Short rifles & blunderbusses

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PhDBrewer

Buckskin Baxter
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My understanding that many blunderbusses were for use from horseback or carriage. Having the flared muzzle making them easier to load. However, I have seen a few that are straight barreled, not flared. were these "short" rifles a different type of horse waffen? Some of them are rifled so that would be a reason not to have a flared barrel.
As seen in the image below, these "rifles" are shorter than the "horse pistol.
William

20230619_094623.jpg
20230619_094555.jpg
 
Fancy hunting rifle for rich kids? I know very short rifles were used for hunting boar from horses in Eastern Europe ( I think) I can envision a young prince around 8 or 10 years old blasting away with a gun this size….
 
Fancy hunting rifle for rich kids?
Possible. Interesting to note that the 2 bottom shorties are brass barreled and have brass lock plates.
Might just be made for children who grow out of the "shortie" before the brass plate lock wears out!
However, the stock decorations are also quite impressive!
 
If I was hunting in Northern Europe in winter, I might be wearing a heavy enough coat with layers underneath to make a short stocked gun like these fit my shoulder more comfortably. And I think people were a bit smaller back then.
 

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