Old World Stopping Power: Blunderbuss & Coach Guns

The combat shotguns of yesteryear, blunderbusses and coach guns served from the 16th century through the 19th century. From the golden age of piracy to the coach guns of stagecoach trails, these no-nonsense scatterguns have been called on by lawman, villain, and soldier alike to even the odds when things get gritty.
Lead Historian Seth Isaacson guides us through a selection of the interesting blunderbusses in our May 2022 Premier Auction and helps dispel of some of the popular misconceptions around these recognizable and combat ready shotguns.
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[@krockpotbroccoli65]

The idea of a folding bayonet makes so much more sense on a blunderbuss or coach gun than on any modern, repeating arm. Very cool assortment.

[@VeraTR909]

Totally reasonable feature, even if you miss you can still put up a fight instantly.

[@luke_skywanker7643]

@@VeraTR909 Sometimes things are too close to reload, work a bolt, clear a jam, or change a magazine. Also, a bayonet -- of a real size and not a pocket-knife pinned at the end of a barrel -- is a formidable weapon with which to defeat an enemy so close as to be engaged that way. One would hope that it's attached to a rifle that wouldn't break if you had to use a butt-stroke to finish a fight.

[@collincutler4992]

Those bayonets are so cool. Now i want one for my blunderbuss

[@jfakoggl]

Beautiful items! A great enrichment of every collection of old firearms!

[@Joe3pops]

I have a brass replica blunderbuss and a 10 gauge Parkhurst coach gun 20 inch barrels, both full choke. It came out of high desert of Utah and I wish it could speak.

[@MomentsInTrading]

Really interesting! Great choices to show. The bayonets that pop out were really cool. That technology seems pretty advanced for that time period.

[@tom_olofsson]

Excellent. History can be fun.

[@chrischiampo7647]

Nice Assortment 😀😮😮😮😀

[@NowPleaseReadThis]

How long after loading the blunderbusses would they fire when sitting up on guard on a damp drizzly day? I'm afraid the powder wouldn't ignite right when a highwayman pulled up a chain stopping my coach and four. Maybe they used a waterproof layer of packing cloth jammed down over the dry powder that they loaded by the fireside at the last tavern stop.

[@k.s.3748]

You would shield the lock with a cow's knee, waxed cloth, or under a tarpaulin coat. There are rainproof pans on expensive locks, and naval pistols had tin boxes over the lock to keep them dry, the V and A has one exhibited.

[@dylanbraamse8365]

can you convert a double barreled coach gun into a single barrel blunderbuss?

[@ClericChris]

I always called them Pilgrim Guns.

[@karentownsendillustrates1769]

Thank you, really informative. Was there a poor man's version of the older two guns?

[@piatpotatopeon8305]

4:30 More evidence that tacticool has always existed.

[@skepticalbadger]

Not really. You have one shot with this thing. Then what? Bayonet, that's what.

[@billseaman5974]

All HELL I may just weld a bayonet to my Smith & Wesson model 19-4 .

[@mikepette4422]

the German word is said BOOK-seh