An English flintlock blunderbuss
The
blunderbuss is a
muzzle-loading firearm with a short, large
caliber barrel, which is flared at the
muzzle, and used with
shot. The blunderbuss is an early form of
shotgun adapted to military and defensive use.
[, entry for Blunderbuss] The term
dragon was used to describe a blunderbuss in
handgun form, and it is from this that the term
dragoon evolved.
Etymology
thumb|A Tippu Sultan in
Seringapatam, 1793-94. Tippu Sultan used many Western craftsmen, and this gun reflects the most up-to-date technologies of the time./" class="wiki">flintlock blunderbuss, built for
Tippu Sultan in
Seringapatam, 1793-94. Tippu Sultan used many Western craftsmen, and this gun reflects the most up-to-date technologies of the time.
The term
blunderbuss is of
Dutch origin, from the Dutch word
donderbus, which is a combination of
donder, meaning "thunder", and
bus, meaning "Pipe" (Middle Dutch:
busse, box, tube, from
Late Latin,
buxis, box).
The transition from
donder to
blunder is thought by some to be deliberate; the term
blunder was originally used in a
transitive sense, synonymous with
to confuse, and this is thought to describe the stunningly loud report of the large bore, short barreled blunderbuss.
The term
dragon is taken from the fact that early versions were decorated with a carving in the form of a mythical
dragon's head around the muzzle; the
muzzle blast would then give the impression of a fire breathing dragon.
Construction
The blunderbuss was an early form of
shotgun, and served in similar roles. While various ancient accounts often list the blunderbuss as being loaded with various scrap
iron or rocks, this would result in damage to the bore of the gun; it was typically loaded with a number of lead balls smaller than the bore diameter. Barrels could be made of
steel or
brass. The muzzle was flared not to increase the spread of the shot, but rather to funnel powder and shot into the weapon, making it easier to reload on horseback or on a moving carriage. The flared muzzle is the defining feature of the blunderbuss, differentiating it from large caliber
carbines; the distinction between the blunderbuss and the
musketoon is less distinct, as musketoons were also used with shot, and some had flared barrels.
Blunderbuss were typically very short, with barrels under two feet (60 cm) in length, at a time when a typical musket barrel was over three feet (90 cm) long.
[, page 324, from a letter dated March 7, 1778] One source, describing arms from the early to middle 17th century, lists the barrel length of a
wheel lock dragon is around eleven inches (28 cm), compared to a sixteen inch (41 cm) length for a blunderbuss.
Use
A pair of early blunderbuss pistols from Poland fitted with the
miquelet lockThe blunderbuss, and especially the shorter dragon, was typically issued to troops such as
cavalry, who needed a lightweight, easily handled firearm.
The dragon became so associated with cavalry and mounted infantry that the term
dragoon became synonymous with mounted infantry. 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, and its use for urban combat was also recognized.
The blunderbuss used by the British mail service during the period of 1788–1816 was a
flintlock with a 14 inch long flared
brass barrel, brass trigger guard, and iron trigger and lock. A typical British mail coach would have a single postal employee on board to guard the mail from
highwaymen, armed with a blunderbuss and a pair of
pistols. One 18th century
coaching blunderbuss in another British collection had a brass barrel 17 inches long, flaring to 2 inches at the muzzle; it was also provided with a spring-loaded
bayonet which was held along the barrel by a catch, and would spring forward into place when released.
While the blunderbuss is often associated with the
Pilgrims, evidence suggests that the blunderbuss was relatively scarce in the American colonies. After the
Battle of Lexington, British General
Thomas Gage occupied
Boston, Massachusetts. After negotiating with the town committee, Gage agreed to let the inhabitants of Boston leave town with their families and effects, if they surrendered all arms. While most of the residents of Boston stayed, those who left under the agreement surrendered 1778 firearms, 634 pistols, 273 bayonets, and only 38 blunderbusses. The blunderbuss did still have its civilian applications, however; the
Lewis and Clark Expedition carried a number of blunderbusses, some of which were mounted and used as small
swivel guns on the
pirogues.
An 1808 Harper's Ferry blunderbuss, carried on the Lewis and Clark Expedition
By the middle 19th century, the blunderbuss was considered obsolete. The blunderbuss was replaced in military use by the
carbine, though the latter was considered by some to be a poor replacement (the carbine in use by the British during the
Crimean War was lampooned in
Punch magazine as being able, in the hands of a good shot, to "hit a hayrick at 80 yards", though it still found use with civilians as a defensive firearm.
See also
