Weaponry Through the Ages Part 2 Quiz

Answer: sword-breaker

Left-handed daggers were often used in addition to a rapier or sword which usually occupied the right hand. The weapon measured 20 inches in length and weighed about 1 3/4 lbs. The sword-breaker consisted of a pommel, wire grip, ring guard, ricasso, and a barbed head which was used to trap the opponent's sword blade. Whether or not this weapon could actually break a blade is debatable since steel blades were made to withstand quite a bit of pressure.

Answer: kastane

The dagger's use as a weapon of self-defense continued into the 16th and 17th centuries. The kastane itself measured a little over 36 inches and weighed 1 1/4 lbs. The hilt of these daggers often resembled mythical-looking creatures. The weapon consisted of a pommel, knuckle guard, wooden grip, soft iron blade, and brass inlay for decoration.

Answer: longbow

The projectiles were arrows and the longbow could deliver ten times the rate of fire of crossbows. English longbows were recovered from the Mary Rose, a warship belonging to Henry VIII which sank in 1545. Those recovered from the Mary Rose measured 6'2" to 6'6" long. Longbows were generally made from yew, a type of coniferous tree. Bow strings were generally made of hemp, silk, or flax. Nowadays synthetic materials are used in place of natural fibers.

The arrows varied in length, fletchings, and heads. Often feathers were used for the fletchings. Plastic is generally used nowadays.

Answer: Baker rifle

Ezekiel Baker's rifle was one powerful weapon. It was designed to keep on working even in the most difficult situations. It was especially effective at long ranges. Unfortunately it wasn't very accurate but it was a definite improvement over the smooth-bore musket then in use.

Despite the fact that Baker developed the rifle, he only produced about 700 rifles between 1805-1815. The rest were produced by other manufacturers.

Answer: Crusader sword

In use in western Europe during the 12th century, the heavy cutting blade of this sword would have been no match for opponents who were lightly armed. It weighed 2 lbs. and measured 38 inches long. It was heavy and sharp enough to cut through mail armor.

Answer: Dreyse needle gun

Single-shot breech-loading rifles gave way to bolt action pioneered by Johann Nicolaus von Dreyse. In the case of the Prussians, their Dreyse needle guns had superior firepower compared to the Austrians' muzzle-loaders. These rifles had a rate of fire approximately 10-12 rounds per minute, significantly faster than their opponent's weapons.

Answer: John Moses Browning

The first successful gas-operated machine gun was called the Colt-Browning M1895, based on John Browning's design. He partnered with the Winchester Repeating Arms Company who developed small firearms designed by him. In 1895, he moved to Belgium where he produced an improved version of his first semi-automatic pistol, a simple unlocked-breech, blowback design which became known as Model 1900.

It was used until 1911. I would like to add that I am directly related to John Browning on my mother's side.

Answer: iron

Since the Egyptians had no direct access to iron ore and were dependent on supplies from the Middle East which happened to be under control of their enemies at that time, the production of iron became extremely difficult. This made Tutankhamen's iron-bladed dagger all the more valuable. I guess being a pharaoh had its perks.

Answer: Blooper

Introduced in 1960, the M79 weighed 6 lbs. The barrel was 12 inches with a 40MM caliber. The simple break-open design resembled a giant shotgun. Opening the breech ejected the spent casing so a fresh round could then be loaded. Closing the breech meant the weapon was ready for action.

Answer: morning star

The morning star was easy to make and cheap to manufacture. The head of the weapon was made of wood or iron and came studded with spikes. It was used mostly against opponents without armor.