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

Just got home from an Antiques Roadshow taping in Phoenix. While I was there this flintlock punt gun walked in. The length is 112" and the bore size looked to be about 2". The gun isn't marked in any way and the weight is well; very heavy!. The owner believed the gun came from Europe. The Roadshow "experts" wern't able to tell the owner much about it so I told him I'd see what we could do.
Please excuse the pictures as they were shot as best we could do with a phone camera.
Jim

Jim, What is on the end of the buttstock? It looks like a crude recoil pad, but certainly this was not shoulder fired. I know very little about punt guns. The bore size and crude construction makes me wonder how many of these came apart at the seams upon firing. Is the barrel Damascus or skelp welded tube? Keith

I just received Gavin Gardiner's catalogue for the Gleneagles Sotheby's auction for 24 August. Pages 84 & 85 shows "a rare Holland & Holland 1 1/2 inch bore London Pattern Breech-Loading Punt Gun, No. 6373" It sports a 106 inch barrel black powder proofed for 4 ounces of punt powder and 12 ounces of shot. It was delivered from H&H on Christmas Eve 1880. It originally had a swivel mount but now is mounted on trunions like the cannon that it is. Estimate 10,000-15,000 GBP.Check it out at http://www.gavingardiner.com

Thought this might be interesting......George

Looks too big to hang in a Cracker Barrel restaurant.

The reason for the shape of the butt stock and the leather on it is that it fitted in to a recepticle in the punt. I've seen them in percussion design before, but this is the first flinter. will have to look in puter files as there is a webb from the UK on punt guns.

Manufrance



Darne


Pieper


Pete

No foredeck should be without one!

In the brochure for the yacht model, I love “Unfortunately for the followers of the sport, there are fewer and fewer pirates on the open seas; these people are daring but not reckless.”
Rs
K.

I don't know why they's say it's european unless there happen to be proof marks. Lots of blacksmith manufactured punt guns made right here in the US. Mine is a percussion converted from flint, you can see where the touch hole has been filled in. Cool gun, I'd like to see it in person. I'd say a really early one too, I doubt anybody would have built a flintlock when percussion was available, particularly for a fowling piece.



Destry

The lock design is similar to that of English long barrel Wild fowl guns circa 1650. On these very early guns, the steel and pan cover are combined. Records state that barrels on this type of gun measued 62 -69 1nches in length.

Thanks everyone for their comments. I'm playing catchup as I just returned from vacation. I will review whats been posted and pass it on to the owner.
To answer one question. The butt end has some sort of crude padding.
Any additional information would be appreciated?
Jim