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The dreaded blanket gun
- Thread starter bezoar
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tom hargrove
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:shocked2: :shake: is the words clean quick kills something you assoceiate, with a 12-16"bbl and cut down stock smoothbore at 50yrds. :winking:
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the ballistics of this design would dictate that the range be nearly point blank for the system to do you any good.
'blanket guns' as i understand, were more or less a weapon of last resort- better than a knife, but not too great at any sort of distance.
i'd be hesitant to try for a whitetail with any smoothbore less than thirtysix inches long at a range of more than forty or fifty yards (but i've got 'old eyes'). having said that, i'd leave the blanket gun under the blanket for emergencies (the charging bear) and keep the regular rifle for regular hunting.
those frontier guys had it nail in one: the right tool for the right job.
'blanket guns' as i understand, were more or less a weapon of last resort- better than a knife, but not too great at any sort of distance.
i'd be hesitant to try for a whitetail with any smoothbore less than thirtysix inches long at a range of more than forty or fifty yards (but i've got 'old eyes'). having said that, i'd leave the blanket gun under the blanket for emergencies (the charging bear) and keep the regular rifle for regular hunting.
those frontier guys had it nail in one: the right tool for the right job.
Most accounts of them are from the capture of Fort Michilimacinac when the original guns were cut down to make them concealable. After the capture of the fort, you don't hear much of them except for some mention of short smootbores used by buffalo hunters at very close ranges.
paulvallandigham
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Its not whether the round ball can hit a target at 50 yds, but whether you can hold the gun and fire it while keeping the front sight on target that is in issue with a " blanket gun "
Does the term, " sawed off shotgun " mean anything to you? This was one of the first examples of guns being cut down at both the barrel, and stock, so that they could be easily concealed. It becomes a point and shoot weapon, and not a firearm that is aimed.
50 yards would definitely be a long shot for most shooters, and getting any kind of consistent groups with such a gun would be almost impossible without a buttstock long enough to mount to your shoulder. You also need to check with local state firearms and game code laws to see if such a short barrel gun is even legal to use to hunt any game. I know the Illinois had a minimum length requirement for barrels on ML rifles, or smoothbores, as well as a minimum caliber. Other states often have similar restrictions.
Does the term, " sawed off shotgun " mean anything to you? This was one of the first examples of guns being cut down at both the barrel, and stock, so that they could be easily concealed. It becomes a point and shoot weapon, and not a firearm that is aimed.
50 yards would definitely be a long shot for most shooters, and getting any kind of consistent groups with such a gun would be almost impossible without a buttstock long enough to mount to your shoulder. You also need to check with local state firearms and game code laws to see if such a short barrel gun is even legal to use to hunt any game. I know the Illinois had a minimum length requirement for barrels on ML rifles, or smoothbores, as well as a minimum caliber. Other states often have similar restrictions.
Bountyhunter
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The buffalo runners did use some short guns, there are a couple in the local museum that are said to be from that era, but they are rifled and percussion. From what accounts that I have read, the blanket guns were used as short range weapons more for other people than for animals. I read one account, and it may have been from some of the L & C journals of where they even loaded some with shingle nails. I would propose that they were more often loaded with shot, chatrock, broken glass or shingle nails than they were with PRB.
Why hell! You guys are talking about one of those short little things the Indians hid under their blankets while they moseyed around the Forts!
I bet he's talking about a real Blanket Gun!!
You know, that percussion .45 that was built by a pre-teenager with a pocket knife and then loaned to his mom's half brother (read In-Law) who left it behind the front seat of his pickup truck after test firing it. It was donated as a "blanket prize" by someone who wants to remain anonymous.
:rotf: :grin:
zonie
I bet he's talking about a real Blanket Gun!!
You know, that percussion .45 that was built by a pre-teenager with a pocket knife and then loaned to his mom's half brother (read In-Law) who left it behind the front seat of his pickup truck after test firing it. It was donated as a "blanket prize" by someone who wants to remain anonymous.
:rotf: :grin:
zonie
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