Circa 1893
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Specs:
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- Buzzer Powermaster & Stand 20.6 lbs 46” W x 10” H x 7” D
- Gun only 9.6 lbs
Inventor:
Steam powered rifle designed by Bernard Maets, a little known but very prolific inventor of the 19th century. Bernard Maets lived a reclusive existence in rural southeast Wisconsin.
Type and Function:
This weapon appears to be more than a prototype and probably is a preproduction model. The name Buzzer PowerMaster comes from engravings on the piece. Like many of Maets’ devices this one includes a display stand that may have also served as a stand for test firing the rifle. The decorative accent on the rifle stock is matched on the stand along with six extra steam cylinders.
The canisters along the barrel indicate that this weapon works as a linear accelerator for tremendous penetration and range. Attempts to fire the weapon since its discovery have failed. The exact liquid used to create the steam is a secret that has eluded all investigators. Other prototypes have likewise been limited in their functionality due to lack of information on the exact liquid used by Maets in most of his inventions.
Recovery Site:
It was initially uncovered in 1955 in North Korea during a raid. It was smuggled home by a GI who held it in his personal collection until his death in 2007, at which point it was given to the Maets Foundation for analysis.
Back Story:
Learn how the steam rifle ended up in North Korea.
Principal Investigator:
This object has been recovered, studied and restored by Ed Kidera, discover the reality
