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Extremely Scarce Victorian Era Nepalese Bira Double Barrel Rapid Fire Gun and Carriage
Collector’s Fact
One of approximately only 50 Bira guns produced. Although invented by a Nepalese General, the design was in part based on the American Gardner Gun.
Rare Nepalese Hand Cranked Double Barrel Rapid Fire Bira Gun - NSN, 577-450 , 40 1/2 inch round bbl., black finish. Manufactured in Nepal in 1896/97 and looking as if it came off the pages of
a Jules Verne’s novel, the Bira gun was invented by Nepalese General Gehendra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana (1871–1905). The design was based upon the American Gardner gun that utilized reciprocating bolts but with notable differences such as the use of an overhead drum magazine that had more in common with the Lewis gun appearing two decades later and a hand crack handle that rotated counterclockwise which was considered more efficient than the clockwise rotation as found on Western designs. Each Bira gun was completely handmade with few parts being interchangeable from one gun to another. In fact, individual screws are often encountered numbered to specific holes. On the right side of the receiver is an oval plaque in Nepali that gives credit to the gun’s inventor, General Gahendra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana. The magazine held 120 rounds of .577/450 Martini- Henry and when fully loaded weighed in at a good 40 pounds. As those who have actually had the pleasure to fire these guns have noted, “Nothing on the Bira gun is lightweight.” Like most of the other components, the magazine was hand fitted to each individual gun.
LOT 3216
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