FRENCH PIRATE FLINTLOCK BLUNDERBUSS by REPLICART
A firm favorite of 17th and 18th century French pirates, the compactness and widespread shot of the blunderbuss made them an ideal boarding weapon, and the funnel-shaped barrel made for quick and easy reloading in the heat of shipboard encounters. This full size museum quality French Flintlock Blunderbuss measures 10 1/2" in length and weighs in at 1.2 lbs. This deluxe non-firing model has been faithfully reproduced and has the same look, feel, and handling characteristic of the rare and expensive original. This handsome flintlock blunderbuss pistol features a flared cup on the end of the heavily engraved barrel, and a stock that is highly polished which features a short squared off butt-stock. The action works! Adjust the strike-plate, cock the hammer, pull the trigger and the hammer releases. Comes fully assembled and ready for display in your home or office. Available in both Gray (FP10103 above) or Brass finish (FP10101).
Note: You must 18 years of age or older to purchase this pistol. These handsome collector model guns are made of antique finished zinc cast metal alloys and durable polished hardwood. The screw heads are molded into the metal and cannot be removed. These models cannot withstand misuse or excessive dry-firing. Cannot be made to fire real ammunition.
FLINTLOCK BLUNDERBUSS - THE PIRATE'S "ONE MAN CANNON"
This short-barreled, large bore flintlock gun was known as a "blunderbuss" from the old Dutch words doner (thunder) and bus (gun). This muzzle-loading firearm with a flared, trumpet-like barrel and was the predecessor to the shotgun. Most of these weapons were mid-sized, being smaller than most shoulder-fired arms, but larger than a pistol. Although fitted with a butt, the dimensions suggest that most were not really intended to be fired from the shoulder and were instead fired from the hip. The compact dimensions of a blunderbuss would facilitate use in small spaces (e.g. on a ship, or in a house) and would also make storage easier. For those requiring an even smaller weapon, blunderbuss pistols were also produced.
The funnel-shaped barrel (either round or elliptical) is not designed to enhance the ballistics of the weapon, but serves to facilitate loading ammunition into the muzzle. This makes it much easier to refill a blunderbuss with shot in situations where this would not normally be possible (as when riding shotgun on a stagecoach speeding down a bumpy road or on the decks & riggings of a ship). While there is no physical reason that a blunderbuss cannot fire projectiles such as gravel or nails instead of lead shot (as is often claimed) this would be a foolhardy action as it would result in the barrel's ruin. Blunderbusses were often supplied with gang-moulds by their manufacturers, allowing the user to make his own shot in the field.
A blunderbuss can fire multiple balls simultaneously, and generally discharges its entire load at once. This made the blunderbuss the ideal weapon for boarding ships. This muzzle loading 'thunder gun' was like a shotgun with the firepower of a one-person cannon.
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