These are two fine examples of Blunderbuss’s from the 1780’s. Some of several available in unit 11 here at Hungerford Arcade along with a multitude of other militaria memorabilia.
The blunderbuss is a firearm with a short, large caliber barrel which is flared at the muzzel. It was used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity or caliber. The blunderbuss is considered to be an early predecessor of the modern shotgun, with similar military and defensive use. It was effective only at short range, lacking accuracy at long distances.
The term “Blunderbuss” is from the Dutch word donderbus, which is a combination of donder, meaning “thunder”, and bus, meaning “Pipe”. The flared muzzle is the defining feature of the blunderbuss. The muzzle was flared with the intent not only to increase the spread of the shot, but also to funnel powder and shot into the weapon making it easier to reload on horseback or on a moving carriage.
Jonathan Cardy, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
The blunderbuss was typically issued to troops such as cavelry who needed a lightweight, easily handled firearm. In addition to the cavalry, the blunderbuss found use for other duties in which the shotgun-like qualities were desirable, such as for guarding prisoners or defending a mail coach. They were also commonly carried by officers on naval warships for use in close-quarters boarding actions.
