Working on an 11 bore blunderbuss.

[Justin Urbantas]

Just got the tang and lock inlet in the stock.  It has steel furniture and a black walnut stock on it. It's going to be light and handy. It's a pretty fun project.

[Daryl]

Now THAT'S a Canoe Gun, Eh, Mikey.

[Dave Marsh]

I was thinking coach gun!!!   

[Craig Wilcox]

You are making a great job of it, Mike.  That is going to be a very lovely little blunderbuss for when the pirates approach your canoe.  Maybe you can steal a parrot from one of the pirates?
11-bore is what diameter?  About three-fourths of an inch??
And having seen your carving work, I do think you will dazzle all of us.

[Daryl]

11 bore- .751" - ball that size weighs 636.4gr. in pure lead.

[smallpatch]

Looks more like a pistol to me.  What is the barrel length?

[Joe S]

You're always doing something interesting Justin. That looks like a handy gun all right, but what is it handy for? Perhaps shooting bears - from the inside? Up there in your country, that's always a consideration.

What else are you doing this winter?

[smylee grouch]

Or you could use it to plant your garden or to spread fertilizer.

[Justin Urbantas]

It's got a 14 3/4" barrel. It's a useful for boarding pirate ships, riding shotgun on a mail coach, or checking on that bump in the night.  Hey Joe. After this one I'm building a 1810-1820 period 20 ga English half-stock fowler to sell, and then the one with 2 barrels for me, so I can hunt birds and moose. The wife went back to work in November, so I am busy being a full time stay at home dad to my little guy. I do get about 2 hours of building time a day during naps.

[Joe S]

Pretty baby! Congratulations Justin!

I think you should choke that 11 bore, and use it for a turkey gun. You could hide in a bush with it, and not have three or four feet of barrel sticking out. Plus, it doesn't weigh ten or eleven pounds, so much nicer for hauling around in the woods. A true stroke of genius!

[Craig Wilcox]

You and your family sure picked a lovely spot!
Very soon, you will have to build a small rifle or fowler for that jolly fellow sitting in your lap - kids grow faster than weeds!
I did get to hold my newest great-grandson a few weeks back.

[Hungry Horse]

As I have stated before in a post regarding cannons, “ they are idiot magnets”. The same holds true for blunderbusses. The only advantage to a blunderbuss is it is easier to hide than a cannon. I built one of each years ago, and now own neither of them. I loved them both, although neither was of much use, other than decoration. I think they tap into those memories of the old cartoons with Elmer Fud, Bugs Bunny, and Daffy Duck, and make some folk want to emulate those scenarios. Good Luck.

  Hungry Horse

[stubshaft]

I built one years ago from a DGW kit with instructions from a book by Tommy Bish.  It was great for plinking and general @$#%&*@ around.  I loaded it with a handful of powder (50 - 75 grs.) newspaper wadding and anything I could put down the bore, from rocks, lead shot, buckshot to empty .22 cases. 

[Daryl]

Great picture, Justin. Interesting gun.

[Justin Urbantas]

Thanks guys. I already have a few bits for his first gun. I have a Stevens .410 barrel that I cut off the chamber end and breeched for a plug, and a kid sized fowler buttplate and trigger guard. I neef to find a Chamber's Queen Anne pistol lock, and build him a tiny fowler for grouse/ rabbits etc... Maybe when he's 7 or 8. Don't worry Hungry Horse. I won't be loading any rocks or nails into it. It's short, so it will be treated as a pistol would.

[Hungry Horse]

Justin;
 I built my son a miniature trade gun when he was about five, or six, from an old .410 barrel that I added the flats, and the wedding rings to. It was cute as a bug, and shot amazingly well for its size. But, he outgrew it in like a year and a half. So, my advice would be to either build it a little large for the kids  current needs, and let them grow into it.
 I still have the little tradegun just because it so cute hanging on the wall, and the kid has no interest in it.

  Hungry Horse