doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Flintlock Punt Gun

They were shot usually placed with the butt against a bag of hay but there were other systems for absorbing the massive recoil. The padding on the butt is just part of taking the push out of the gun. If they weren't padded correctly they'd rip up the boat and the owner. There were lots of punt gunners killed or badly injured when their guns broke loose.


Destry

Go to UTube and type in "Redneck Shotgun" and see a real punt gun go off. Guy shooting clays is the lead in. Punt gun takes out a 4X8 wall of claybirds. Takes two guys to carry it. No, Market Hunter, it's not for sale. Randy

I've seen that video, it's interesting for sure.

I've got one, and one is enough when it comes to punt guns.

DLH

Several punt guns were sold by auction on July 29 2009 by Bonhams, London. Lots 122,A 7 Bore Percussion punt gun,with 60 inch barrel, sold for 264 pounds.Lot 123 A 2 bore percussion punt gun with 75 1/2 inch barrel sold for 720 pounds. The basic design features/ profile of these guns is very similar to the Flint lock gun pictured in this post. These guns were the property of the late; Squadron Leader Michael Townsend, who according to the catalogue, was a keen wildfowler and punt gunner.
The book,"Letters To Young Shooters",Third series, by Sir R. Payne-Gallwey,contains a detailed treaties on the punt gun, entitled, Stanchion-Gun Shooting.

That seems cheap by American standards, I've seen punt guns sell for a lot more than that here just as a collectible curiosity piece. I didn't see the pictures of those guns but maybe they were nothing special. A 7 bore isn't too exciting, I've fired larger shoulder guns, to me a 2 bore is a minimum size to be a true punt gun.

Destry

There is an excellent wildfowling (private) forum based here in the UK (http://www.wildfowling.co.uk/forum/) which has several folk on there who are keen punt-gunners and may be able to help. I think Destry may currently be a member? The number of regular punt gunners now on the UK's coastline must be regrettably down to single figures...great shame.

The punt guns mentioned in my earlier post, were based on the catalogue pictures, in a far superior condition to the flintlock currently under review.
These guns formed part of Sqd; Ldr, Townsend,s collection,of punt guns and wildfowling gear. Other guns sold in this auction included, lot 125, A 1 1/4 bore double-barrelled, breech loading punt gun by Townsend and Owen,in shooting order. This gun sold for 5,520 pounds. A fine 4,bore breech loading hammer wildfowling gun by F.Gates, from the same collection sold for 16,800 pounds. This is a great catalogue for reference purposes. collections of this type are seldom seen at auction.

Quote:
"The punt guns mentioned in my earlier post, were based on the catalogue pictures, in a far superior condition to the flintlock currently under review"

This assessment of the punt gun under discussion is accurate and,again,I appologise for the quality of the pictures. This gun IMO was somewhat crude and in marginal condition.
Jim