In the years when Carl Barks drew his comic book stories for Western Publishing there was an understanding that the use of deadly weapons should be kept at an absolute minimum. At one point a list of forbidden subjects - including weaponry - was circulated among the artists and they abided by the rules. But there was room for slack as long as the firearms were not used in excess or with deadly force, and as long as they filled a purpose.
In fact, Barks did quite a number of stories in which a variety of weapons take a prominent role. However, he added a certain twist to these 'violent' stories. He always made his ducks' use of the dangerous weapons either innocent of funny - with the exception of U$64 The Treasure of Marco Polo which showed the darkest side of many types of weaponry.

Below you will see examples of Barks' versatile use of weapons in his stories. Observe how he often succeeds in finding humorous angles when dealing with a serious subject!

THE SILENT OBJECTS
U$16 Barks made several stories in which pointed weapons such as swords were ingredients.	FC0308 Another variation of a pointed weapon - the easy-to-hide and deadly stiletto.	WDCS233 A lance is a must in stories about knights in shining armour - and without...	FC0300 A slingshot is probably among the first 'innocent' weapons a kid learns to master.

THE NOISY ITEMS
CG Donald became the inventor of several bombs. But nothing beats his atombomb!	WDCS066 One of his first attempts; a crude dynamite bomb to be activated by an alarm clock.	U$66 The Beagle Boys used bombs from time to time. They even invented an explosive - Beaglemite.	FC0386 In this story they are at the receiving end of the bombs. Courtesy of Scrooge...

THE HEAVY MATERIAL
U$27 During a fight with Scrooge, Glomgold rents a movie prop cannon of frightening proportions...	WDCS135 Scrooge has many identical looking cannons - all presumably from the Boer War...	WDCS239 The town of Duckburg also has a cannon. Old Number One rules over Battlement Hill.	FC0300 At the circus they use a special cannon; it only fires human cannon balls!

THE POWERFUL MERCHANDISE
FC1161 The Beagle Boys are seldom seen with weapons, so this scene constitutes overkill...	WDCS081 A deadly V2 rocket is racing towards Earth, aimed at a target range.	U$27 The nephews avert a dastardly attack from Glomgold using their JW rockets.	WDCS244 Donald has a job at a missile base, which also houses space rockets.

THE WILD WEST GEAR
WDCS176 Donald tries in vain to demonstrate to the nephews that he is a true gunfighter...	FC0199 He is much more convincing in this cowboy adventure where he stars as a sheriff.	U$57 Even Scrooge has been seen firing a real six-shooter. And he was a marksman!	FC1025 Red Indians are relatively rare in Barks' stories, but they carry the expected bows and tomahawks...

THE HUNTERS' ARSENAL
WDCS087 Donald is hunting turkey using an old blunderbuss.	WDCS075 He also tries to win the bird in a turkey shoot.	WDCS183 And he even tries his luck using a custard gun...	FC1025 Scrooge was once out roaming the prairie hunting for buffalo.

THE RADIANT ARTICLES
WDCS191 Donald uses a scintillator gun in order to find his nephews.	U$08 An inventor made this petrifying ray machine.	U$63 The Beagle Boys use a laser ray machine to open the Money Bin.	WDCS278 Donald uses a very special ray gun from the military.

THE FUN STUFF
U$57 An educating device becomes a hypnotizer gun in the wrong hands.	U$47 An hypnotic ray machine makes people do what the owner wants.	FC1047 The Gab-Muffer is a powerful weapon that can silence anyone...	WDCS145 An otherwise harmless toy gun can hypnotize the feebleminded...