Richardson Model R5 Guerrilla Gun
Richardson Industries · Shotgun · Out Of Production · 1945
Also known as: Richardson Guerrilla Gun, Richardson Industries Guerrilla Gun
Overview
The Richardson Model R5 Guerrilla Gun is a crude single-shot 12-gauge shotgun built by Richardson Industries of East Haven, Connecticut in the years immediately after World War II. Inspired by the improvised firearms Filipino resistance fighters manufactured from water pipe during the Japanese occupation, it is assembled from standard 3/4-inch and 1 1/4-inch steel water pipe, a steel rod, and a metal disk with a nipple that serves as a fixed firing pin. The weapon has no moving parts and no trigger: the shooter loads a single shotshell, then manually drives the sliding barrel and shell rearward against the fixed firing pin to fire.
Specifications
| Firing Mechanism | Fixed Firing Pin |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12ga, 12 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Features: Improvised Construction, Water Pipe Barrel, No Moving Parts, Manual Slam Fire, Single Shot
Service history
Operators
- Philippine Guerrilla Forces
Conflicts
- World War II (1941-1945)
Production
Estimated total produced: 2,600 · Production years: 1945-1946
Approximately 2,600 commercial units sold in 1945-46; based on shop-made pipe guns produced by the thousands by Philippine guerrillas 1942-1944
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 1946
Notes
Richardson Industries reported selling roughly 2,600 guerrilla guns in 1945-46 at retail prices of $4.98 to $7.98. The design descends from the thousands of similar shop-made pipe guns produced by Philippine guerrillas on Leyte and other islands between 1942 and 1944.
Background
The Richardson Guerrilla Gun's designer served as a chief of staff in the Philippine Guerrilla Forces on the island of Leyte, where fighters welded single-shot shotguns from scrap water pipe to arm the resistance against Japanese occupiers.