Let's keep the record straight........
1) There probably was one or two guns like that in the history of the world. Guns that were cut down because the barrel had a flaw or got worn out at the barrel.
Sorry but here in the west original short barreled cut down fusils and/or rifles (Chief Joseph carried a 29" barreled Leman as late as the 1870's) even today exist in several western museums and private collections in far more numbers than one or two.
As to why they were built: most of it is speculation - partly due to blown barrels, but considering the fact that there are hundreds of hide scrapers made from barrel pieces it may have to do as mmuch with keeping up with the Joneses - i.e. "mother" demanding "pa" cut down his barrel so she can have a metal scraper like the rest of the girls - not so far fetched when one understands the importance of the buffalo robe trade from the 1820's on. Secondly such guns were and are very handy when used for running buffalo on horseback, which was the preferred method to hunt them from at least the 1820's until the late 1860's - it's the method used by Buffalo Bill when he garnered that name and that method is very well documented if you take the time to do the research.
3) Some manufacturer's are making "canoe guns" or "blanket guns" because there are people that will pay money for them.
The same reason makers build Brown Besses, fowlers, Pa/Ky rifles, etc. and while the names "canoe or blanket" gun are a marketing tool and not "period" that does not make the guns being built so.........and it seems it's those name inparticular that gets folks knickers in a knot even more so than their perceived notion of the "uselessness" of such guns whether they have any experience with them or not........
4) Probably not historically accurate in the sense that there doesn't seem to be anything written about them until the 1990's
With all due respect you need to broaden your reading base - short barreled fusils and later rifles were written about long before the 1990's albeit not referred to by the canoe or blanket gun name - the canoe gun name admittedly being a sales term coined IIRC by Curley Gostomski. Such short barreled guns also appear in pre-1900 artwork, including later period stuff by Charlie Russell since they were still being used at that time, the 1880-1890's, by the Metis to hunt with.
For some reason it seems that when ever this topic arises some folks (easterners and/or 18th century types especially) seem to get a kick out of showing some form of disdain for a type of gun (and no it was not manufatured as such, but so what?) that can be documented as to being quite widely used in the west and was in fact an important part of the history out here. IMO if you're not interested in a subject why does it behoove one to make rude comments to those that are interested in bonafide history?? - a history that did not stop in the 1700's and east of the Mississippi........
rant off...... :hmm:
