Swiss trip

[mjw]

Hello Everyone.

I have recently been on holiday to Switzerland. Here are a few pictures that may be of interest to some. I will only post a few as a taster otherwise it would spoil the fun for anyone lucky enough to find themselves there. The first few were taken during a visit to the Swiss Rifle Museum (Schweizerisches Schutzenmuseum) located in Bern. A fascinating look at shooting and shooting clubs, the exhibits ranging from the crossbow and musket to a rifle designed to shoot round corners. They also have a wonderful collection of shooting medals.

[mjw]

On a visit to Lucerne I came across the the Bourbaki Panorama which relates to the Franco Prussian War. It is an effective combination of 2D painting and 3D figures which depict the French army seeking asylum in Switzerland. Well worth a visit.

[mjw]

Also in Lucerne I visited the Lion monument (Löwendenkmal). It commemorates those Swiss soldiers who were killed in 1792 during the French Revolution, when the Tuileries Palace in Paris was stormed.

Kind regards, Malcolm.

[CARL]

The gun attachment that was designed to fire around corners, i.e the original corner shot, was the StG44 Krummlauf (Eng.trans. curved barrel) if I remember correctly...

Unfortunately, the design - although modified with vent outlets to reduce the build up of gasses inside the weapon, was a failure and resulted in the weapon only being operational for a few hundred rounds (due to the immense stress it was under).

Nicely presented museum, glad you enjoyed your visit and thanks for posting the thread, especially showing such a fascinating item.

Carl (a real straight shooter)

[mjw]

Hello Carl. Thank you for the interesting background information regarding the curved barrel. I agree, it is a well presented museum. Although tucked away, it is well worth seeking out, even for someone like me, who has little knowledge of weapons. Kind regards, Malcolm.