block Carbine, “Gotham Carbine”
1874–present, USA, rolling block. Caliber .45-70 Government, Range 30/300/600, Capacity 1, Rate of Fire 1/2, DAM 2d8, Uncommon. Notes: When firing a Remington rolling block, the shooter adds a d4 die to his Shooting roll. This is not an extra wild die; but a critical failure only occurs if the shooter rolls three ones (his Shooting die, his wild die, and the extra d4).

Seeking to arm their security forces with a powerful carbine, Union Blue asked Remington to design a rolling-block carbine based on the successful Model 1871 rifle pattern. The result was the Model 1874 “Union Blue contract” carbine. With its case-hardened receiver, brass trigger-guard, and stock carved from Brooklyn walnut, the carbine proved so popular with their Regulators that Union Blue ordered ten thousand more as a “gift to the great city of Gotham.” Issued to New York National Guard units stationed in New York City, these carbines were stamped “GOTHAM” on the upper right side of the receiver. Not only did this provide the carbine with an instant nickname, it unexpectedly transformed the gun into a defiant symbol of New York pride—especially as the Hammer of ’74 battered the Union into submission and Lee marched into Pennsylvania. Numerous other companies and regiments followed suit, often equipping their unit from private funds, including the “Staten Island Saints” of the 2^nd New York Heavy Artillery and the “Knickerbockers” of the New York City Militia.

From the Siege of Philadelphia to the Centennial Riots following the assassination of Horatio Seymour, the “Gotham” carbine has earned a reputation for reliability and precision. Its shorter length makes it ideal for skirmishing in city streets or patrolling the surrounding countryside, but its respectable caliber provides plenty of stopping power. Many New York companies take great pride in personalizing their carbines, and elaborately-carved stocks or engraved barrels are not uncommon. Union Blue Regulators are known to individually checker their own grips, while the 14^th Brooklyn Chasseurs tie a distinctive red-and-blue sash through the carbine’s sling bar and decorate its stock with fourteen brass stars. Recently, some of the state’s distinctive Zouave units have asked Remington to produce a “Gotham” military rifle to replace the Zouaves’ outdated Model 1863 rolling-block conversions. This “Gotham Centennial” rifle is planned for early 1877, and will have the same general stats as the Remington Model 1871 military rifle.

Model 1875 Rolling Block Pistol, “Centennial Pistol”
1875–present, USA, rolling block. Caliber .45 rimfire, Range 10/40/80, Capacity 1, Rate of Fire 1/2, DAM 2d8, Common.

In 1874, New York City asked Remington to produce a pistol based on the popular Union Blue Carbine. The result was the Model 1876 “Centennial,” which has the profile of the Model 1871 Army pistol but the case-hardened frame and brass trigger-guard of the Model 1874 “Gotham” carbine. While still overshadowed by revolvers, this single-shot pistol has become a favorite of sportsmen and target-shooters, and has sold over five thousand units alone at the Centennial Expo gun range in Central Park!

Marsh & Sons
Algonquin Commune, New York

Established in East Harlem in 1867, this workshop is the sole armory belonging to the Algonquin Commune, the semi-autonomous collective occupying northern Manhattan and the lower Bronx. It is run by Onesiphorous Jeremiah Marsh and his twin sons, and has a reputation for being a somewhat clannish operation, even by Commune standards. Although First Citizen Victoria Woodhull and Citizen Joshua Chamberlain have discussed placing the armory under committee supervision, few enjoy working with the Innsmouth family, and every attempt at further regulation has fizzled like a damp fuse. Indeed, when Marsh & Sons relocated to a larger facility on Randall’s Island in 1875, there was a collective sigh of relief. Interestingly, Marsh & Sons remains the only manufactory in the Commune permitted to employ outsiders, most of whom arrived from Innsmouth and are housed in a barracks near the Harlem River.

Marsh Spring-Wound Bolt-Throwing Carbine, “Communard Crossbow”
1869–present, Algonquin Commune. Caliber special, Range 10/25/50 for Mark I and II, 15/30/60 for Mark III, Capacity 4, Rate of Fire 1/2, DAM 2d8, STR d8, Uncommon. Notes: On a critical failure, the shooter rolls an additional d6 for a Mark I, d10 for a Mark II, and d12 for a Mark III. If this extra roll is a 1, the spring bursts the canister and inflicts 2d6 DAM to the shooter. The exploding quarrel is rated at Range 10/20/30, DAM 2d12, and is unfortunately prone to misfiring if accidentally struck. Because Marsh quarrels are subject to “arrow drop,” Shooting rolls incur an extra –1 penalty at Effective range and a –2 penalty at Maximum range. These penalties may be ignored if an Archery roll is substituted, or if the Marsh carbine is the shooter’s Trademark Weapon.

One of the original founders of the Algonquin Commune, Innsmouth-born inventor Onesiphorous Jeremiah “Jeremy” Marsh developed his ingenious “spring-wound carbine” in a small Harlem foundry purchased after the ravages of the Blue Plague. Essentially a modern variant of the crossbow, at the heart of a Marsh carbine is a flat coil fashioned from a high-tensile alloy of ghost steel. This coil is enclosed in an 18” wide “coil canister” horizontally positioned above the carbine’s receiver. Not unlike a modern film-reel canister in appearance, this broad metal disc gives the carbine the unlikely profile of a Russian DP-28 machine gun. The carbine’s tubular stock conceals a revolving four-quarrel magazine which is reloaded from the buttplate.

To chamber a quarrel, the shooter unlatches a crank set in the center of the canister and turns it counterclockwise until the coil is fully wound. The crank is snapped back into place, which springs a quarrel into a sheath-like “carrier” located inside the breech. A safety mechanism keeps the trigger locked until the shooter thumbs a small release on the right side of the receiver. When the trigger is pulled, the coil “relaxes,” a deceptively peaceful term for a shockingly sudden and violent action that generates an impressive amount of kinetic energy. Using a patented ghost-steel mechanism Marsh named the “torsion translator,” this energy is transferred to the carrier, which is propelled the length of the barrel to forcibly eject the quarrel from the muzzle at 180 feet/second. The forward motion of the carrier automatically revolves the magazine as well. As the canister crank is wound again, the carrier retracts to its original position.

A member of the New Citizen Militia proudly shoulders
his Marsh Mark I carbine during the Riots of ‘71

Although the Marsh carbine lacks the range of a traditional firearm, it’s quite devastating in close quarters such as city streets, and was used to great effect during the Great Unrest of 1871. The standard quarrel is simply a steel bolt fletched with goose feathers which expand upon leaving the conical muzzle; however, Citizen Marsh has recently introduced the “exploding quarrel.” An inspired design featuring a charge of gunpowder sheathed inside a collapsible copper tip, the impact of the quarrel with the target drives a firing pin into the primer and detonates the charge.

Citizen Jeremy Marsh

The standard Marsh carbine has no muzzle flash and makes considerably less noise than a gunpowder rifle, but is hardly a silent weapon, and produces a distinctive metallic “clank” upon discharge. Generally considered to be fairly safe and reliable, occasional misfires have been known to burst the canister, snapping the coil into the user’s face and causing severe lacerations, broken noses, or even mangled eyeballs. The carbine has gone through three iterations since its introduction in 1869. For the Mark II of 1871, Marsh made the canister crank more accessible, fixed a problem with the carrier mechanism which occasionally caused the magazine to jam, and reduced the possibility of accidental discharge by reinforcing the tension-pin with ghost-steel. In 1875 he increased the strength of the coil canister and made improvements to the torsion translator, allowing the new Mark III to reach a muzzle velocity of 200 feet/second.

Because of its reliance on ghost-steel alloys, the Marsh carbine is expensive to manufacture, with a quarter-ounce of azrucite required for each Mark III produced. Despite this limitation, the Communards have taken to it readily, as it frees them from the necessity of trading for firearms and gunpowder. No one outside the Commune knows how much ghost rock is in Algonquin possession, although more than a few have pointed to Marsh’s origins in the insular seaside town of Innsmouth, which has always been rumored to have access to fabulous amounts of private wealth. So far, Tammany Hall has been content not to press the issue. Of course, if a Republican ever wins the governorship, that situation may quickly change….

Palmetto Iron Works & Armory
Columbia, South Carolina

As talk of secession became more prevalent in the late 1840s, the government of South Carolina became understandably alarmed that both Federal armories were located somewhat north of Columbia. The state decided to establish its own armory, a factory capable of producing swords and firearms for South Carolina militias. In 1851, they awarded the contract to an entrepreneurial jeweler and former dragoon named William Glaze. With the company founded by Asa Waters closing its doors, Glaze was joined by Benjamin Flagg, the former superintendent of Waters’ factory in Millbury, who brought along some of his equipment. Together they founded the Palmetto Armory in Columbia, South Carolina, where they accepted contracts to convert flintlocks to caplocks, produce cavalry swords and bayonets, and manufacture rifles and pistols based on the Model 1842 pattern.

Still tooling up their factory, Glaze and Flagg purchased a surplus of over-run and condemned Model 1842 parts from Aston and Johnson. Some of these were used to convert existing flintlocks, while others were assembled into “new” Model 1842 muskets and pistols. Although not all of these firearms passed inspection, the Palmetto Armory was successful in delivering the promised guns, but additional contracts were not forthcoming. Seeking to remain solvent during the 1850s, the armory was reorganized as the Palmetto Iron Works, adding steam engines and cotton gins to its expanding repertoire. The secession of South Carolina in 1861 reinvigorated the armory, which suddenly found itself the largest firearms producer south of Harpers Ferry, and continued to turn out Southern “copies” of Northern patterns all throughout the War.  

Historically, Palmetto Iron Works & Armory was destroyed by Sherman in 1865; but in Deadlands 1876, Sherman was captured before he could enter South Carolina, and the Palmetto Iron Works & Armory continued manufacturing muzzle-loading caplocks throughout the Civil War. In 1869 it began producing high-quality copies of Winchester repeaters. A sore spot in ongoing Armistice discussions, these “Palmetto Winchesters” have begun to compete with the real thing in markets outside the CSA.

Palmetto Model 1869 Repeating Rifle, “Golden Boy”
1869–1877*, CSA, lever-action Caliber .44 “Rebel,” Range 20/200/400, Capacity 17, Rate of Fire 1, DAM 2d8, STR d6, Common. Note: A character keeping a loaded Palmetto repeater is prone to accidental discharges; as per Marshal discretion upon various precipitating events.The product of Columbia’s Palmetto Iron Works & Armory, to call this rifle a rough copy of the Winchester “Yellow Boy” is to do it a disservice—it is an exact copy of the Model 1866, lovingly crafted and made from the highest quality materials. The “Palmetto Winchester” differs from the Model 1866 in just two respects—its stamp reads “Palmetto Armory, S.C.,” and the gunmetal alloy is more gold-colored than brassy, giving it the nickname “Golden Boy.” Although one of the stipulations of the Armistice is for Palmetto to halt production of all “illegal copies” by 1877, this has yet to be enforced; and because authentic Winchesters are still not allowed to be sold in the CSA, it’s unlikely that Palmetto will suspend production any time soon. The Palmetto can fire the standard .44 “Henry flat” cartridge, but is more frequently loaded with the “Rebel .44,” an interchangeable copy of the Winchester round produced by Southern armories.

Palmetto Model 1874 Repeating Rifle
1874–1877*, CSA, lever-action. Caliber .44-40 PCF or .44-40 Loveless-Howell, Range 20/200/400, Capacity 17, Rate of Fire 1, DAM 2d6 or 2d8, STR d6, Common. Note: Because of the reduced power of the .44-40 PCF round, a Palmetto firing this standard load only inflicts 2d6 DAM.In a move that surprised exactly no one, in 1874 the Palmetto Iron Works & Armory of Columbia, South Carolina began mass-producing faithful copies of the Model 1873 Winchester. Substituting the interchangeable “Palmetto Center Fire” for the WCF round, Palmetto offers two expensive variants not found in Connecticut: the .44-40 PCF “Black Ghost” carbine with a lightweight ghost-steel frame; and the “White Ghost” sportsman model of 1875, featuring a ghost-steel frame, a nickel-plated receiver, and chambered for the more powerful .44-40 Loveless-Howell blue powder round.

Scott Firearms Company
Louisville, Kentucky

In 1864, Kentucky native Louis Triplett received a patent for a “magazine rifle” using a unique form of action. Seeking to put his patent into production, he partnered with William T. Scott, a Louisville entrepreneur with business connections in the Kentucky state government. Fortunately for Triplett and Scott, loyalist Governor Thomas E. Bramlette was looking to arm the Kentucky Home Guard, a militia charged with defending Union interests against Confederate guerillas. Scott suggested Triplett’s design, and contracted with the Parker Brothers’ Meriden Manufacturing Company of Connecticut to make three thousand “Triplett & Scott” rifles and two thousand carbines. Historically, the Civil War ended before the majority of Triplett & Scott repeaters could be placed into the hands of the Kentucky Home Guard. In Deadlands 1876, the Triplett & Scott fared quite well, and was widely used by both sides of the conflict. In order to capitalize on its success, William T. Scott formed the Scott Firearms Company in 1865. A small concern located on the banks of the Ohio River, the company produces only a single gun—the Triplett & Scott Type II Repeater. Although the Scott Firearms Company is technically neutral, the Southern sympathies of its owner and directors are well known, and Scott Firearms is generally considered a “Confederate” company.

Triplett & Scott Repeater, “Kentucky Carbine”
1864–1865, USA, twist action. Caliber .56-50 Spencer rimfire (bullet .512), Range 40/400/800 Rifle, Range 20/200/400 Carbine, Capacity 7, Rate of Fire 1/2, DAM 2d10, STR d6, Uncommon.The Triplett & Scott is one of the more novel firearm designs of the 1860s. The buttstock contains a seven-round tubular magazine. The rifle’s receiver is split in half, with the chamber and barrel attached to the rest of the frame by a pivoting hinge. To load a round, the shooter half-cocks the hammer and thumbs a release catch located on the back of the receiver. The front receiver assembly is rotated clockwise. This action extracts a spent casing, and as the rotation is continued to 180°, it opens the door of the spring-loaded magazine, which pushes a new round into the receiver. The assembly is returned counter-clockwise to lock the receiver and close the breech. The hammer is fully cocked, and the Triplett & Scott is ready to be firedUnlike a lever-operated repeater, the Triplett & Scott cannot be reloaded from the firing position, a factor that drew negative comparisons to its contemporary rivals, the Spencer and the Henry. Triplett’s design also suffers from a few structural flaws. The internal magazine is offset center-left in the stock, which sometimes causes the wood on the narrow side to crack, especially near the wrist joining the buttstock to the receiver. The pivoting system is less durable than a lever-action, and is more prone to breakage during repeated use.

Triplett & Scott Type II Repeater, “Kentucky Carbine”
1866–present, USA/CSA, twist-action. Caliber .54 rimfire, Range 40/400/800 Rifle, Range 20/200/400 Carbine, Capacity 7, Rate of Fire 1/2, DAM 2d10, STR d6, Uncommon.

Historically, the Civil War ended before the majority of Triplett & Scott repeaters could be placed into the hands of the Kentucky Home Guard. In Deadlands, the initial run was completed successfully, and in 1865 production was moved to the newly-established Scott Firearm Company in Louisville. One year later, the Triplett & Scott Mark II was introduced. Correcting the problem with the fragile wrist and making the tubular magazine removable, Triplett improved the durability and convenience of the rifle; but the same cumbersome reloading process still forces the shooter to reacquire his target every time the rifle is fired.

Note the “KENTUCKY” stamp.

Both models of Triplett & Scott saw action during the Battle of Leitchfield and the subsequent “Kentucky Push.” After Cleburne’s forces captured the Federal arsenal at Bowling Green, hundreds of these unusual repeaters fell into Confederate hands, and many are still being used by Kentucky rebel militias for various anti-Union activities. Despite the Connecticut provenance of the original rifle, Kentucky natives consider the Triplett & Scott as homegrown as bourbon whiskey and bluegrass clogging, and it’s proudly carried by Kentuckians on both sides of the political divide—particularly those too poor or too stubborn to spring for a Winchester.

New Macon Armory
Griswoldville, Georgia

The New Macon Armory arose from the ashes of Griswoldville, the name given to Samuel Griswold’s original industrial complex before it was destroyed by Sherman’s forces in 1864. Home to the famous gunsmiths Potiphar “Tennessee” Howell and Catullus Caine, New Macon is the largest armory in the Confederacy, and went from copying Springfield rifles to producing a range of innovative firearms backed by the South’s ready access to ghost steel.

Macon Pattern 1867 Infantry Rifle, “Dixie”
1867­–present, CSA, latch-lock. Caliber .577 Dixie, Range 60/600/1200, Capacity 1, Rate of Fire 1/2, DAM 1d10+1d12, STR d6, Common. Note: The “Cherokee Rose” variant is Caliber .50, Range 70/700/1400, DAM 2d10.

The first infantry rifle mass-produced at Georgia’s New Macon Armory, the P67 “Dixie” is the Southern cousin of the Snider-Enfield put into production by the United Kingdom the previous year. After Jacob Snider began experiencing financial difficulty with his British paymasters, Samuel Griswold invited him to New Macon to modify his latch-lock system for a new Confederate rifle. Despite Snider’s longtime Yankee affiliations, he negotiated a lucrative contract and returned to his native state with the title of “Master Armorer.”

Given the nickname “Dixie” by Snider himself, the P67 operates much like the Snider-Enfield. To load the P67, the shooter unlocks the breechblock by half-cocking the hammer. Hinged on the right side of the receiver, the breechblock is opened by thumbing a latch projecting from its left side, somewhat like flipping open the lid of a treasure chest. The shooter pushes a new round into the chamber and closes the breech. After the hammer is fully cocked, the rifle is ready to fire. Once the breechblock is opened again, it’s pulled backwards to extract the spend casing, which is manually ejected from the rifle. (Because most Confederate soldiers do this by turning the Dixie upside-down and shaking it, Union troops nicknamed the rifle the “Reb Shaker.”) A sturdy but handsome firearm, the P67 features a round barrel and an oiled walnut stock stamped with the “Macon Magnolia” trademark. A rear “ladder sight” allows for respectable accuracy at long ranges. Although the frame of the P67 is made of iron, it sports a brass trigger guard and patchbox, and the Mark II pattern added a brass muzzle-cap and distinctive “magnolia leaf” latch-tab. As might be expected, there are several variants of the P67, including a 22” carbine and a 29” sharpshooter model known as the “Cherokee Rose” (Cal .50, Range 70/700/1400, DAM 2d10). Because the P67 chambers a Southern version of the brass .577 Boxer round, the Dixie avoids the jamming problems of the Springfield 1873; however, it’s more expensive to produce, and the rounds are difficult to find outside the CSA.

Macon Pattern 1867 Mark IV Sharpshooter Rifle, “Snider Commemorative”
1877, CSA, latch-lock. Caliber .45-50 Loveless-Howell, Range 100/1000/2000, Capacity 1, Rate of Fire 1/2, DAM 2d10, STR d6, Very rare. Note: The “Nashville” rifling gives the Snider Commemorative a +3 bonus on the Shooting roll when “aimed” as per the Deadlands rules.

Jacob Snider’s story has a tragic coda. When visiting Confederate-occupied Philadelphia in 1876, Snider was abducted by the Minutemen and crucified on a lamppost, a P67 Dixie used as the cross-piece and a placard reading “Traitor” hanging from his neck. Shortly thereafter, the New Macon Armory announced plans to produce a 10-year anniversary model of the P67. Called the “Snider Commemorative,” the rifle will be chambered for the Loveless-Howell .45-50 blue powder round and bored with Harlan Stone Counterfly’s new “Nashville” rifling. Limited to a run of 1000, each rifle will be hand-crafted with a unique “Cherokee Rose” pattern on the stock, and come packaged in a maple carrying case containing a detachable brass 6x scope with Caloosahatchee lenses.

Pattern 1874 Revolving Rifle, “Manassas,” a.k.a. “Tennessee Twister”
1874–present, CSA, double-action, revolving cylinder. Caliber .44 “Manassas,” Range 50/500/1000, Capacity 6, Rate of Fire 2, DAM 2d8, STR d6, Uncommon. Note: When firing double-action, a penalty of –2 is applied to the second Shooting roll.

The work of master gunsmith Potiphar “Tennessee” Howell, the P74 “Manassas” is the first revolving rifle to genuinely compete with lever-action repeaters. Fastidiously engineered and costly to produce, the P74 is chambered for the proprietary “Manassas” round, and its ghost-steel bore features Harlan Stone Counterfly’s “Nashville” rifling, which enables a degree of range and accuracy previously unknown among revolvers. It is further assisted in this regard by Howell’s ingenious “double gas seal” design. When the hammer is cocked, an internal mechanism pulls back the cylinder, rotates it, and pushes it forward against the barrel breech. This works in conjunction with the “Manassas” round, in which the bullet is fully enclosed within a tapering brass cartridge. The breech end of the rifle’s barrel is slightly conical, a design that traps the cartridge and forms a temporary gas seal.

Although the standard model features a double-action trigger, the tension of the long pull impacts the accuracy of the rifle, and many shooters prefer to cock the hammer manually. Immensely popular among troops fortunate enough to be issued the rifle, the “Tennessee Twister” has already proven itself remarkably effective in combat against Indians, Mexicans, Spaniards, and Northern guerillas. Although yet untested against the Union infantry, the rifle has already created quite a stir in the North, where dour politicians have nicknamed it the “Tennessee Timekeeper”—a reference to their belief that the Armistice is being used to mass produce thousands of these deadly arms. The P74 Manassas is available in three versions—a 21” carbine, a 28” octagonal-barreled infantry rifle, and the 30” round-barreled “sharpshooter” model. Each is handsomely made from blued steel, and features a brass trigger-guard, crescent buttplate, and the trademark Macon Magnolia stamped into the walnut stock.

Fabrique de Beaux Ouvrages
Vacherie Plantation, Louisiana

When “Colonel” Jean Alexandre LeMat returned from Paris in 1867, he accepted a position at the New Macon Armory. There, he began experimenting with modern ammunition, adapting his namesake LeMat revolvers to fire metal cartridges. Unfortunately, the relationship between LeMat and New Macon’s resident genius, Tennessee Howell, was not very productive, and the clashes between the saucy Frenchman and the industrious Southron were the stuff of New Macon legend. Only two hundred “New Macon LeMat” pistols and carbines were put into production before the situation became untenable, and the “Colonel” relocated to Vacherie, a small town located a few miles up the Mississippi River from New Orleans. Purchasing the Oak Valley Plantation, he spent the next few years restoring its grounds, reinforcing the local dock, and constructing a small manufactory along the riverside. Christened “Fabrique de Beaux Ouvrages” in 1873, the Louisiana workshop is dedicated to the realization of LeMat’s mechanical inventions, from his famous revolver to his recent work in Confederate aëronautics.

LeMat Centerfire Carbine, “New Macon LeMat”
1868–1871, CSA, rifle/shotgun, revolving cylinder. Rifle: Caliber .44 centerfire, Range 25/250/500, Capacity 9, Rate of Fire 1, DAM 2d8. Shotgun: 20-gauge, Range 5/10/20, Capacity 1, Rate of Fire 1/3, DAM 1–3d6. STR d8, Very rare.

This carbine was produced by LeMat while working at New Macon. After creating a few “transitional” pinfire guns, LeMat settled on .44 centerfire cartridges and began producing a line of firearms chambered for this new generation of ammunition. The LeMat centerfire carbine is immediately distinguishable by its bulbous cylinder, which is filled from a small loading gate located on the right side of the receiver. A second, “flip-up” loading gate behind the cylinder gives access to the shotgun breech, which accepts a single “short” 20-gauge shotgun cartridge. To help the shooter avoid gap blast, a flat spur beneath the trigger-guard serves as a hand support. Similar to earlier models, the hammer features a toggle that selects which barrel to fire; but instead of a rotating firing pin, the LeMat centerfire uses an extendable, basal wedge to fire the shotgun. When the hammer is dropped, the wedge slams into a spring-loaded firing pin located below the shotgun’s loading gate.

Only two hundred LeMat centerfire pistols and carbines were put into production before the “Colonel” left New Macon for Louisiana to found his own arms company in 1873.

LeMat Vacherie Carbine, “Lancaster”
1874–present, CSA, rifle/shotgun, revolving cylinder. Rifle: Caliber .44-40 “Vacherie” BPR, Range 25/250/500, Capacity 9, Rate of Fire 1/2, DAM 2d8. Shotgun: 20-gauge, Range 5/10/20, Capacity 1, Rate of Fire 1/3, DAM 1–3d6. STR d6, Uncommon.This carbine is the first long-arm to be produced at Fabrique de Beaux Outrages, LeMat’s factory at the Vacherie Plantation. Retaining the distinctive trigger-guard and sleek frame of LeMat’s earlier percussion models, the standard-issue Vacherie LeMat carbine is a masterpiece in blued steel, with polished pecan grips and an engraving of the Battle of Lancaster encircling its wide cylinder. Like the LeMat centerfire carbine, the cylinder is loaded from a small gate located on the right side of the receiver, and the shotgun breech is accessed by thumbing a flip-up gate behind the revolver. The hammer toggle is also identical to the centerfire model. To fire the shotgun barrel, a wedge flips down at the base of the hammer to strike a spring-mounted firing pin. An extraction lever is fastened to the right side of the barrel, in the same place occupied by the percussion model’s loading lever. A small shield in front of the cylinder helps reduce gap blast. Finally, the Vacherie LeMat is chambered for the new “Vacherie” round, a .44 centerfire cartridge loaded with forty grains of blue powder. (LeMat’s Fabrique de Beaux Ouvrages has a license to produce their own variant of Loveless-Howell blue powder.)

An expensive firearm, the Vacherie carbine is a fashionable, high-end piece not intended for mass production. Each carbine is shipped in a box of polished pecan with a carving of Oak Valley Plantation on its lid, accompanied by a letter of authenticity signed by the LeMat himself. Also, many owners have paid handsomely for custom engraved models. This practice is encouraged by the “Colonel,” who shrewdly publicizes his work through an annual “Fête des Fondateurs” held every April at Oak Valley Plantation. This celebration’s highlight is the presentation of a unique LeMat to a special Confederate dignitary. The first recipient was Thomas Leroy III, who was presented with the “Pennsylvania Carbine” featuring German silver inlays and a roll scene of the Mt. Joy Raid. Next year, Fitzhugh Lee was given the nickel-finished “Shenandoah Carbine” with a stock carved from the tree under which General David Hunter surrendered the town of Winchester in 1866. British Ambassador Sir Variety Pierce-Loving has been the most recent recipient, and is the proud owner of the gilded “Recognition Carbine” engraved with Jefferson Davis’ signature. However, the pièce de résistance is certainly the silver-plated “Lafayette Carbine,” presented to Emperor Napoleon IV during Alexandre LeMat’s recent trip to Paris. Engraved with a roll scene depicting the Emperor’s coronation, a glass inset in the stock displays a small chamber containing a tangle of red, white, and blue fabric—reputedly a cockade worn by the Marquis de Lafayette during the French Revolution!

LeMat “Vacherie” Breech-Loading Single-Shot Pistol, “La panthère noir”
1875–present, CSA, break-action. Caliber .44-40 “Vacherie” BPR, Range 15/30/150, Capacity 1, Rate of Fire 1/2, DAM 2d6+2, Uncommon. Notes: Because of the diversity of the pistol’s exchangeable barrels, characters equipping the Vacherie should specify which barrel lengths and calibers they possess and keep track of appropriate statistics. It takes 4 action rounds to swap a barrel and adjust the firing pin accordingly.

A product of “Colonel” Jean Alexandre LeMat’s “Fabrique de Beaux Ouvrages,” the Vacherie Pistol is an elegant handgun designed to deliver a powerful round with a high degree of accuracy. Intended for sportsmen and target-shooters, the pistol was nicknamed “La panthère noir” after the “Colonel” used a prototype to kill a black panther while hunting in the bayou adjacent the Plantation.

Designed by Vacherie gunsmiths Ewball Toplady Oust and Warren Center, the Vacherie pistol is designed to be elegant and versatile. The fore-end may be quickly removed, which allows the shooter to swap out different barrels. Additionally, a selector screw on the hammer allows the shooter to switch between rimfire and a centerfire, or adopt a third “safety” position. Because each barrel contains its own sights and extractor, the shooter may select a different caliber and length by simply inserting the appropriate barrel into the frame and replacing the fore-end. The standard Vacherie pistol is equipped for the same .44-40 blue powder round used for the Vacherie LeMat revolver; but a shooter may purchase separate barrels for the .44-40 PCF round used by Palmetto repeaters, the Remington .50 rimfire cartridge produced by the Union, and the popular .38 blue powder round used in the Maze. There is also a 20-gauge shotgun barrel and a .22 “sporting” barrel.

New Canaan Armory
Ogden, Deseret

From its humble origins as Jonathan Browning’s workshop, New Canaan has emerged as one of the most innovative armories in the world. Presided over by Johnathan Browning and Orator II Dribble, New Canaan’s brightest star is the British expatriate Alan Loveless, the co-inventor of blue powder and the genius behind the first American rifle to use a detachable magazine. New Canaan is also home to John Moses Browning, the founder’s promising young son who has already introduced several progressive ideas to the Ogden workshop, and is clearly a name to watch!

New Canaan Dibble & Browning Breech Rifle, “Nauvoo Springfield”
1866–1877, Deseret, hinged breechblock. Caliber .50-70, Range 50/500/1000, Capacity 1, Rate of Fire 1/2, DAM 2d10, STR d6, Uncommon.
Distinctively elegant, costly to produce, and extremely well-crafted, the Dibble & Browning Breech Rifle set the standard for all future firearms manufactured at Deseret’s New Canaan Armory. Based on Erskine S. Allin’s “Trapdoor” Springfields, the rifle was the armory’s first project, and was intended to arm the growing Nauvoo Legion against hostile Indians and intransigent Unionists. Under the direction of Mormon gunsmiths Jonathan Browning and Orator II Dibble, New Canaan’s armorers designed an “improved” version of Allin’s conversions from the ground up, enhancing the rifling and reducing the length of the forestock. They also case-hardened the hammer and breech, engraved the receiver with detailed scrollwork, and generously checkered the walnut stock. Each rifle features a numbered metal stamp reading, “Holiness to the Lord—Our Preservation.”

More expensive than a Springfield conversion, the so-called “Nauvoo Springfield” quickly developed a reputation as being the superior rifle. During the latter part of the Second Utah War, many U.S. soldiers traded their authentic Springfields for Mormon “copies” acquired on the battlefield or purchased from apostate smugglers. Having gone through several minor iterations in its decade-long existence, the Dibble & Browning will finally cease production in 1877 as one of the stipulations of U.S. diplomatic recognition of Deseret.

New Canaan Vision 1871, “Nauvoo Hammer”
1871–1878, Deseret, breech feeding. Caliber .45-60 “Mormon,” Range 40/400/800, Capacity 9, Rate of Fire 1, DAM 2d8, STR d6, Rare.

The second rifle to be mass-produced at the Mormon armory of New Canaan, the Nauvoo Hammer was the first in a series of innovative firearms designed by Alan Loveless, a British convert to Mormonism who settled in Salt Lake City in 1864. Loveless claims that the rifle’s unique “breech feeding” action was the product of a religious vision. In 1868, Loveless was a lieutenant in the Nauvoo Legion, which was armed at the time with New Canaan copies of the Springfield. During a skirmish with a group of hostile Indians, Loveless received a head wound and was left for dead. As he lay bleeding on the battlefield, he was seized by a vision of “a flaming angel with a drawn sword.” The angel placed the sword upon Loveless’ bleeding temple and issued a command: “Thou shalt forge an arsenal of long hammers; and thine foes shall be smitten by the might of your arms and the terrible fire of your words.” That night, slipping in and out of consciousness on a rain-soaked battlefield, Loveless conceived the “Loveless Breech Feeder” action. Rescued in the morning, the expatriated Saint requested an audience with Brigham Young. He told the astonished president about his vision, who explained that the angel was Nephi, and the sword was the Sword of Laban. President Young granted Loveless an honorable discharge and placed him under the care of Jonathan Browning and Orator II Dibble at the New Canaan Armory.

Three years and four prototypes later, the Nauvoo Hammer was formally introduced in 1871 and immediately adopted for Legion use. With its forestock magazine and hammer-activated falling block, the V71 anticipated the historical Krag-Petersson by five years. When the user cocks the hammer, the breechblock slides down and back, ejecting the spent casing and accepting a new round from the magazine. The shooter then thumbs forward a small lever on the right side of the receiver, which snaps the breechblock into place and pushes the cartridge into position. (The Krag-Petersson requires the shooter to manually push the round into the breech.) Like all firearms manufactured at New Canaan, the V71 is elegantly designed, with its large hammer and side-lever giving it a unique profile. A nickel-plated receiver and patchbox adds to the character of the rifle, and every barrel is engraved with Jeremiah 23:29, “Is not my word like as a fire? Saith the lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” Many variants of the V71 exist, including a 21½” carbine and an expensive “Malleus Excelsior” model with a polished black stock, silver patchbox, and nickel-plated barrel sporting the Jeremiah verse in Latin, “Numquid non verba mea sunt quasi ignis ait Dominus et quasi malleus conterens petram.”

New Canaan Vision 1875, “Nauvoo Prophet,” “Loveless Prophet”
1875–present, Deseret, bolt-action. Caliber .32-40 Loveless-Howell, Range 80/800/1600, Capacity 5, Rate of Fire 1, DAM 2d6. Notes: Provides a +1 accuracy bonus to the Shooting roll. Reloading a fresh clip requires one action round.

The product of another “angelic vision” granted to Alan Loveless by the Angel Nephi, the bolt-action V75 is among the most innovative firearms in the world, anticipating the German Gewehr 88 by over a decade. Designed by Loveless after locking himself in Jonathan Browning’s original workshop and working tirelessly for five months, the “Prophet” is the first bolt-action rifle to use a detachable magazine.

Portrait of Alan Loveless

Browning’s original workshop at the New Canaan Armory in Ogden

The Prophet is reloaded by pulling the bolt backwards to expose the breech. A steel carrier, or “clip” containing five rounds is pressed down into the receiver, pushing against a ghost-steel spring and locking into place with a satisfying “click.” In order to house this clip, a ghost-steel casing protrudes from the bottom of the receiver, decoratively incorporated into the trigger-guard in the form of a fin-like ornamentation. To fire the rifle, the bolt handle is pulled up and drawn back. This action extracts a spent casing, feeds a fresh round into the breech, and cocks the internal firing pin. Closing the bolt seats the round. After the fifth round is fired, the carrier is ejected from the bottom of the receiver with a distinctive metallic “ping” and may be retrieved for reloading. Most shooters carry several loaded magazines, with a new clip taking a single action round to insert.

The innovations of the V75 Nauvoo Prophet are not restricted to its revolutionary magazine system; it is also chambered for the new .32-40 Loveless-Howell blue powder round, known colloquially as the “Mormon .32.” A chemically stabilized mixture of azrucite and traditional gunpowder, Loveless-Howell blue powder provides twice the chemical energy of an equal amount of traditional gunpowder, and produces only a fraction of the smoke. Because the intense energy of blue powder tends to deform or melt traditional lead bullets, each Mormon .32 is tipped with a “ghost-hardened” bullet encased in a thin shell of ghost-steel. This outer shell strengthens the bullet, allowing it to retain its aerodynamic shape when rocketing through the Prophet’s barrel. Although Loveless’ exact method of ghost-hardening lead remains secret, it is known to involve traditional case-hardening techniques using a pack of azrucite, iron, charcoal, lead, and bone. (Persistent rumors that Loveless uses human bones may certainly be attributed to the standard prejudices against Mormons!)

While its small caliber limits the amount of damage the Prophet can inflict, compared to a Springfield or New Macon rifle, the V75 has a higher muzzle velocity, a flatter trajectory, and a longer range. The Prophet’s barrel and frame are made entirely from azrucite alloy, which allows a more accurate rifling pattern and significantly reduces the weight of the rifle. The ghost-steel barrel gives the Prophet an additional unintended property—it imparts a ghostly blue color to the muzzle flash, an effect known to terrify superstitious Paiute, who have nicknamed the rifle “Spirit Killer.”

There is only one model of the V75 in production, and it possesses a singular appearance. The azrucite finish gives the frame and barrel a subtle, iridescent speckling reminiscent of Damascus steel. The rifle’s receiver is fully exposed, its sideplates inviting embellishment such as artistic etchings, detailed scrollwork, or Scriptural verses. The unusually high heat capacity of the alloy means that the barrel never grows uncomfortably warm, eliminating the need for a lengthy forestock or barrel shroud. This gives the heptagonal barrel a long, sleek appearance; and every Prophet has 1 Nephi 4:13 engraved into the top-right plane of the barrel: “Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes.” The rifle features only two wooden components—an elegantly curved, “split” shoulder-stock similar to an Evans repeater, and a grip positioned under the barrel just forward the trigger-guard. Desert ironwood or “Texas ebony” are the preferred choices of stock, darkened with lacquer and polished to a gleaming finish; however, some Saints prefer a rough, unfinished stock personally hacked from the trunk of a Joshua tree and brought to New Canaan as an offering.

Needless to say, the V75 is an extremely expensive firearm, and is found only in the hands of high-ranking Legion officers, Black Angels, or other such Mormon VIPs. It is never sold to Gentiles.

The Future of the Prophet
Alan Loveless has already begun work on a Mark II model, simplifying the bolt action and increasing the magazine size to six rounds. There’s also talk of producing a shorter carbine variant for use on horseback. However, the most exciting development may come John Moses Browning, the son of New Canaan’s founder Jonathan Browning. The young gunsmith has requested to serve as Alan Loveless’ apprentice, and has proposed a radical new idea—what if the energy of the Prophet’s recoil could somehow be harnessed to automatically cycle its bolt and chamber the next round?

Valentine Arms
Lynchburg, The Maze

The son of a Boston literary professor and a wealthy Kingsport heiress, William Shakespeare Valentine was a young mining engineer with a degree from Harvard when he traveled west during the Gold Rush of 1849. After “striking it rich,” Valentine decided that he “liked the color,” and spent the 1850s building a mining concern based out of Sacramento, where he pioneered a series of new mining techniques based on his own inventions. Partnering with Mormon prospector Jesse Knight, Valentine continued his streak of good fortune on the Comstock Lode. One of the first explorers to survey the shattered California coastline after the Great Quake, Valentine discovered gold north of Sacramento. In March 1862, he established the Oberon mine, one of the major stakes forming the nucleus of the Goodwill boomtown. A month later, when Lazarus Bell discovered “ghost rock” at the Tartarus Rift, Valentine wasted no time enticing the Virginia prospector into a partnership, and “Valentine, Bell & Knight” was established to exploit Bell’s discovery. Recognizing that the Tartarus Rift would become a boomtown of unprecedented size, Valentine invested heavily in the infrastructure of “Camp Lynchburg,” and today he’s recognized as one of Lynchburg’s founding fathers. Although VB&K only lasted until Bell’s mysterious disappearance in 1866, the partnership made all three men fabulously wealth.

Despite his success as a mining mogul, William Shakespeare Valentine never surrendered his passion for invention. One of his first Lynchburg concerns was a workshop dedicated to repairing, importing, and manufacturing firearms for the growing population of ghost miners. Created in partnership with Maine gunsmith Edwin H. Graham and the eccentric Cleveland inventor Corin Sea Pluto, “Valentine, Pluto & Graham” became the first gunmakers of the newly-christened Great Maze, producing the Graham Turret Rifle, the Pluto Percussion Revolver, and a generic 12-gauge shotgun known as the “Lynchburg Cut-Down.” Unfortunately, Valentine’s substantial ego began to grate on his partners, and Corin Pluto dissolved the partnership two years later—by arriving at a business meeting costumed like a ghost, lamenting the destruction of his body and soul! After Graham returned to Maine in disgust, William Shakespeare Valentine restructured the company as “Valentine Arms.”

Seen by some as the vanity project of a bored entrepreneur, Valentine Arms has nevertheless developed a reputation for stylish weaponry crafted from the finest available materials. Despite his tyrannical leadership style, William Shakespeare Valentine is also known for his munificence, and compensates for his many flaws through a generous hand on the purse-strings. In its decade of existence, Valentine Arms has attracted an impressive range of talented gunmakers, including Adrian Locke, Lutz von Becker, Asenath Leech, Ralph S. Mershon, and Jehu Hollingsworth. Although most of these are eventually alienated by Valentine’s narcissism, all respect his drive, acumen, and ingenuity. Indeed, Valentine seems to be just getting started. In the expectation of capitalizing on the azrucite vein recently discovered at the Cocytus Rift, he has purchased an island northwest of Lynchburg, and plans to relocate Valentine Arms to a new home on “Prospero Island.”

Graham Turret Rifle
1862–1865, SCR, cap & ball, revolving turret. Caliber .60, Range 10/100/200, Capacity 5, Rate of Fire 1, DAM 2d12, STR d6, Very rare.Gunsmith Edmund H. Graham of Biddeford, Maine applied for numerous firearm patents throughout the mid-nineteenth century, the earliest of which was assigned to Artemas Wheeler in 1851. Most of Graham’s patents involved variations on the revolving “turret” magazine. In 1857 he received a patent for a horizontally-mounted turret rifle which improved on the earlier designs of Cochran and Daniels. Addressing the concern of potentially fatal chain fire, Graham enclosed his turret within a protective metal ring intended to block accidental discharge. Because this prevents the chambers from being loaded from the front end, they are loaded from the top through a series of open holes. Percussion caps are placed on nipples located around the base of the turret. Once the turret is loaded, the user advances the next chamber into position by pulling a lever mounted on the right side of the frame. This action also cocks a concealed underhammer located in front of the turret’s base.

Unfortunately for the historical Edmund H. Graham, none of his guns ever entered mass production. In Deadlands 1878, however, Graham relocated to the Great Maze, where he teamed up with Lynchburg gunsmith Corin Pluto. With financial backing from William Shakespeare Valentine, they founded “Valentine, Pluto & Graham” in 1862, the first gunsmith workshop in the Great Maze. The Graham Turret Rifle was their first firearm, with over 200 placed into production before the partnership dissolved two years later.

Locke & Valentine Bolt-Action Pistol No. 1, “Hesselius,” “White Hesselius”
1872–present, SCR, bolt-action. Caliber .32-30 Mondschein, Range 25/50/200, Capacity 1, Rate of Fire 1/2, DAM 2d8*, Rare. Notes: The increased damage is because of the Mondschein round. As a side effect of this specialized round, the Hesselius may harm supernatural beings normally immune to traditional weaponry. The Hesselius may also be loaded with traditional .32 rounds for standard damage.

In 1868, Austrian mining engineer Lutz von Becker left Sacramento to join the newly-established Second California Republic. Invited to Lynchburg by Maze inventor William Shakespeare Valentine, Von Becker began studying the application of azrucite alloys to the production of ammunition. Three years later, von Becker developed the “Mondschein” round, named after the German word for “moonlight.” A Mondschein round features a conical bullet made from a blend of lead and lunar steel; a mixture of iron, azrucite, and silver chemically treated with selenium salts and alloyed under blue flame. Able to hold an intensely bright polish, lunar steel is lighter and more flexible than traditional steel, but becomes brittle under sunlight and high temperatures, and frequently shatters into tiny slivers. Encased in a jacketed ghost-steel cartridge, each Mondschein round is backed by thirty grains of Lei Ming’s powerful Blue Powder No. 7. Leaving behind a bluish-silver streak as it discharges from the muzzle, a Mondschein round decomposes as it travels to its target, splintering upon impact into a series of freezing-cold fragments that radiate through the victim’s flesh. Although a Mondschein round lacks the penetrating force of a lead bullet, it combines the range of a traditional bullet with the impact damage of a shotgun.

Unfortunately, the unstable nature of Mondschein rounds prohibit their use in traditional firearms. In 1871, Valentine invited celebrated San Francisco inventor Adrian Locke to Lynchburg to help him create a pistol he dubbed the “Hesselius,” named after the occult detective from the works of Irish writer Sheridan LeFanu. The resulting pistol combines Locke’s penchant for bizarre curvature with Valentine’s appetite for expensive materials. The pistol’s rifled barrel is lathed from high-azrucite ghost steel shrouded by blued traditional steel, while the chamber, bolt, and bolt-handle are made from polished ghost steel. The Hesselius is extremely accurate, possessing a greater range than any handgun on the market; but like most of Valentine’s work, it remains prohibitively expensive. Although the pistol may be loaded with standard .32 centerfire cartridges, a serendipitous effect of von Becker’s rounds validates the pistol’s literary nickname. As a few surprised shooters have happily discovered, Mondschein rounds are able to inflict damage on supernatural beings! As a result, demand for the Hesselius has gradually increased since its release, with custom orders arriving from places such as New Orleans, Arkham, Mountaincrest, Mexico City, London, Yorkshire, Bucharest, and Cairo.

Locke & Valentine Bolt-Action Pistol No. 2, “Black Hesselius”
1874–present, SCR, bolt-action. Caliber .28-30 BPR, Range 25/50/200, Capacity 1, Rate of Fire 1/2, DAM 2d4+2, Rare. Note: Lacking the correct ghost-steel components, the Black Hesselius cannot be loaded with Mondschein rounds.

Shortly after finishing the Hesselius, Adrian Locke fell out with the narcissistic W.S. Valentine. Leaving Valentine Arms, Locke partnered with Augustus Bee Pluto to establish “Pluto & Locke” in late 1873.  Meanwhile, Valentine continued tinkering with the Hesselius. Recognizing that the exorbitant cost of lunar silver and ghost steel was hampering his potential sales, Valentine introduced the Lock & Valentine No. 2 “Black Hesselius” in 1874. Capitalizing on the range and accuracy of Locke’s original design, Valentine rechambered the pistol for a .28 caliber blue powder round, and elongated the barrel to maintain the pistol’s vaunted accuracy. Although the muzzle flash is quite fierce, the pistol remains powerful and accurate, and significantly less expensive than the newly-rechristened “White” Hesselius.

Mershon & Hollingsworth Model 1875 Automatic Revolving Carbine, “Caliban”
1875–present, SCR, revolving cylinder. Caliber .36 BPR, Range 30/300/600, Capacity 8, Rate of Fire 1–4; DAM 2d6, STR d6, Very Rare. Notes: A critical failure on the Shooting roll snaps the winding spring, requiring a Repair roll to fix. When the shooter fires more than one chamber per action round, a –1 recoil penalty is applied to each subsequent Shooting roll after the first.

Image by ShadowArcher80

Designed by Ralph S. Mershon and Jehu Hollingsworth and produced by Valentine Arms, the Model 1875 is an updated version of Mershon & Hollingsworth’s “automatic” rifle of 1855. Combining the mechanical ingenuity of its Ohio inventors with the baroque aesthetic of William Shakespeare Valentine, the ornate firearm employs a ghost-steel spring to mechanically revolve and fire an enclosed eight-chamber cylinder.

Unlike most modern revolvers, the Caliban’s cylinder must be removed to be reloaded, and is released from the receiver housing by pulling the trigger-guard lever. After the loaded cylinder is replaced, the shooter winds an internal spring by repeatedly cranking a wing-shaped lever mounted on the right side of the frame. Once the spring is at full tension, the internal firing pin cocks with a satisfying “click,” and the carbine is ready to be fired. Instead of a hammer, a brass toggle allows the shooter to set the “clock tension” and determine the rate of fire: “Manual,” “Compensated Automatic,” or “Uncompensated Automatic.” On the “Manual” setting the carbine functions like a double-action revolver. A single trigger pull cycles the firing pin and rotates the cylinder, allowing RoF 1 or RoF 2, depending on the shooter’s need for accuracy. The two “Automatic” settings keep the cylinder revolving automatically as long as the trigger is held down. The “Compensated” setting slows the rotation to a RoF 1 pace, which allows the user to accommodate for recoil and eliminates all Shooting penalties. The “Uncompensated” setting discharges all eight chambers as rapidly as the mechanism can operate, achieving RoF 4 and producing a sound one miner described as “goddamn close to chain fire!”

The Model 1875 is tremendously expensive to produce, and only takes Lei Ming’s blue powder rounds—traditional gunpowder readily fouls the delicate mechanism, and its lower mass/energy ratio results in a loss of range and accuracy. Even still, the Caliban must be diligently cleaned and maintained, and is generally found only in the hands of collectors or wealthy adventurers. Its unusual name is derived from William Shakespeare Valentine’s custom of designating projects under development by literary codenames. Despite Mershon and Hollingsworth’s best efforts to keep their names attached to their invention, Valentine’s nickname has proved more appealing, and most people refer to the Model 1875 as the “Caliban” carbine.

Pluto & Locke
Lynchburg, The Maze

Established in 1873 by San Francisco gunmaker Adrian Locke and Cleveland inventor Augustus Bee Pluto, Pluto & Locke is Lynchburg’s newest firearms company. Employing Austrian engineer Lutz von Becker and Augustus’ eccentric brother Corin Sea Pluto, Pluto & Locke have already made their mark with several fascinating—and somewhat experimental—firearms.

Locke & Becker Revolving Rifle, “Tartarus Gun,” “Lynchburg Special”
1876–present, SCR, revolving cylinder. Caliber .38-50 Tartarus, Range 40/400/800, Capacity 12, Rate of Fire 1, DAM 2d8+2, STR d6, Very rare. Note: The Locke & Becker can be loaded with standard .38 rounds for Range 30/300/600, DAM 2d8.Designed by San Francisco gunsmith Adrian Locke, this peculiar rifle uses a conical-shaped revolving cylinder chambered for Lutz von Becker’s new “Tartarus” rounds. This fearsome cartridge contains a bullet made from “orichalcum,” an unstable alloy of lead, tin, and azrucite that decomposes upon contact with heat and light. The bullet is backed by fifty grains of Lei Ming’s powerful Blue Powder No. 7, which gives the .38 caliber slug a considerable heft. The rounds are packaged with a patch of matte-black photographer’s paper covering each bullet; this protective swaddling incinerates upon discharge. Like an early version of a tracer, Tartarus rounds produce a bright blue streak as they leave the muzzle. Their real impact is felt when they strike a living target. Undergoing immediate endothermic decomposition, the orichalcum bullets burst into blue flame as they “burn,” freezing living tissue and creating painful wounds that resist healing. Indeed, fear of being struck by a Tartarus round is often enough to elicit deep feelings of cooperation in anyone finding themselves at the business end of the rifle! Gap blast is attenuated the old-fashioned way—precise and expensive engineering designed to minimize the distance between cylinder and breech.Manufactured by Lynchburg gunsmith George Tibert, the Locke & Becker is a beautiful but expensive firearm, produced in a limited run and requiring costly ammunition. As a result, it has yet to gain widespread popularity, but most Maze observers believe that when the Cocytus Rift is finally opened for production, the price of ghost rock will decrease enough to make Tartarus rounds more financially accessible. In the meantime, more than one owner of a “Lynchburg Special” has learned to make do with standard .38 rounds, which do less damage and tend to foul the barrel more easily.

876 Magazine Lee-Whitworth, “MLW,” “Engine Rifle”
1876–present, UK, bolt-action. Caliber .303 Abel-Loveless-Howell, Range 90/900/1800, Capacity 5, Rate of Fire 1, DAM 2d8. Notes: Provides a +1 accuracy bonus to the Shooting roll. Reloading a fresh magazine requires one action round.

One of the most accurate rifles in the world, the Pattern 1876 MLW combines Sir James Paris Lee’s shooter-friendly bolt-action design and detachable “box” magazine with Sir Joseph Whitworth’s new “Engine” rifling to produce a stunningly precise rifle. It is the world’s only firearm to be manufactured using Engine-enabled lathing techniques, assuring that each Lee-Whitworth is a perfect copy with interchangeable parts. Its new .303 rounds are backed by Loveless-Howell blue powder, and are tipped with Frederick Abel’s “ghost-hardened” bullets. The first rounds created using the Waltham Abbey Process, each bullet is encased in a thin shell of stable azrucite-lead alloy that strengthens the bullet and keeps the lead from melting during discharge. This keeps the bullet from deforming and prevents “leading” of the bore, resulting in a more accurate rifle and round.

Historically, the Pattern 1876 Magazine Lee-Whitworth prefigures the Lee-Metford rifle of 1884. The shooter loads the rifle by inserting the box magazine into the bottom of the receiver. He then cycles the bolt, which ejects a spent casing, loads the next round, and cocks the internal firing pin. A sliding magazine cutoff located on the right side of the receiver allows the MLW to be fired as single-shot rifle. Unlike other bolt-action rifles such as the Mauser or the Nauvoo Prophet, the Lee-Whitworth boasts three innovations which allow the shooter to cycle the bolt more smoothly and rapidly, adding to the overall accuracy of the rifle—the bolt handle is located directly above the trigger, it requires a mere 60° rotation to unlock, and the bolt slides only the length of the cartridge.

This “Volley Sight” adjusts for ranges up to 2800 yards!

Still undergoing field testing, the “Engine rifle” is currently limited to specialized sharpshooter units within the United Kingdom and the Dominion of Canada. To capitalize on its ferocious accuracy, the MLW features a long-range “volley sight” system. The user first dials in the extended range, from 1400 to 2800 yards, using a rotating pointer located on the left side of the forestock. A side-mounted aperture near the receiver is flipped up, and the pointer knob is aligned with the aperture by tilting the rifle upwards. Needless to say, such shots are optimistic at best, but British explorer Allan Quartermain is reported to have bagged a lion at 2200 yards using an MLW personally gifted to him by Sir Whitworth himself.

Fusil modèle 1878, “Vieille”
1878, France, bolt-action. Caliber 9x50mmR Abel-Vieille (.354 inches), Range 80/800/1600, Capacity 8, Rate of Fire 1, DAM 2d6.

Designed by a team of gunsmiths working at the Chatellerault arsenal, the “fusil Vieille” will be introduced towards the end of 1878. A triumph of French engineering, it will be the first rifle to use ammunition propelled by Paul Vieille’s “poudre-azul,” a combination of stabilized nitrocellulose guncotton and azrucite-infused gelatins. Virtually smokeless and leaving no reside, poudre-azul contains four times the chemical energy of an equal weight of black powder, and double the energy of current “blue powders.”

For the sake of readability, the remainder of this entry will drop the future tense and discuss the rifle as a finished product. It is up to individual Marshals if they wish to introduce poudre-azul early into their Deadlands timeline.

Historically, the MLE. 78 prefigures the fusil “Lebel” modèle 1886, which first introduced Paul Vielle’s smokeless nitrocellulose “Poudre-B” and Nicolas Lebel’s metal-jacketed rounds. Substituting ghost-rock technology for these historical innovations, the only other significant difference between the fictional rifle and its historical antecedent is its larger caliber—the Lebel was chambered for a smaller 8mm round. The MLE. 78 Vieille retains the Lebel’s Gras-like bolt action and its Kropatschek-style tubular magazine and carrier elevator.

To fire the MLE. 78, the bolt handle is pulled up and drawn back. This action extracts a spent casing, feeds a fresh round into the breech, and cocks the internal firing pin. Closing the bolt seats the round. A cut-off switch at the bottom of the receiver lets the shooter circumvent the magazine and operate the Vielle as a single-shot breechloader. To reload the rifle, the shooter must open the breech and insert each round one at a time into the magazine.

Historically, the Lebel was used all the way through the First World War; its Deadlands analogue will serve Napoleon IV as the rifle of the Belle Epoch. The MLE. 78 is slated to be introduced as a standard military rifle, a carbine, and a special “Napoleon IV” model with a ghost-hardened receiver and checkered grips. Also, the English will soon incorporate poudre-azul into their own firearms, introducing the “Abel-Enfield” in 1880, an improvement on the Pattern 76 Magazine Lee-Whitworth.

Sources & Notes

Books
To create this resource, I leaned heavily on Norm Flayderman’s Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms. Featuring photographs and detailed descriptions of thousands of antique firearms, this is an essential resource for any historical gaming campaign, and Flayderman’s Guide introduced me to several of the more bizarre weapons described in the Deadlands Armory. To flesh out some of the statistical details, I turned to John Walter’s Rifles of the World.

Image Credits
Many of the photographs of firearms used in the Armory have been “borrowed” from online sources. Because most owners of vintage firearms are good-natured folk with a passion for promoting their hobby, I have no doubt they’ll be happy to see their photographs used to promote a wider understanding of antique weaponry. Having said that, if anyone is offended that I’m using an image without proper authorization, please contact me and I’ll remove it immediately. Many photographs depict modern reproductions, usually manufactured by Uberti, Pietta, Pedersoli, Cimarron, Taylor’s, or Dixie Gun Works. I favor these photographs because they make the gun look contemporary, something a Deadlands character might purchase in a gun store or pry from the cold, dead fingers of his enemy. When I could not find a shiny new replica, I usually turned to vintage gun auctions. The four best resources for detailed images of antique firearms are the Rock Island Auction Company, James D. Julia Auctioneers, College Hill Arsenal, and the Collectors Archives from Collectors Firearms, Inc. Thank you!

Specific Online Sources
The following sites were very useful in the creation of these (largely) fictional guns: Curt Heinrich-Schmidt’s history of the somewhat-mysterious Remington Model 1863 Zouave for Civil War Reenactors Forum, College Hill Arsenal’s piece on Triplett & Scott, Kymm Wilson on the LaMat Revolving Carbine for Forgotten Weapons, Robert K. Sherwood’s article on Jonathan Browning for Gun Digest as (formerly) recounted on the James D. Julia Auction site, and Ian McCollum’s cheerful demonstration of the Lee-Speed Rifle. The Remington Model 1876 “Centennial” Rolling Block Pistol is an Uberti modernization of the Model 1891 Target pistol with 8” barrel. Jeremy Marsh’s Communard Crossbow was inspired by that very picture of a Russian soldier holding a Degtyaryov DP-28, one of my favorite guns from Call of Duty. As noted in the entry above, New Macon’s “Tennessee Twister” is a combination of Remington revolving rifle with Nagant revolver. The Vacherie Single-Shot Breech-Loading Pistol, “La panthère noir,” is based on the Thompson/Center Contender, introduced in 1967. The pistol has all of the features I describe, and was indeed designed by Warren Center, who I relocated to the nineteenth century—sorry, Warren!  The Locke & Valentine “Hesselius” is based on the Remington XP-100, a futuristic-looking target pistol produced from 1963 to 1998 and based on Remington’s Model 40X bolt-action carbine. The Mershon & Hollingsworth “Caliban” Carbine was inspired by the artwork of Shadow Archer, detailed at ShadowArcher80’s Deviant Art Gallery. The Locke & Becker “Tartarus” Gun is actually the modern George Tibert Revolving Rifle from 2006.

Author: A. Buell Ruch
Last Modified: 2017 August 8
Email: quail (at) shipwrecklibrary (dot) com