Punt guns

[Ike85123]

My local museum has a 2 gauge punt gun. It is massive, atleast 12long with a bipod and ground plate like a motar. But interestingly , there is a picture of a man with a shoulder fired model .
I searched onlinr and found info on 1 and 2 gauge punt guns. None of the articles stated the recoil. Does anyone have any knowledge of these bird guns? Recoil numbers would be interesting. This post is just for curiosity and fun.

 

[BourbonTrail]

In St. Michael’s, Maryland, there is a Chesapeake Bay museum. They had an entire section devoted to waterfowling (and punt guns). The punt guns were more like artillery or mortars than shoulder fired weapons. Recoil wasn’t really discussed, only the weight.

The ones they had were said to put 1-2 POUNDS of shot in the air, and take out an entire flock in a single shot. Granted, this was back in the market hunting days.

They also had deck mount gun batteries on display. Very interesting exhibit.

 

[BeeMaa]

The ones I'd seen before looked like this. All barrels fired at the same time and the "hunter" would scoop up the ducks for market sale.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Isn't that a Battleship in the Cajun Navy?

 

[Ike85123]

The ones I'd seen before looked like this. All barrels fired at the same time and the "hunter" would scoop up the ducks for market sale.
View attachment 400304

That is crazy ! Looks like a mini battleship ! Very cool !

 

[Red Leg]

Punt guns were used in small boats (punts - hence the gun's name) and fired across the bow at floating flocks of ducks. They were not fired at flying birds. The shooter typically sculled the boat with a single oar, occasionally two while stretched out behind or next to the gun.

I am sure one of our British friends will chime in shortly. They were until recently, and may still be legal for waterfowl in the UK.

 

[Deleted member 53080]

Saw this video the other day

 

[Ike85123]

Saw this video the other day

Very cool !

 

[Ike85123]

Punt guns were used in small boats (punts - hence the gun's name) and fired across the bow at floating flocks of ducks. They were not fired at flying birds. The shooter typically sculled the boat with a single oar, occasionally two while stretched out behind or next to the gun.

View attachment 400308

I am sure one of our British friends will chime in shortly. They were until recently, and may still be legal for waterfowl in the UK.

The pics at our museum just showed soldiers from the old west days and miners in arizona. I just assumed they also used them for flying birds, since we don't have much water here. Interesting history!

 

[Biddleman]

They would load the punt guns with bolts, sections of chain, etc.. anything for shot. Very popular with Chesapeake waterfowlers back in the day hunting ducks for restaurant industry.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Very cool !

+1!

 

[WAB]

My friends uncle was a punt gunner in Norfolk. His gun ended up in a museum somewhere in the UK. Very interesting work and not for the faint of heart in those tidal areas. More than one gunner met his end in those estuaries.

 

[Nevada Mike]

Recoil of these guns was dealt with by passing a loop of rope around the gun and the bow piece of the punt or gunning boat.

There is an excellent book on early market gunning by Harry Walsh - The Outlaw Gunner from Tidewater Publishers - 1971. It covers market gunning, decoys - artificicial and live - boats, rigs, guns and personalities. A good read.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Recoil of these guns was dealt with by passing a loop of rope around the gun and the bow piece of the punt or gunning boat.

There is an excellent book on early market gunning by Harry Walsh - The Outlaw Gunner from Tidewater Publishers - 1971. It covers market gunning, decoys - artificicial and live - boats, rigs, guns and personalities. A good read.

It was the "Wild West" (or East ) back then. No regulations, bag limits, etc. We're lucky all the waterfowl didn't succumb to the same demise as the passenger pigeon.

 

[Sarg]

I was out in the Weekend with my 8 Bore underlever Tolley using BP load 2 1/2oz of 3s & 168gr BP.

Not a Punt-gun but same time period !

 

[CoElkHunter]

I was out in the Weekend with my 8 Bore underlever Tolley using BP load 2 1/2oz of 3s & 168gr BP.

View attachment 400323


View attachment 400325

Not a Punt-gun but same time period !

Very cool! I like the cork decoy.

 

[Tubby’s Canteen]

There is a small collection of locally made punt guns in the Yarmouth museum , however they were breech loaders that more closely resembled artillery pieces than conventional shotguns. If memory serves I believe that style was cast in Lunenburg foundry.

one other part of the exhibit I found interesting was the recipe and process of brining birds in barrels for transport and sale.

 

[CoElkHunter]

There is a small collection of locally made punt guns in the Yarmouth museum , however they were breech loaders that more closely resembled artillery pieces than conventional shotguns. If memory serves I believe that style was cast in Lunenburg foundry.

one other part of the exhibit I found interesting was the recipe and process of brining birds in barrels for transport and sale.

They sent the waterfowl and passenger pigeons (as squab) to fine restaurants in New York and other large cities. The big city bastards' voracious appetites almost destroyed the waterfowl populations and the passenger pigeon is now extinct. Now their appetites for free money (stimulus') are fixing to destroy our economy! Rant over.

 

[Cam Moon]

I was out in the Weekend with my 8 Bore underlever Tolley using BP load 2 1/2oz of 3s & 168gr BP.

View attachment 400323


View attachment 400325

Not a Punt-gun but same time period !

That's a beauty!

 

[Deleted member 53080]

That's a beauty!

+1