The Punt Gunner

[Feltwad]

The punt gunner of the Victorian and Edwarding period  here in the UK used a big bore gun with a barrel up to 10 feet in length and a bore size as large as 1/1/2 inches.These big guns were fastened to a flat bottom boat called a punt ,they were secured by a rope fastened around the front of the boat and returned around the butt of the stock,some were secured by trunions which were cast into the side of the barrel simular to those on a cannon.The charge was coarse powder known as punt powder and a shot charge off 1.1/2 lbs of BB or LG for geese, swans and ducks and 5 or 4 for small waders.they used these guns on the ings or fens and also in the estuaries.When these big guns were fired into a flock of sitting fowl the recoil would push the punt back for up to 12 yards.
These guns were tools of the trade from which these men made a living by selling what they shot at market,punt gunning is still carried out today here in the UK by a few hardy fowlers but not as a living more of a sport.
In the States they were known as market gunners.
I have enclosed a photo of these big guns which are part of my fowling collction
Feltwad

[Curt J]

Interesting subject, thanks for posting it. Such guns were also made and used here in the American Midwest, especially along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, which abounded with waterfowl. I know of a couple of them still owned by people in this area, both percussion and both dating from the mid-19th Century. Both are unmarked as to maker. There were some of these made on into the breech-loading era, usually 4 -gauge, using huge brass shells.

[Mike Brooks]

I really dig the one with the notch cut in the butt for the rope. very cool. Thanks for posting pics. I'd love to see some detailed pics of several of those, especially the larger ones.

[northmn]

I did a quick look but suspect that it was on the old site, someone had a video of one of things going of out of a punt.  Set the punt back a ways.

DP

[JTR]

Cool guns!
I want to shoot that big one in the center!

So I guess to shoot them, you aim the boat, then pull the trigger?

John

[T*O*F]

I guess to shoot them, you aim the boat, then pull the trigger?

I always wondered what the loading process was.
Beach punt with gun facing shore.
Crawl out of punt
Load gun with components left on shore.
Get back in punt
Scull to next raft of ducks and blooey.

Those punts were so close to the water, it seems it would be harder to get in and out of them than a canoe.

[Tim Crosby]

I really dig the one with the notch cut in the butt for the rope. very cool. Thanks for posting pics. I'd love to see some detailed pics of several of those, especially the larger ones.

Keep an eye out for a book called The Outlaw Gunner by Harry M. Walsh it a story about market hunters on the Chesapeake bay, the Outer Banks and the tide water areas of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, it has some pics of "Punt Guns", Also there are decoy shows around and they usually have one or two. I know I have seen them at the show at Easton Md and White Stone Va. I think the Mariners Museum in Newport News Va has some.

Tim C.

[ironwolf]

  Great post Feltwad.  The very first original longrifle I saw was a Chesapeake punt gun used in the Eider down trade. 

  Thanks again, Kevin

[Feltwad]

Well I will try and answer the questions Mike and JTR are interested in,  the two punt guns so I have enclosed another photo,note the ramrod at the front this is fitted with a loading scoop.
The method of loading when out punt shooting on the estuary was to make for a sand bar,but if that was not available the gun had to loaded in the punt.This is a skilled job first the ropes were untied then the gun was slid back to the stern with the muzzle slightly elevated and resting on the ammunition box the barrel bore was then cleaned with a dry piece of cloth,then taking the ramrod with the scoop fitted this was filled with the required charge then slid down the barrel to the breech ,it was then turn over to empty the charge,when this was acomplished the wading came next followed by the shot then a wad,the main wadding in the Victorian period was oakham


Also included are photos of a punt note the rope around the front of the boat .this is the type of punt used on the estuary.


Another front view of a punt

[Tim Crosby]

 Great pics, Thanks for posting them. Decoys, duck boats, and duck hunting are second in my heart only to flintlocks.

Tim C.

[mr. no gold]

Wow!!! What a great contribution. Thank you for letting us in on the arcane aspects of punt guns and market hunting. These long guns really stand out and there is no mistake in identification of same. I have only ever seen maybe one, but they used to be discussed with some reguarity. This has pretty much ceased and the guns have disappeared, so you have rendered a service here.
Dick

[doug]

     We have a percussion gun in the back room of the local museum and I had a chance to buy another from one of the local horsetraders but unfortunately I did not have the bucks at the time.  I also saw a breach loading gun for sale about 6 or 8 years ago for $2000.  It had heavy springs to absorb the recoil.

      In the Outlaw Gunner, there is a second type of gun shown which instead of being secured to the bow, the butt of the gun slid along a board down the center of the boat and the shooter apparently lay on top of the gun.  The sliding type of guns were also used in England although when I was there many years ago, the only guns that I saw were the kind secured to the bow of the boat.

cheers Doug

[Feltwad]

 

In the Outlaw Gunner, there is a second type of gun shown which instead of being secured to the bow, the butt of the gun slid along a board down the center of the boat and the shooter apparently lay on top of the gun.  The sliding type of guns were also used in England although when I was there many years ago, the only guns that I saw were the kind secured to the bow of the boat.

cheers Doug
placed missing quote tdg

I think Doug what you are refering too is  the Bootjack Recoil,this is a piece of wood,  elm was mostly used and measured 18 inches long and 11 inches wide at the base, and 6 to 7 inches at the neck,this was shaped to take the buttstock of the gun  ,the base of the board was angled so it would slide along  a flat board in the bottom of the punt . The two wings were reinforced with copper plate it was secured to the gun butt by a long bolt which passed through both wings and the buttstock.The face of the board was fitted with a pad of wool or horsehair and covered in leather,The gunner would lie chest down on the jack when firing the gun, this type only applied to light punt guns that only fired 3/4 lb of shot.
Feltwad

[PINYONE]

Great display- anyone interested in  a A F SPENCER rifle made in 1858- brother to christian Spencer who made the Carbine in the Civil war- it was a Sniper rifle then after the war was bored to make a Punt Gun. Looks just like a over sized Hawken really nice- shooting order- famous rifle family. Pinyone