OT: Fired a blunderbuss over the weekend

[AustinBoston]

Hope this doesn't get booted...

A blunderbuss is an ancient type of blackpowder gun that was typically used for fowling and sometimes used for boarding ships.  It is usually thought of as the predecessor of the shotgun.  It is fired with the stock against the forearm and the butt against the upper arm at the elbow.  Since there is no way to accurately site such a weapon, hitting the target is little more than luck.

I was able to fire it four times, hit the targret once, and hit the sheet outside the target once.  Four others fired the weapon (including the owner).  None hit the target.  The target was at a fairly close 10 yards.  We were using slugs; the weapon is more commonly used with birdshot, but we didn't have any.  I fired with 70 grains of black powder; others fired with 60 or 70 grains.  My ears are still ringing, despite hearing protection.

Because they are so unreliable and so inaccurate, the term came to mean an inaccurate or unreliable marksman and later any unreliable person.

The owner told me he made the thing about 25 years ago.

Austin (has a sore black & blue on his arm inside the elbow)

[aw738]

I bet that was fun.