A Fabulous & Impressive 18th Century Ship Captain’s Beautiful & Large, Brass Barrel Naval Blunderbuss Flintlock Pistol, With Box-Lock Action.

6.5inch barrel with ring turned muzzle, nice action, sliding safety, bag-shaped wooden butt. Nicely proved barrel on the underside. This is truly a most beautiful piece.

The combination of polished bronze, walnut, horn, and steel make a most attractive pistol of colour and material contrasts. Finest walnut stock. Bronze cannon form blunderbuss barrel. Bronze blunderbuss barrel pistols were the weapon of choice for naval officers and ship's captains for use at sea. This is a superb example of its kind. The muzzle (and often the bore) was flared with the intent not only to increase the spread of the shot, but also to funnel powder and shot into the weapon, making it easier to reload in haste. The overtly flared muzzle is the defining feature of the blunderbuss. Ship's Captains found such impressive guns so desireable as they had two prime functions to clear the decks with one shot, and the knowledge to an assailant that the pistol hads the capability to achieve such a result. In the 18th and 19th century mutiny was a common fear for all commanders, and not a rare as one might imagine. The Capt. Could keep about his person or locked in his gun cabinet in his quarters a gun just as this. The barrel could be loaded with single ball or swan shot, ball twice as large as normal shot, that when discharged at close quarter could be devastating, and terrifyingly effective. Potentially taken out four or five assailants at once. The muzzle was swamped like a cannon for two reasons, the first for ease of rapid loading, the second for intimidation. There is a very persuasive psychological point to the size of this gun's muzzle, as any person or persons facing it could not fail to fear the consequences of it's discharge, and the act of surrender or retreat in the face of an well armed blunderbuss could be a happy and desirable result for all parties concerned. Action in excellent working order, recently fully serviced. 11 inches long overall. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables

Code: 23369