Things must’ve been a lot different in 1882 and nothing shows that better than this mousetrap that requires a gun to be of use.
The design of the trap is straightforward enough, but it’s not exactly cost-effective since you’d have to have a separate gun for each trap.
There’s also the very likely scenario that someone ends up getting shot because of this — which the inventor, James Williams, seemed very aware of when he said it’s also great for killing potential thieves. So we’re talking about a 50/50 shot that you’re either killing grandma or the robber trying to break in. Not the best odds.
One thing this trap might have over other mousetraps is that it’s “alarm” will certainly let you know when it’s found its target. Because there’s nothing like being woken up by a gunshot that just hit your family member who was trying to rummage through the fridge or find the bathroom.
