Have you picked up / seen ...fired a Punt Gun?

[TXAZ]

I'm reading about punt guns which were apparently an 1860-1920's weapon used wo drop a a large number of birds at once. The barrel was up to 2" diameter.
Has anyone here ever held one? I understand most were mounted on small boats ("punts") but apparently there were some that were shoulder fired.

 

[Blindstitch]

I thought they used one on a show like Mythbusters but i'm not sure. Big guns, lots of shot and if you done your job right lots of whatever was in the way.

 

[Virginian]

Used to see them at East Coast waterfowl shows regularly. They were black powder guns. There is a group in England that still builds and shoots them - they are still legal there. One guy had a YouTube video about building one.

 

[dahermit]

Used by market hunters to shoot into waterfowl floating in large flocks (rafting), resting on the water. Many would be killed, many only wounded would escape. I have never seen one in person, but have seen many photos of them over the years.

 

[aarondhgraham]

There are a few at the J. M. Davis gun museum,,,

There are a few at the J. M. Davis gun museum.

Just a big clunky black powder shotgun,,,
Nothing elegant or pretty about them at all.

Aarond

.

 

[T. O'Heir]

"...an 1860-1920's weapon..." No market hunting in the 1920's. Banned in 1918.
A punt gun was basically a swivel cannon fired off the front of a row boat(a punt boat). Joe Salter is listing a flinter, 73" long, punt gun at $2395.

 

[Pahoo]

Boat mounted and thank goodness !!!

Has anyone here ever held one?

Have seen one and not likely that you or I want to hold it. Ones of my wife's relatives has on, in his garage as well as pictures of his relatives in a boat with this big bore. The boat has a cutout at the nose of the bow, where it was mounted. It was used in the back-waters of the Mississippi river. .....

Now, don't forget the older large gauge SxS. .....

Be Safe !!!

 

[JWT]

Have seen several of them. All too big to shoulder. Not sure I'd want to 'ignite' one of them. The recoil and muzzle blast would have to be very strong.

 

[Deja vu]

I shot a black powder version that was pretty common inside forts in the old west. It was mounted on a swivel and stuck into the ground. I believe it was a 4 bore. The shells where very impressive.

It was very fun but too heavy to carry into the field... I Would guess it weighed close to 40-50 LBS.

 

[natman]

A real punt gun is more of a small cannon than a shotgun and is far too heavy to shoot from the shoulder. Here's an example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7FeeamC4qk

 

[CaptainChaos]

There was a facinating thread on a UK forum, several years ago. The chap built his own punt *and* punt gun.

If you intend to read the whole thread, make a cup of tea first; the thread is very long.

Here's a link but the photos seemed to have "disappeared" (at least for *me*):

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/217901-making-a-gunning-punt-and-punt-gun

Regards,

Mark.

 

[FITASC]

Like these examples?

 

[Arizona Fusilier]

I was starting to think"swivel gun" as I read this thread.