Paltik

Paltik is a Filipino term for a homemade gun. It originated late in the Philippine-American War when guns and ammunition had become scarce. The most common form of the weapon was a gas pipe attached to a rifle stock. Wire was usually wrapped around the barrel to keep the pipe from expanding when the gun is fired. It was muzzle-loaded and fired a medium-sized bullet or musket ball. A small hole at the breech end of the barrel accommodated a cigarette or match that was used to ignite the primer, making aiming difficult. This also gave rise to the nickname, "Cigarette Gun".

Accuracy was poor and the firing mechanism even worse. Due to poor craftsmanship, the weapon was more dangerous to the shooter than the target. Some Filipino gunsmiths however, did make reliable percussion cap rifles that functioned in a manner similar to a 19th-century musket.

Paltiks are still made illegally in the Philippines today. Although these are more sophisticated than their 19th century counterpart, the weapon is still mostly unreliable and dangerous. Another version of the Filipino home-made gun is the sumpak.

See also