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Photographs - GIANT Shotguns (Punt Guns), circa 1900
Retronaut ^ | circa 1900 | Retronaut

Posted on 02/16/2013 7:29:35 AM PST by DogByte6RER

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A punt gun is a type of extremely large shotgun used in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

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A single shot could kill over 50 waterfowl resting on the water’s surface. The hunter would maneuver the entire boat in order to aim the gun.

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In the United States, this practice depleted stocks of wild waterfowl and by the 1860s most states had banned the practice.

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“Since Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 there has been a punt gun salute every Coronation and Jubilee in Cowbit, Lincolnshire, England”

- Wikipedia


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; History; Hobbies; Miscellaneous; Outdoors; Society; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: 1900; 19thcentury; banglist; biggame; duckseason; gunsandammo; modernhistory; puntguns; readyaimfire; shotgun; shotguns
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Rabbit Season, Duck season Pictures, Images and Photos
1 posted on 02/16/2013 7:29:41 AM PST by DogByte6RER
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More background ...

Punt guns:

http://iaaforum.org/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2988

Wildfowlers bring out the big guns for celebration:

http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/features/wildfowlers-bring-out-the-big-guns-for-celebration-1-3916676


2 posted on 02/16/2013 7:32:02 AM PST by DogByte6RER ("Loose lips sink ships")
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To: DogByte6RER

Clever gif...: )


3 posted on 02/16/2013 7:34:39 AM PST by jsanders2001
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To: DogByte6RER

Some were used as anti-tank guns in the later part of The Great War (WWI)


4 posted on 02/16/2013 7:35:32 AM PST by SkyDancer (Live your life in such a way that the Westboro church will want to picket your funeral.)
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To: DogByte6RER
Heeeeeere y'GO
5 posted on 02/16/2013 7:38:06 AM PST by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true)
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To: DogByte6RER

There is a back country highway south of Salinas CA that has an 8 gauge shotgun hanging on the wall, the gal behind the counter says it prevents trouble, and then I asked her when was the last time she bought ammo for it, because from what I recall the last 8 gauge shells were sold around the 1920’s.

With the right loads and composite materials there could be a resurgence of punt guns to counter drones.


6 posted on 02/16/2013 7:38:50 AM PST by Eye of Unk
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To: DogByte6RER

"Forget the ducks, we shoulda been using those guns in Vietnam."
7 posted on 02/16/2013 7:42:24 AM PST by Rebelbase ( .223, .224, whatever it takes....)
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To: Slings and Arrows

ping


8 posted on 02/16/2013 7:42:42 AM PST by DogByte6RER ("Loose lips sink ships")
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To: DogByte6RER

That gif is SO stolen!


9 posted on 02/16/2013 7:44:38 AM PST by Yo-Yo
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To: DogByte6RER
To anyone interested in the practices and the era, I can highly recommend a trip to the Havre De Grace (MD) Decoy Museum.

It makes for a nice side trip from travels in the Baltimore/DC area, and while you're there you can also check out the Concord Point Lighthouse, one of the oldest lighthouses in continuous use on the east coast, situated right at the point where (based on salinity), the Susquehanna River technically turns into the Chesapeake Bay. Lots of good crab restaurants there too!

10 posted on 02/16/2013 7:47:58 AM PST by Joe 6-pack (Qui me amat, amat et canem meum.)
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To: DogByte6RER

These were also used on the Chesapeake Bay to provide the waterfowl for the resturants in NY and DC


11 posted on 02/16/2013 7:48:21 AM PST by Coastie (CPO retired)
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To: DogByte6RER
I needed one of those when my girls started dated.

/johnny

12 posted on 02/16/2013 7:49:54 AM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: Eye of Unk

Well I don't know if a mag-fed 20mm could be called a punt gun, but I bet it could knock some things down:

Anzio Iron Works

13 posted on 02/16/2013 7:50:33 AM PST by Free Vulcan (Vote Republican! [You can vote Democrat when you're dead]...)
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To: DogByte6RER

Re the 1st image. Where the heck are they? Looks like DC.


14 posted on 02/16/2013 7:50:41 AM PST by South40
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To: DogByte6RER
And why did they want to kill all those waterfowl?

To make women's HATS!


15 posted on 02/16/2013 7:50:41 AM PST by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: DogByte6RER

Michener’s “Chesapeake” has a good section about punt gun hunting geese on the Bay.


16 posted on 02/16/2013 7:55:19 AM PST by BwanaNdege ("To learn who rules over you simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize"- Voltaire)
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To: Eye of Unk

I think they still make 8gauge shells.

They use them, or at least did use them, for breaking up balls of cement in the kilns.


17 posted on 02/16/2013 7:55:39 AM PST by IMR 4350
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To: DogByte6RER

Could there be anything left of the bird? Who would want to buy a bunch of feathers and gore?


18 posted on 02/16/2013 7:59:15 AM PST by DManA
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To: BwanaNdege
Michener’s “Chesapeake” has a good section about punt gun hunting geese on the Bay.

First thing I thought when I saw those pictures.

19 posted on 02/16/2013 8:00:34 AM PST by Starstruck
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To: IMR 4350

Yep, saw one at the backend of a cement kiln in Oklahoma. It was tripod mounted and impressive.


20 posted on 02/16/2013 8:47:18 AM PST by X-spurt (Republic of Texas, Come and Take It!)
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