Punt guns - enormous old shotguns for hunting waterfowl

A punt gun is a huge shotgun for hunting large numbers of waterfowl. Though popular in the 19th and 20th centuries, the use of a punt gun for hunting is now considered "market hunting". Because it too quickly depletes stocks of wild waterfowl, it's largely forbidden.

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Punt gun bores could exceed 2 inches, and they could fire over a pound of shot at a time. They were called punt guns because, too big to fire held in hand, they were mounted to small hunting skiffs (called "punts"). Hunters using punt guns would often work in groups, quietly maneuvering their boats in range of a flock of birds, and then all firing their punt guns at once.

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Nowadays, punt guns are still used in ceremonies or owned by collectors.

In addition, the punt gun is a good choice when performing the age-old tradition of cleaning your gun when your daughter brings her new boyfriend over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7FeeamC4qk

Found a restoration of Irish Tom, the world's largest punt gun. I believe it's one of the ones pictured above, but I'm not sure which one.

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Full PDF: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...estoration.pdf

Now all we need would be a pump action 2" bore punt gun ribbed barrel of course
Maybe I need to make one with a short??? barrel for when someone I don't want in my house comes over LOL
There is nothing like the look on someones face when they're staring down the barrel of a sawed off pump punt when you jack the action.
An uncle of mine used to have a bell mouth 2 ga blunder buss that had that effect as well

James Michener provides an excellent description of the use of a punt gun in his book "Chesapeke."

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Originally Posted by 2xat

James Michener provides an excellent description of the use of a punt gun in his book "Chesapeke."

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Yep read that one but a very long time ago

Not very sporting, if you are a fowl. May be, the same demise will oneday hit the longliners.

Imagine the kickback that monster would have: almost push the firer through the transom. Somehow there would be a "wake" after firing the beast. Very glassy water in that shot.

I reckon Wes Harrison could have incorporated that one in his "The Great Duck Hunt" =very funny/talented guy. LOL

I met one of the last punt gunners who shot on Langstone harbour, he would be useful today with the huge flocks of non-native Canada geese doing immense damage to the area. There's no felt recoil, the gun sits low with the butt's kicked down shape sitting in a reinforced pocket against a cross beam in the bottom of the punt, which is driven backwards by the recoil. The gunner would also have a 10 or 12 bore loaded ready to go as a 'cripple stopper' for dealing with injured birds that managed to take flight.

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Originally Posted by Frank S

Now all we need would be a pump action 2" bore punt gun ribbed barrel of course
Maybe I need to make one with a short??? barrel for when someone I don't want in my house comes over LOL
There is nothing like the look on someones face when they're staring down the barrel of a sawed off pump punt when you jack the action.
An uncle of mine used to have a bell mouth 2 ga blunder buss that had that effect as well

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I be prepared to punt you wouldn't have repeat visitors. LOL

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Originally Posted by ranald

I be prepared to punt you wouldn't have repeat visitors. LOL

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Maybe I would need to make it an over under 5 shot model 870 action in 2inch bore with a single shot .410 on top, load the .410 with medium grain rock salt. when you have to fire the first shot at them say that is the teaser, This is the most powerful Shot gun in the world and can make a hole big enough to drive through, the next round will be a full pound and it might be ball bearings instead of salt or it may contain half a million tiny cactus needles or a water balloon or a paint ball. I have 4 rounds in the tube and 1 in the chamber, when I loaded it last week I don't remember which round I put in last. Do you feel lucky.

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Originally Posted by Frank S

Maybe I would need to make it an over under 5 shot model 870 action in 2inch bore with a single shot .410 on top, load the .410 with medium grain rock salt. when you have to fire the first shot at them say that is the teaser, This is the most powerful Shot gun in the world and can make a hole big enough to drive through, the next round will be a full pound and it might be ball bearings instead of salt or it may contain half a million tiny cactus needles or a water balloon or a paint ball. I have 4 rounds in the tube and 1 in the chamber, when I loaded it last week I don't remember which round I put in last. Do you feel lucky.

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Yeah Punk!LOL. Very salty!
The name suggests a flat nosed vessel(punt) but I suspect It means a really BIG gamble. Ha Ha.
P.s. I haven't shot a weapon (with gunpowder) for a few decades.

I talked with the head gamekeeper on a large estate in northern England, he had occasion supplied the table for very large dinner parties with one shot of the estate's punt gun. It was of the older style with the gun restrained by two ropes, similar to a cannon.
Later guns used as pintle mount to take the recoil, as per the two pix.

"WW Greener from whose book, the pix came, said this about the punt gun:
"It is usually single barrel one and 1/2 inch bore and weighs about 100 lb it should be chambered for the solid drawn brass case 7 inches long taking a charge of 3 ounces of powder and one and a half pounds of shot. These is cases can be reloaded many times. Smaller guns of one and a quarter bore sheet in 1 1/4 pounds in shot are made occasionally. Recoil breaching of the rope is favourite is the simplest gear for taking the recoil. Others in use are Hawker coil spring, the Indian rubber mount or the the recoil box of Mr E T Booth.* First class punt gum without recall gear is worth about £80 is practically everlasting. The barrel should be choked a left cylinder. Double pump guns have been made, they are a very heavy and cumbersome, require large punt and not recommended..."Attachment 43711Attachment 43712

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Just what you need to hunt pterodactyls :D

I'm picturing a lightweight plastic gun around a much smaller gun on the inside. Like all those fake Chinese capacitors from the early 2000s.

Attachment 45099

A modern punt gun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punt_gun

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Originally Posted by Jon

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Don't be fooled, that's a normal size shotgun held by tiny John. This is his new job now that he's too old for cereal-box toy photography.