A punt gun is an extremely large shotgun or smoothbore firearm, typically mounted on a small boat called a “punt,” which was used for commercial waterfowl hunting in the 19th century. Their use was eventually banned due to its devastating impact on waterfowl populations. [1440×1096]
by Party_Judgment5780
12 Comments
Part of the reason all the passenger pigeons are gone.
Isn’t that gun made for main purpose of kill of leader during wars ??
Imagine missing with that thing
She be kickin’
Booth museum, Brighton. There’s a punt gun on Mr. Booth’s own duck killing canoe.
Our ancestors were freaking stupid.
Yeah right.
Because you need a massive gun to shoot a duck.
I was at a rural gun show as a kid around 2000 and one of the tables had one.
Someone bought it. You could watch him walk around the show regardless of your location.
Always bigger and better ways. ☹️
One would be justified in being somewhat apprehensive of the recoil on that thing.
MO History Museum has one on display.
A civilian-owned cannon firing the waterfowl equivalent of grapeshot into flocks that never imagined they were about to face an artillery barrage. Meanwhile, you’re killing so many birds, the bird dogs can’t bring them all in before succumbing to exhaustion.
This was the solution to a problem that did not exist used as an excuse to justify making a really big gun. It wasn’t sporting. It wasn’t necessary. It wasn’t even really a better way to go bird hunting unless the only thing that matters is how big a noise you make and how many birds you kill (without necessarily even collecting all the bodies).
I’m glad they’re gone, and I think they do an admirable job of illustrating that gun enthusiasts have always had some weirdos in their midst prepared to take things too far for the sake of novelty and bragging rights.