A gun small enough to be worn as a ring seems like something out of James Bond. Visually, this ring looks like something designed for steampunk, however the only steam would be from your hand as you tried to cool off the powder burns after firing it.
Amazingly, this is a real gun. In the 1800s mechanization and factories where taking the country by storm. It was the Industrial Revolution and everyone wanted a piece of this new modern technology. I have found no records of one of these being fired, but experts speculate that anyone that did fire them without some heavy duty gloves was going to be in a world of pain.
The ring gun, a small revolver mounted on a ring, was one such device.
The Femme Fatale Ring Gun was one such functional weapon. This 7-shot weapon was created in Germany and attached to a German silver ( a nickel-copper-zinc mix which contains no silver) ring. This is an engineering marvel that in sold in 2006 for over $11,000.
Another of these guns was known as the Petite Protector. It was also mounted on a German silver ring. It was capable of firing six 4mm shots. Like it’s sister, it also has its name beautifully engraved around the ring.
Here is another one I found online, it doesn’t have a name or origin, but the closeup shots of it are great
If you want to own one of these yourselves you need a permit and several thousand dollars, but you can get replicas online.
**UPDATE: The last gun shown is a 19th century French piece known as the Earl of Trumpetshire aka Suicide Gun.
If you want your own version check out Arcane Armoury on Etsy and their version. It’s not quite as fancy looking, but still very cool.
