# Mobs and Slingshots-1883



## riverman (Nov 26, 2011)

I was just reading online about some mobs in 1883 in Manhattan and found the following quote:

_One of their early leaders was Mike McCoin, who was hanged in the Tombs on March, 8, 1883, for the slingshot murder of a saloon owner on West Twenty-Sixth Street, named Louis Hanier. _

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5483973


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Hmmmm ... I have my suspicions about this one. Cetainly by 1863, the process of vulcanization was known, and it is possible that slingshots were being used for various purposes. However, I suspect the author has misquoted an original source and really meant "slungshot":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slungshot

Used as a weapon, a slungshot just consists of a weight on the end of a strap or chord, and is used like a club or bludgeon ... a popular weapon during my misspent youth. It is very effective, and is illegal to carry in most places. In the late 1800s, a slungshot was sometimes mistakenly referred to as a "slingshot" although the two have nothing much in common.

Cheers ... Charles


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## nutthrower (Dec 18, 2011)

hey Charles, thanks for the history lesson, I had no idea about that, good stuff. Now about your misspent youth... what can ya tell us


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

nut thrower said:


> hey Charles, thanks for the history lesson, I had no idea about that, good stuff. Now about your misspent youth... what can ya tell us


Not much ... except my misspent youth is well behind me. I lived in some pretty rough places from time to time. I can say that a slung shot is effective for breaking bones, and that on several occasions, having one in my pocket saved me from taking a beating or worse.

And of course the Wiki article suggesting throwing it in the face of an opponent and using it like a yoyo is absurd. As a weapon, the slung shot is used much like the nunchaku, only the slung shot is much more compact. A slung shot consisting of a lead weight about an inch or so in diameter on the end of a foot long loop of chord fits easily in the pocket. With a good swing, a blow to the head by such a weapon will almost always result in skull fracture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nunchaku

Cheers ..... Charles


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## riverman (Nov 26, 2011)

Good point Charles and an interesting bit of info, that would have been an easy error for the author to make. Like you said, vulcanization was known by 1883 so it is possible they were using a slingshot. I spent about 20 minutes googleing the topic and in very case it said "slingshot". Either way it sucked for the guy that got killed! lol.

RM


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## pgandy (Aug 15, 2011)

Charles, I am not familiar with slungshots but from the way you describe them they parallel the manrikigusari. That is a Japanese weapon that is not as well known as the nunchaku. I no longer carry nunchakus having traded them in for manrikigusaris. The manrikigusari can be thrown. For that matter so can a nunchaku, but is far more limited and I know of only one Japanese instructor that teaches it.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

pgandy said:


> Charles, I am not familiar with slungshots but from the way you describe them they parallel the manrikigusari. That is a Japanese weapon that is not as well known as the nunchaku. I no longer carry nunchakus having traded them in for manrikigusaris. The manrikigusari can be thrown. For that matter so can a nunchaku, but is far more limited and I know of only one Japanese instructor that teaches it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, it seems it is much the same as the slung shot. However, I never saw anyone use one with a chord as long as that shown in the film ... mostly we used a foot to 18 inches. And I have never seen it used as a binding weapon, only as a striking weapon. It is extremely effective against a knife. And it is very difficult to block unless one has very heavy padding. The best defense is to run! Easily improvised, easily concealed, quick to deploy, extremely effective ... a poor person's weapon for sure. I always thought of it as a weapon of stealth and suprise ... mainly for defense, although for taking out someone unawares, it is hard to beat.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## nutthrower (Dec 18, 2011)

AWESOME, thanks for the vid


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## ZDP-189 (Mar 14, 2010)

I have practiced with the manrikigusari, but here and now it is banned. It is especially good for trapping.


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## pgandy (Aug 15, 2011)

Yup, there is very little blocking as that sucker will reach around corners, or various types of shields if you will. It carries extremely well. And I prefer it to a knife. But then I prefer my walking stick to a knife. Like you said, the best defence is to run. And yes, it traps.


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2013)

Here is a blast from the past for you lads. This "technology" was duplicated by airborne soldiers when they often sewed a silver dollar under their glider patch on their garrison caps. Another trick was to sew single edge injector razon blades into the top corner near the front above the silver dollar. An image will help those who do not know what a garrison cap with a glider patch looks like: http://www.look-out-below.co.uk/uniforms/infcaps.htm


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