The Snake Charmer is a
.410 bore, stainless steel, single-shot, break-action
shotgun
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, peppergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which discharges numerous small ...
, with an exposed hammer, an 18-1/8" barrel, black molded plastic stock and forend (aka "furniture"), and a short thumb-hole butt-stock that holds four additional 2-1/2" shotgun shells. These lightweight 3-1/2 pound guns have an overall length of 28-1/8 inches and will easily fit on the saddle of a horse.
They may also be easily disassembled for "storage in a back-pack or large
tackle box." They are commonly used by gardeners and farmers for
pest control
Pest control is the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest (organism), pest; such as any animal, plant or fungus that impacts adversely on human activities or environment. The human response depends on the importance of the da ...
. The term "Snake Charmer" would go on to become synonymous with any small, short-barreled, single-shot, .410 shotgun.
History
The Snake Charmer was introduced in 1978, by H.Koon, Inc., of Dallas, Texas.
['' Field & Stream''. News for 1979 Part II. by Bob Brister. May 1979. page 159]['']Popular Science
Popular science (also called pop-science or popsci) is an interpretation of science intended for a general audience. While science journalism focuses on recent scientific developments, popular science is more broad ranging. It may be written ...
''. Short Gun. by Paul Wahl. July 1978, p. 58 It originally sold for $89.95
and was marketed as a general-purpose utility shotgun perfect for "Fishing - Hunting - Camping - Back Packing - Survival - Home Defense - Truck or Jeep Gun."
Koons would sell the company to Sporting Arms Mfg, of Littlefield, Texas. They added a manual safety switch which blocked the hammer when engaged and re-brand it as the Snake Charmer II. Sporting Arms would introduce the Night Charmer (disc. 1988) which featured a flashlight built into the fore-stock. This flashlight equipped fore-stock was also available as an option and sold separately. Sporting Arms would also introduce a larger version, the Field Gun which featured a full length stock and a 24-inch barrel.
The design was later sold to V.B.E, Inc, of Clay Center, Kansas. They were later made by
Verney-Carron. Imported ones would have the importer (Kebco LLC) marked on them.
Other versions
Snake Charmer or Snake Tamer type shotguns are also made by
Rossi as well as
Harrington and Richardson.
The
Rossi Tuffy is a single-shot
.410-bore shotgun. It features half-length thumb-hole polymer stock that holds four additional shot-shells and strongly resembles the original Snake Charmer. Unlike its predecessor, it has ejectors that automatically expel spent shells.
The
H&R Snake Tamer is also a Snake Charmer like shotgun. Available in 20-gauge or .410-bore/
.45 Colt only. These single-shot guns have either a blued finish or an electroless nickel finish with a full-length thumb-hole polymer stock. The right side of the stock is open with storage for three 20-gauge or four .410-bore shotgun shells. It also has ejectors that automatically expel spent shells.
See also
*
.410 bore
*
Garden guns
*
Gauge (firearms)
The gauge (in American English or more commonly referred to as bore in British English) of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the inner diameter (bore diameter) and other necessary parameters to define in general a smoothbore Gun b ...
*
Kit gun
*
Snake shot
*
Snake Slayer
References
{{Reflist
External links
Pictures of Snake CharmerVideo of Snake Charmer 410 shotgun. BATJAC J.WVideo of a Rossi Snake Charmer vs a CopperheadVideo of Collapsible Shotgun 410 / 45 colt / 12 Ga. NEF Survivor Tamer
Single-shot shotguns of the United States
Survival guns
Takedown guns