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Blunderbuss

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
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Modern replica of English 1766 Blunderbuss Flintlock
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Blunderbuss Flintlock
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English Flintlock Blunderbuss
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Blunderbuss Flintlock

The Blunderbuss (from Dutch donderbus roughly translated as "thunder pipe") was an early shotgun, a muzzle-loading firearm with a large caliber, short barrel (compared to a period long rifle), flared at the muzzle. Contrary to popular belief and depictions in cartoons, the flared muzzle is not to allow the weapon to be filled with shrapnel and junk instead of shot; doing so would damage the weapon. Instead, it served the twin purposes of increasing the spread of shot and making pouring powder and shot into the weapon easier.

Blunderbusses could have most types of period lockwork, and snaplock, matchlock, wheellock, flintlock and even caplock examples exist. A pistol-length blunderbuss was sometimes called a "Dragon" and they were commonly issued to cavalry; they were at one point so closely associated with them that the corruption dragoon was used to refer to units of horse cavalry with infantry training. Both pistol-length and larger blunderbusses were popular weapons for shipboard use where their short range was much less of a factor, and long (14-18 inch barrel) blunderbusses were issued to British mail coaches for protection from highwaymen, a forerunner to the use of true shotguns as "coach guns."

Like most antique weapons, any blunderbuss that is fired in a live-action work is likely a prop or modern reproduction, due to the needless expense of procuring a rare and expensive weapon for such a scene.

Specifications

(17th century - 19th century)

  • Type: Early shotgun
  • Caliber: Various shot weights
  • Rate of fire: User dependent, usually 1+ rounds a minute
  • Feed system: Manually, muzzle-loaded


The Blunderbuss and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:

Film

Title Actor Character Note Date
The Loves of Carmen 1947
Don César de Bazan S. Tsomayev Lazarille 1957
Dunkirk hanging in a pub 1958
Kidnapped John Laurie Ebenezer Balfour 1960
Greed in the Sun (Cent mille dollars au soleil) seen on the wall 1964
Angelique and the Sultan Sultan soldiers 1968
Colonel Wolodyjowski Magdalena Zawadzka Basia 1969
The Last Valley 1970
Kidnapped Donald Pleasence Ebenezer Balfour 1971
The Married Couple of the Year Two (Les Mariés de l'an II) Sami Frey Henri de Guerande 1971
Straw Dogs Seen in the Sumners' cabin 1971
Calmos Bernard Blier The priest 1976
Warlords of Atlantis Guards of Atlantis 1978
Trail of the Pink Panther 1982
Murphy's Law Ben Wilcove's gun collection 1986
Loose Cannons Gene Hackman Det. MacArthur "Mac" Stern 1990
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III Walker's men 1993
Kidnapped Patrick Malahide Ebenezer Balfour 1995
Kidnapped seen on the wall 1995
Cutthroat Island Pirates 1995
The Pest 1997
Almost Heroes Spaniard 1998
Plunkett and Macleane Robert Carlyle Will Plunkett 1999
The Musketeer Justin Chambers D'Artagnan 2001
Peter Pan Jason Isaacs Captain Hook 2003
Peter Pan Pirates 2003
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Pirates 2003
Malibu's Most Wanted 2003
Van Helsing 2004
The Brothers Grimm Jan Unger Gregor 2005
The Fall Robin Smith Luigi 2006
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Kevin McNally Joshamee Gibbs 2006
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End Pirates 2007
Hot Fuzz Edward Woodward Tom Weaver 2007
Lucky Luke Thugs 2009
The Three Musketeers Ray Stevenson Porthos 2011
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter In the Henry's Armory 2012

Television

Title Actor Character Note Date
Miami Vice Al Cox Clem "Glades" 1984-1985
Tremors: The Series Michael Gross Burt "Shriek & Destroy" 2003
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Danny DeVito Frank "The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell" (4.11) 2005-
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Charlie Day Charlie "The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell" (4.11) 2005-
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Kaitlin Olson Dee "The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell" (4.11) 2005-
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia David Hornsby Colonel Cricket "The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell" (4.11) 2005-
Blackbeard Jessica Chastain Charlotte 2006
Lock 'n Load With R. Lee Ermey R. Lee Ermey Himself 2009
Midsomer Murders John Nettleton Munro Hilliard "Orchis Fatalis" 1997 –
Deadliest Warrior 2009-2011

Anime

Title Character Note Date
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro hanged on wall 1979
Golgo 13 Stage actors 2008 - 2009

Video Games

Title Appears as Note Release Date
Timesplitters 2000
Vietcong 2 2009
Red Dead Redemption (Downloadable Content) 2010
Tropico Series 2011
7 Days To Die 2013
The Showdown Effect 2013
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare 2014
Assassin's Creed Unity 2014

Animation

Title Characters Notation Date
Archer - Season 5 Pam 2014