doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Another one has been found.

And hunting a lot of ducks!

JC

"Hunting" might be stretching it a bit. These were heavy, boat mounted guns, with a single barrel and a hinged breech and lanyard.
"Shooting", maybe.


Best,
Ted

I'm not so sure I agree with that sentiment, Ted. Of course 'market hunting' is out of style today, but in the time these punt guns were being used, market shooting waterfowl was no less an accepted waterman's living, occupation, and sport than oyster gathering today. I understand punt gunning is still an accepted sport on the English coast today. I have a hard enough time aiming a shotgun; imagine having to aim a boat!

My guess is that sculling a sneak boat through cold rough water trying to 'sneak' a raft of Cans on the Chesapeake in Winter was all the "sport" anyone with sound mind might ever want to try. Not acceptable today, but if BP's lost oil ends up ruining the Gulf coast oysterbeds, 'a dozen on the half-shell' might become a thing of the past also; individual opinions can differ without either opinion being necessarily correct...Geo

Market hunting with and without punt guns was never excepted as a sport in the south....the Reel Foot lake wars, the Arkansas battles between the market hunters and the "sports".....hunting lodges that were burnt to the ground by the market hunters. Market hunters is the reason we can't shoot the old 8 gauges.

There was no romance in being a market hunter as some would like you to believe. It was just a lazy disrespectful way to make a living.

What's disrespectful about working to put bread on the table?

As a boy, I lived among old market hunters. They fished for a subsistence living and hunted when their boats were hauled out in the fall. They were conscientious about retrieving cripples and didn't sky-blast as so many "sports" do today. They sold ducks dressed for $2 a pair.

None I knew was lazy. It was a pleasure to be in their company after they went straight.

jOe, I suspect that your poor opinion on the 'Market Hunters of Old' is a local prejudice. Local histories are all different, and we all tend to let the opinions handed down to us govern our own opinions. I grew up believing fire in the forest was a terrible thing due to the 'Smokey Bear' propaganda of the Forest Service. Now I know that at least in the Southern forest, its a good and necessary tool.

King's 1st hand experience with the Nova Scotian market hunters he knew gowing up and the impression I have from my reading such as "Outlaw Gunner" , as well as Michener's historical novel of the area around the Chesapeake have
doubless influenced King's and my own opinions on the subject. Clearly the experience in your area was different.

Glad you posted your opinion though; I was afraid your posts running down 'Market Hunters' was just about your online feud with Destry! Opinions differ, but I see no dishonor in doing a job which was perfectly legal at the time to feed one's family...Geo

I was just making the point that the cataloged punt guns weren't the sliding breech doubles on steroids.
They almost look like naval artillary. Nobody was going to shoulder one, or, remark about how well balanced they were.

Best,
Ted

Another rare bird:

http://www.gunsinternational.com/Bruchet-Darne-12-GA-Slug-Gun.cfm?gun_id=100150131


One of two in the US that I know of. The former importer brought this one in, and I brought the other, an R11, built to take big game with slugs and birds with shot.

If you can only have one shotgun, (perish THAT thought) these do it all.

Best,
Ted

Very tempting!

Even though it is marked "Bruchet", that gun is pretty much engraved at the R17 level. It would cost a bundle to duplicate it today.


Best,
Ted