Punt guns

[B.Habermehl]

Did any one watch the segment on Bill Engvalls Country Fried Videos Friday night? A fellow shot one that was about 4 bore (my guess). I think the gun was a well done repro as the condition it was in was too nice to be otherwise. The recoil pushed the punt rearward a good ways. The shot charge devestated a 1/2 sheet of plywood covered with clay pigeons. I think only 1 or 2 two clay birds survived. Then they shot a battery gun with I think 6 barrels. Way cool.

 

[Jumpshot]

Is it this one?
[url] http://youtube.com/watch?v=n7FeeamC4qk[/url]

 

[oneeye]

That was WILD!!! :surrender: :surrender:

Dan

 

[B.Habermehl]

Being on Dial up I don't have the patience for video to download and work. But from what little I saw I sure fits the daffynition :wink:

 

[aloyalistdawg]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
WOW I watched the balloon shot... awesome to say the least!!!! Cheers and thanks for the clip... WOW watch it guys simply awesome...
My best regards a loyalist dawg :hatsoff:

 

[faw3]

What was the org use of these? I ask because I wa reading a sniper book laying here about 5 am and maybe 1/2 asleep about along with other things it was to take out cannon crews,snipers,the other sides top guy if he showed his self to close, ect that no rifle at the time could reach out for ( a few 100 yards 300 or better.) Just was wondering if I read it right. FRED :hatsoff:

 

[Mike Brooks]

Punts were used to kill waterfowl sitting on the water.

 

[faw3]

Ya I was sure of that but some history of book was stuck in this box of stuff I wa going thru to throw away and I just ent thru it fast and thought I read the punt gun was first used as a long range clan up gun. easy to mess up that time of mornning. :redface: or it was wrong :redface: :redface: :grin: Fred :hatsoff:

 

[Joel/Calgary]

Actually, things get a little more interesting. Besides punt guns, there were "bank guns" that were used to flock-shoot waterfowl from the shore, resting the gun on the river bank or foreshore dune. Not too big or heavy to carry around, in the range of 4-bore to 1-bore or so, the smaller ones could be fired standing with somewhat reduced charges.

Then there's the military equivalent of the bank gun called a "wall gun" or amusette(sp?), and probably some other names I cannot recall right now. Many had a pintle for a swivel mounting on a wall or a light carriage or other field mounting, but most could be fired just rested on a wall or a log. Rifled ones were the original Barret "light .50", but even the smoothbores were accurate enough with ball for moderate-range sniping, counter-battery, and H&I use, and the smoothbores could be vicious at closer range loaded with a handfull of musket or pistol balls or buckshot.

I don't know what you were reading, but I could see a civilian bank gun doing double duty very easily.

Joel

 

[Joel/Calgary]

FOUND THEM! Squire Robin has a wall gun (.96" - 4-bore?) and has a couple of videos of folks shooting it - see the thread: [url] http://www.muzzleloadingforum....php?tid/209492/point/16_209501/post/new/#NEW[/url]
or go to the videos directly :[url] http://www.robinhewitt.net/wallpin.wmv[/url] [url] http://www.robinhewitt.net/bizzers2.wmv[/url]

Plus he has another video of him shooting at a clay bird with it:[url] http://www.robinhewitt.net/wallclay.wmv[/url]

On the MLAGB board. Robin said the load was 5 oz of UK#8 over 10 drams (237gr), and the trugger pull is unmodified at 28lbs (note the 2-finger pull).

Plus I found another name for a wall-gun - rampart gun.

Joel

 

[tom deinek]

I'm just lurking here -- I requent the flintolck forum.

Do y'all call the firearm itself a "punt"? I've always used that word for the shallow, canoe-like boat in which those old duck guns were used by commercial hunters. In my experience, the gun is just a gun, although made for use in a punt.

Does, "punt" refer to both the gun and/or also the boat?

Words are a kind of hobby of mine. TIA

 

[Coot]

I'm just lurking here -- I requent the flintolck forum.

Do y'all call the firearm itself a "punt"? I've always used that word for the shallow, canoe-like boat in which those old duck guns were used by commercial hunters. In my experience, the gun is just a gun, although made for use in a punt.

Does, "punt" refer to both the gun and/or also the boat?

Words are a kind of hobby of mine. TIA

The boat typically used was a 'Punt' (refers to a type of small, flat bottom boat). The gun is referred to as a 'Punt gun' as it was used (all but exclusively) in that or very similar type of boat.
You can find references and photos in books on decoys or in (harder to find) stories about 'market gunning' (shooting wild waterfowl to sell to restaurants).

 

[paulvallandigham]

On the punts, an oar lock brackes was often fixed either to the bow, or the transom, so that the barrel was mounted on the bow, and the oars used to point the gun at swimming flocks of geese and ducks. Punt guns were not fired from the shoulder, as they were too long, and weighed to much to be able to lift and control for that purpose. Both the gun and the boats were called " punts ".

 

[Many Klatch]

There are some interesting old books written by Punt Gunners in England. One fellow didn't use oars much, he would use short sticks in the shallow water and basically walk the punt boat through mudflats to where he could get a shot. A lot of this stalking was done laying in the bottom of the punt, peeking over the gunnel and moving when the ducks weren't watching. Some shots took as many as 30 or 40 birds at once.

Many Klatch

 

[Croppy Boy]

Talking to a punt gunner over here, you have to watch the waves on the water. If you fire when the bow is on the crest of a wave, the shot will go high and likewise in the trough your shot will go low. A hang fire could really mess things up.

 

[Wes/Tex]

My favorite "punt gun" story concerns the use of a double barreled gun by one of the nimrods in Louisiana. Beaudreaux had one side fitted with a percussion lock, the other with a flintlock. Wired both triggers together and had the beast pointed out the bow of his piroux ("punt" in Cajun :rotf. Anyway, the boat was poled through the cattails till the muzzles pointed in the clear and yank that cord! Percussion goes BOOM!, stern of piroux pushes back and down which raises the bow, flintlock side finally goes BOOM! and gets all those that got off the water. Beaudreaux did good till the Louisiana Game Wardens caught him at it!! (Names have been changed to protect the guilty!)

 

[Story]

Found some interesting videos and updates on these guns, figured I'd share them.

Punt Gun demonstration at Ballywalter Game Fair, April 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9r_ZckAmkc

Punt Gunner Andy said: "The punt was made in Coleraine and has seen action on Lough Foyle and Larne Lough. The gun itself is Suffolk made by famed maker Alan Owens, with a barrel 99 inches long, weighing 108 pounds, so it's no easy task manoeuvring it. I managed to buy it around four years ago and using it is simply like stepping back in time. There's a charge of 3 3/4 ounces of coarse black powder to be rammed into the gun by hand, along with the wads to fire the pound and a quarter of shot. And that's a big bang believe me!
http://www.ballywaltergamefair.com/attractions.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/gallery/kentucky/2007/02/13-foot-long-shotgun

 

[Rifleman1776]

What was the org use of these?

In the days before regrigeration they were used by market hunters who sold the birds to shops and restaurants. There was no thought, or concern, for the flocks sustaining themselves. The punt guns were used for commercial purposes, not sport.

Yes, Robin has several interesting guns. From the big 'uns to, at least one, very small (about .40 cal.) fowler he brought here when he came to hunt with me and some other ml friends. BTW, he is as interesting as his guns. :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Yep. Take out a flock of ducks or geese on the water and then paddle out and fill the punt. Even after it became illegal for market or general hunting they were used to fill the salted meat barrel for the family.