Blunderbuss

The blunderbuss was the original coach gun, being a short, handy and devastating weapon at close range. It was used in many capacities, not the least of which were for naval boarding or defending by pirates and navies.

The flintlock blunderbuss was the original coach gun, being a short, handy and devastating weapon at close range. It was capable of firing up to 20 buckshot in front of 120 grains of black powder, according to Spencer Tucker in Almanac of American Military History, Volume 1. It was used in many capacities, not the least of which were for Naval boarding or defending vessels, stagecoach and messenger companies, home defense and more.

The Blunderbuss was sometimes considered a poor man's shotgun. The blunderbuss could be loaded with various scraps, rocks, or wood, although this would result in damage to the barrel of the gun. Most historical accounts have the blunderbuss being loaded with lead balls smaller than the bore diameter. The early Blunderbuss barrels were constructed from either steel or brass, and was usually flared. The barrel flaring served a two-fold purpose by increasing the spread of the shot, and serving as a funnel, making it easier to reload on horseback or on top of a moving carriage. The flared muzzle is the defining feature of the Blunderbuss, differentiating it from other large caliber carbines of it's day. Blunderbusses were notoriously short, with barrels under two feet in length, at a time when a typical musket barrel was over three feet long.