Immovable Mind.

Vivian Marten-Gwilliam’s Pipe Pistol

An intriguing take on the concealable ‘pipe pistol’ concept developed by inventor Vivian Charles Eric Marten-Gwilliam. His patents included on for a breech mechanism, another for a torpedo launching mechanism, a torpedo tube door and another for a clip to hold paper to boards.

This pistol, however, was designed as a weapon for members of the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV), the initial name for the Home Guard. According to the Imperial War Museum Marten-Gwilliam’s Pipe Pistol was designed to “be produced in quantity as a ‘means of dealing with isolated enemy paratroopers in country districts whereby certain plain-clothes members of the LDV would be trained in its use’.”

The weapon appears to be of all metal construction with the pipe’s acting as the barrel. The Imperial War Museum describes it as being chambered in “.22 calibre cartridges”, it is not stated if the pistol can hold more than one round. There is a small trigger at the base of the stem, with the pipe bowl intended to be used as a small pistol grip. Apparently the pistol could be smoked, like a real pipe, even when loaded. The pistol was apparently not adopted, the need for a concealed weapon to take on enemy paratroops was somewhat outlandish and impractical. I would love to examine the pistol to see how it works.

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