Blunderbuss Short-Ranged Musket (1720)
The Blunderbuss proved a popular weapon for obvious from the 17th Century into the 19th Century.
The Blunderbuss existed in two distinctly notable forms - a short, pistol-like form (the aforementioned "Dragon") and the more identifiable medium-sized, shotgun-like version. Both versions were muzzle-loading firearms - that is, loaded from the barrel end as opposed to an open breech at the rear of the gun body. Blunderbuss operation was actuated by a flintlock arrangement requiring use of a swiveling "cock" that held a piece of flint stone. Loading involved filling the barrel with an appropriate level of gunpowder, forcing cotton wadding down the barrel and adding shot (lead balls) before finally stamping the contents down with the supplied ramrod. Shot could be made up of lead balls or any sort of projectile that easily fit the caliber of the barrel. Gunpowder was then supplied to the open pan along the side of the gun body and the weapon was "cocked" for firing. With a pull of the trigger, the cock-containing flint was scrapped against a metal fixture to generate sparks, these sparks falling into the pan of gunpowder and igniting the contents within. The force of the internal explosion would send the projectiles out of the flared end of the barrel in a "spread" fashion.
Construction of Blunderbusses, of course, varied throughout its decades of use and each were based on regional construction methods, user requirements and field usage. Some were completed with brass barrels while others were finished with steel versions and, still others, particularly navalized versions, were covered over in heavy protective finishes to help combat the corrosive effects of the salty sea against the temperamental wood and metal construction of these guns.
Traditionally, the image of the Blunderbuss featured a bell-shaped (or "flared") muzzle for the spreading of shot with the barrel set within a solid wooden frame. The frame contained the working components including a compressed spring, the cock with flint stone and gun powder pan (also known as the "flash pan" or "frizzen"). The cock was set to the right hand side as was the open pan. The trigger was set underneath the body of the gun and protected by an oblong trigger ring. A shoulder stock assisted in containing the inherently violent recoil of such a short, powerful weapon and also served to provide a rifle-type hand grip. A ramrod was fitted underneath the barrel for ramming shot contents down the barrel when loading/reloading. Overall length was shorter than any available musket of the time which lent itself well to rising use worldwide - some examples measuring between 14 and 30 inches long with a variable-length barrels to boot. Pistol forms, of course, were shorter than their full-length Blunderbuss counterparts. Caliber was equally variable as well with some Blunderbusses fielding a 2.5 inch flared muzzle opening. Military Blunderbusses additionally sported fittings for the use of a bayonet.
Despite its military applications, the Blunderbuss will forever be associated with its use by privateers and pirates of the high seas. Understanding the form and function of the Blunderbuss in such a role and the reader immediately understands the ideal nature of the weapon in the close-fighting environment involved with a boarding action between rival ships. Even the British Royal Navy found value in such a weapon that it issued Blunderbuss-type weaponry to its sailors for that very role. The spread shot could be put to lethal use in such quarters as could its portability, particularly in fighting below decks. Once the gun was fired, the user could then close in on his enemy by way of blade (or bayonet if equipped as such) or use the butt-end of the Blunderbuss as an effective club of sorts. Since reloading of flintlock weapons was generally time consuming, it made sense to provide the soldier with both firearm and blade at this point in history. British use of the Blunderbuss even extended into land-based protection of convoys and mail service for her coachmen operating between destinations where bandits roamed. As a proven weapon worldwide, it was not surprising that colonists in the Americas also kept Blunderbusses for protection against all matter of target - needless to say, use of Blunderbuss-type weapons was quite global, particularly noted for its use in European Armies.
The tenure of Blunderbuss survived into the 19th Century to which by this time the carbine had staked its claim on the modern battlefields. Regardless, many still held their Blunderbusses in higher regard due to her inherently excellent man-stopping qualities and in-the-field ruggedness. Nevertheless, the Blunderbuss - the imposing weapon with the funny name - would still go down as one of the most recognizable firearms in history and live a long healthy life in the romanticized pirate tales to follow. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
Blunderbuss
Short-Ranged Musket
Country of Origin: Netherlands
Manufacturer: Various Worldwide
Initial Year of Service: 1720
Overall Length: 775mm (30.51in)
Barrel Length: 370.00mm (14.57in)
Weight (Empty): 4.63lbs (2.10kg)
Cartridge: Various
Action: Flintlock
Feed: Single-Shot Spread
Rate-of-Fire: 1 rounds per minute
Range: 50ft (15m; 17yds)
Sights: None
Variants:
Blunderbuss - Base Series Designation; full-length version.
Dragon - Pistol Form; shortened overall design.
Operators: Austria; Belgium; Denmark; France; Germany; India; Italy; Mexico; Netherlands; Ottoman Empire; Poland; Portugal; Russia; Sardinia; Spain; United Kingdom; United States
BY YEAR:
• 1700 to 1799
• 1800 to 1899
• 1900 to 1909
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Guns
BY TYPE:
• Anti-Aircraft Weapons
• Anti-Material Rifles
• Anti-Tank Weapons
• Automatic Rifles
• Bolt-Action Rifles
• Carbine Guns
• Flamethrowers
• Flintlock Guns
• Grenade Launchers
• Hand Grenades
• Lever-Action Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• Musket Guns
• Pistols / Handguns
• Recoilless Rifles
• Revolvers
• Rocket Launchers
• Shotguns
• Silenced Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• Special Weapon Systems
• Submachine Guns
• VIEW ALL
SPECIAL:
• 18th Century Warfare
• 3 Soldiers Statue
• Battle of Mogadishu
• Chainmail Armor
• Firearm Types Defined
• French Military Victories
• Medieval Crossbow
• Medieval Longbow
• Vietnam War Casualties
• Vietnam War Memorial
WORLD WAR 2:
• British Guns
• French Guns
• German Guns (ALL)
• German Rifles
• Italian Guns
• Japanese Guns
• Soviet Guns
• US Guns
• US Infantry Regiment-Level Guns
• Machine Guns
• Pistols
• Rifles
• Submachine Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 1:
• Pistols
• Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• US Guns
• VIEW ALL
KOREAN WAR:
• Machine Guns
• VIEW ALL
VIETNAM WAR:
COLLECTIONS:
• Ancient Weapons
• British SAS Weapons
• Civil War Guns
• Colt Guns
• Glock Guns
• GROM Polish Special Forces
• Guns of Libya
• Guns of North Korea
• Guns of Syria
• Guns of WW1 & WW2
• Heckler & Koch Guns
• Kalashnikov Guns
• Modern Russian Guns
• Navy SEAL Weapons
• Spetsnaz Weapons
• Weapons of Desert Storm
• Wild West Guns
• Winchester Guns
HOLLYWOOD/GAMES:
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
