Larry Gotkin’s custom, handmade war clubs offer museum-quality, artisan craftsmanship for the serious collector or reenactor.

In the 1500s, when their European trade muskets ran out of powder and shot, the American Indians undoubtably discovered in the midst of battle that their empty muskets made devastating clubs. War clubs in the stylized shape of gunstocks became popular amongst the Northeastern tribes, and the weapon spread across the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast. These clubs, carved from straight-grained hardwoods, could be the size of a tomahawk or could weigh several pounds, and often included spear or knife points (of antler, bone, stone or metal) to increase their lethality. War clubs, like tomahawks, often had embellishments of carvings, feathers, leather, paint, beads, brass tacks, scalp locks, etc. These weapons were still in use in the late 1800s. 

Note: No original examples I have seen show that they started out as an actual firearm, as there are no lock or barrel inlets, and many are flat and board-like. The shape was probably an attempt to capture the lethal "magic" of the firearm. However, the versatility of this club as a close-quarters combat weapon becomes clear as soon as one handles it. Users can parry, thrust and trap, one- or two-handed, and every surface creates blunt force trauma.

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