A Four Barrel "Walking Stick":

Henry VIII wasn't always an obese sickly old fart .. he had earlier indeed been a bit of a lad - well he officially worked through six wives while also giving the fingers to the Pope's monastic system during a 'hostile take-over'.

He was without question a GUN NUT .. well as much as you could be living in those early days (1491-1547) - he was attracted to all sorts of weaponry .. so if he were here in NZ nowadays he'd be labelled as a potential security risk with an unhealthy obsession for prohibited weapons.

He used to go walk-about around London carrying his Morning Star "walking stick" - a spiked MACE that also contained a four barrelled matchlock gun:

That might give you a "right royal bleeding headache" eh:

The hinged top spike-blade covered the four muzzles that fired as one when "touched-off".

The story goes that he was checking that his watchmen were on the job - when they stopped, arrested and held him overnight .. until his I.D. was disclosed to them .. but my guess was that while he may have been impressed by their zeal .. his purpose was much more likely to have truly been out on the town drinking & wenching.

Henry's contemporaries considered him an attractive, educated, and accomplished king. - He has been described as "one of the most charismatic rulers to sit on the English throne"  - Plus he had the smarts to value personal weaponry for self defence.

He would have been a good mate until you pissed him off - then he'd have knocked YOU off ..

I should at this stage - here add that - of course my interest in firearms, ballistics, cartridges, and various other tools including our Government's Weapons of Mass Destruction - is purely for academic and recreational sporting purposes.

Marty K.