Buzz
Give a man a fish, and he'll survive for a day. Give a hero a custom-modified nail gun and a box of nails, and he might just rule the world.
Sometimes, ordinary people make headlines for acts of remarkable bravery—rescuing people from burning buildings, catching toddlers falling from great heights, you get the gist.
But now and then, we witness an everyday person who truly stands out by wielding a brilliantly creative and powerful weapon. Here are 10 such individuals.
10. Tony Stein and 'The Stinger'
This World War II hero was like a real-life Transformer. When he entered the fray, he became a land-bound fighter jet, mowing down enemies like they were Messerschmitts... except humans are far easier to take down than planes.
Tony Stein armed himself with a modified M1919 machine gun to battle the Japanese forces. This upgraded firearm, which initially fired 400 rounds per minute, was supercharged to fire an incredible 1,350 rounds per minute and was mounted on fighter planes.
Sergeant Mel Grevich was a fan of this weapon. However, he wasn’t a pilot. He repurposed guns from decommissioned planes, added an M1 Garand rifle butt and a box magazine, and thus, 'The Stinger' was born. One of these modified beasts was given to Tony Stein before the Battle of Iwo Jima.
During the battle, Stein took down enemy pillboxes and claimed the lives of at least 20 enemy soldiers. He made his frequent ammo runs without boots or a helmet to maximize speed.
9. An 11-Year-Old North Carolina Boy and His Machete
Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood remarked, 'This is a very tough kid who kept his wits about him.' He was talking about an 11-year-old hero who chased off a violent burglar with a machete. The young boy had just been shoved into a closet at gunpoint by 19-year-old Jataveon Dashawn Hall, the burglar carrying a pellet gun he'd picked up while ransacking the home.
Most kids might comply. Perhaps they'd cry or even wet themselves. But not this kid.
The boy emerged from the closet, grabbed a machete, and headed downstairs where he found the thief greedily swiping electronics, including a TV and a PlayStation. Without hesitation, the boy struck the burglar over the head with the machete, earning himself a kick to the stomach in the process.
Undeterred, the boy took another swing but missed, receiving a roundhouse to the head for his trouble. At that moment, the burglar realized he was bleeding heavily from the back of his head. He dropped the stolen items and fled, taking two accomplices with him.
8. Lars Andersen with a Bow and Arrow
Lars Andersen must be part wood elf to pull off some of his jaw-dropping feats with a bow. Watching incredible people do incredible things is always a treat. Andersen’s record-breaking bow and arrow skills make us question why we ever became so reliant on firearms (that is, until you recall Tony Stein's 'Stinger').
In addition to his archery talents, Andersen is also a skilled painter. He studied at art school and received private mentorship under fellow Dane and artist Otto Frello. What’s the connection here? Well, there isn’t one, but it’s worth mentioning, unless I want to end up shot with 10 arrows in under five seconds.
7. ‘Jason’ and His Jar of Instant Coffee
Many people feel practically useless without their morning cup of coffee. But how many of us become Charles Bronson when clutching a jar of coffee granules?
‘Jason,’ a 48-year-old man from Victoria, Australia, was about to fill up his Mercedes at a petrol station in Frankston, a suburb of Melbourne. Before he could decide between a meat pie or a pack of Tim Tams, Jason was confronted by a gun-wielding man, seemingly in his twenties.
The would-be carjacker demanded Jason's keys to his luxury car, but Jason wasn’t backing down. 'I think most people would hand over the keys, but I’m just not one of those people,' Jason said.
After a struggle with his attacker caused his freshly bought jar of coffee to shatter on the ground, Jason grabbed a shard of broken glass and used it as a weapon to defend himself. Fortunately for Jason, the criminal's gun was fake. Unfortunately for the carjacker, the broken glass was real. And sharp.
In the end, the wannabe carjacker fled, taking a pack of Jason’s cigarettes with him.
6. Darryn Frost Fights a Terrorist
This is the tale of an exceptionally courageous Englishman who faced down a murderous terrorist using nothing more than a piece of a dead animal. Talk about bravery.
Originally from South Africa, 38-year-old Darryn Frost took on terrorist Usman Khan as he wreaked havoc across London Bridge armed with two knives. And what weapon did Frost wield? A narwhal’s tusk.
Frost grabbed the ornamental tusk from the interior of Fishmongers’ Hall, where he and some colleagues were attending an event. He was able to subdue the knife-wielding attacker by pinning him to the ground and struggling to disarm him.
Khan had already taken the lives of Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23. Frost wasn’t dealing with just an angry person—this was a cold-blooded killer. Soon after, police arrived, took control of the scene, and shot the terrorist who had claimed to be wearing a bomb vest. (It turned out to be a fake.)
5. 19th-Century New England Whalers and Their Explosive Harpoon Guns
Continuing with the theme of gigantic sea creatures, whaling once served as the backbone of New England’s economy. The oil extracted from these massive animals was used as fuel for lamps all around the world. The demand was immense, and the work involved was incredibly dangerous.
Before the 19th-century invention of the impressive harpoon gun shown above, whalers used standard harpoons—the kind you throw and hope for the best. One old-school whaler remarked, 'A whaler does not like to shoot a whale anymore than a sportsman would shoot a trout.'
Trout can certainly be tough little fighters, that's no doubt. But whales? That's a whole different ballgame. Even with this incredible invention, capturing enough whales to light up the entire world must’ve been an enormous task. Major respect.
4. Joerg Sprave and His Arsenal of Homemade Weapons
The only thing cooler than this guy’s vast collection of DIY projectile weapons is his wildly infectious, booming laugh. He sounds like a jolly, tipsy medieval king after a wild boar hunt—likely with PVC pipe recurve bows involved!
Sprave is known for his YouTube videos showcasing his incredible slingshot creations, which possess some serious destructive power. Among his most entertaining designs is a slingshot that fires bowling balls.
Sprave has also invented the 'Instant Legolas' (now known as the 'Fenris Rapid Fire Bow Magazine'), an accessory for your trusty bow that automatically loads arrows. Essentially, he’s created a bow-and-arrow machine gun. Bad. Ass.
3. Marcus Attilius and His Shiny(us) Gladius
Some people just thrive on a good fight. Many guys love to get drunk on weekends, always ready to throw a punch at the slightest provocation—whether it’s a spilled drink, a misunderstood insult, or a funny look.
For Roman citizen Marcus Attilius, his passion for violence went beyond a simple weekend release from a dull life. He truly enjoyed a good brawl. His name appears in Pompeii’s ruins on graffiti alongside the gladiatorial legends of his time. Marcus Attilius stands out as the only gladiator listed who wasn’t a slave—he chose to fight.
It’s likely that Marcus was a skilled soldier. His records show victories over at least two seasoned gladiators. It’s also plausible that he was struggling financially, as a gladiator had to forfeit his citizenship rights to fight.
But isn't it even more impressive to think that this guy simply had a thirst for combat? Perhaps he longed for the excitement and chaos of the battlefield. Whatever the reason, Marcus Attilius voluntarily entered one of the most lethal arenas ever created—and emerged victorious.
2. Jerry Miculek and Any Gun You Hand Him
It’s commonly said that you shouldn’t bring a knife to a gunfight. But if Jerry Miculek is in the equation, you might want to bring something even more advanced—a pulse weapon, maybe?
When you can fire a revolver and hit a target with a grouping smaller than a playing card, you’re a marksman. Jerry can do that in just 0.57 seconds. On top of that, he’s an expert gunsmith and handyman, capable of designing and maintaining weapons as well as firing them faster than anyone else alive.
1. Billy Sing and His Lee-Enfield Rifle
Achieving two hundred confirmed kills is a remarkable feat for any sniper in wartime. Now, imagine doing that with a standard Lee-Enfield rifle during the brutal trench warfare of World War I. That’s what Australian soldier Billy Sing accomplished, and it’s truly astonishing.
One of his most remarkable accomplishments was his legendary face-off with the notorious Turkish sniper known as ‘Abdul the Terrible’ at Gallipoli. Abdul was such a revered marksman that his rifle even had a name—'Mother of Death.'
In their sniper duel, it initially appeared that Abdul had the upper hand. He had tracked Sing to his position, dug in, and prepared to eliminate his target. But Sing, using what seemed to be nothing but pure instinct, managed to outwit Abdul. Before Abdul could fire, Sing had already pinpointed his rival’s location and won the battle.
After the war, Sing’s life took an unexpected turn. Rather than receiving the recognition he deserved, he spent his remaining years in obscurity, living in poverty at a boarding house in Brisbane. It wasn’t until 50 years after his death in 1943 that his unmarked grave was discovered by Brian Tate, and it has since been properly memorialized.
