I've read these posts and still think that the terms canoe and blanket gun are modern in origin and that while severely shortened guns were to be seen on occasion they wre aberrations.Guns used on coaches for protection against highwaymen were more likely blunderbusses which were the early equivalent of modern riot guns made from sawed off shotguns.I imagine they were pretty effective {as suggested by Cherokee regarding sawed off guns}up to about 30-40 feet with most usage probably occurring within 20 feet.There is, however,illustrated in "The Northwest Gun" by Charles H. Hansen Jr.,P.64 a Leman flintlock trade gun with the butt cut off where the comb meets the wrist and the barrel shortened to somewhere back of the rear entry pipe. Hansen refers to it as an "Indian pistol" but it could have been intended for hunting or combat from horseback.There were a number of 19th century trade guns with barrels in shorter lengths than earlier guns."In 1828 the Astor Company placed the following order was placed with J.Joseph Henry of the Boulton Gunworks,Nazareth,Pennsylvania:
90 Northwest guns 2 feet 6 inch Barrels [30 in.]
30 Northwest guns 2 feet 9 inch Barrels [33 in ]
200 Northwest guns 3 feet 0 inch Barrels [36 in.]
260 Northwest guns 3 feet 6 inch barrels [42 in.]
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580" Cite taken from PP.23-25,"The Northwest Gun"
A number of these maker shortened barreled guns are shown and perhaps form the basis for modern shortened barrels but they seem to be more common in the 19th century although there were shorter barrels quite early, "A list of standard trade goods published by The Hudson's Bay Company in 1748 included:"Guns,4 foot...3 1/2 foot...3 foot...","The Northwest Gun" PP.12-13.As I said earlier,other than manufacturer shortened barrels, I believe that the severely shortened guns{especially in the 18th century}were aberrations and that the terms canoe and blanket guns are modern fantasy terms designed to enaable modern makers to sell "unique" guns not rooted in fact.Now fire away.
Tom Patton :imo:
eace:
