The Blunderbuss: History's Goofiest Boomstick

Join our discord: https://discord.gg/qpbfT6NZM5 Hand over them doubloons: https://www.patreon.com/GoldandGunpowder Support G&G buy candle: https://mythologiecandles.com/xnvornil https://gold-and-gunpowder-shop.fourthwall.com Gold & Gunpowder is made by a single person without the use of AI. If your image or footage did not receive credit, contact Gold & Gunpowder. Everybody knows the blunderbuss - a short flintlock firearm, blasting a shotgun round of random junk through its trumpet-like muzzle, giving it an iconic if not comical flair. It is a favorite weapon among cartoon characters, and is of course strongly associated with pirates, perhaps not so much as the cutlass or pistol, but definitely more than the musket. Despite it being so iconic, it wasn't as common as we're led to believe, and appears to be a bit overrated. It wasn't widely used, and even during the period itself it was regarded as sort of comedic, even being used as a slang word for somebody reckless. Modern sources: Blunderbusses - D.R Baxter Boarders Away II: With Fire - William Gilkerson Expedition Whydah - Barry Clifford Pirates in their own words - E.T. Fox Private consulation via email with historian Benerson Little The Blunderbuss 1500-1900 - James D. Forman The Sea Rover's Practice - Benerson Little The Slave Ship: A Human History - Marcus Rediker https://www.qaronline.org/history/discovery-shipwreck https://archeologie.culture.gouv.fr/epaves-corsaires/en/small-arms-aboard-two-ships Period sources: A relation of the great sufferings - Henry Pitman A relation of three years sufferings - Robert Everard A military and sea dictionary, 1711 A Voyage Round the World - William Betagh The Voyage and Adventures of Bartholomew Sharp and Others in the South Sea - John Cox Image credits: Polish dragons by Piotrus Katzenkopf wheellock handcannon by Olsson, Andreas Pyrotechnic blunderbuss aboard the Batavia by Allemansends re-enactment of Youtube Personal weapons at the NC Maritime Museum by John Harrell at Facebook Epping forest by Diliff Other images used did not require credit or come from the listed literary sources Footage credits: Pirates of the Caribbean V: Dead Men Tell No Tales Ostrov Sokrovishch Hailshot a formidable weapon by firearmsaddictiloveguns of Youtube Pirates of the Caribbean III: At World's End Blunderbuss - Buckshot Patterning by InRangeTV of Youtube 17th century wheel lock pistols in action - accuracy & ballistics by Capandball of Youtube Taboo Season 1 Episode 8 “The Killer of Wolves” Folding Stock Flintlock Blunderbuss | Italian Wolf Killer Muzzleloader by I Love Muzzleloading of Youtube Old World Stopping Power: Blunderbuss & Coach Guns by Rock Island Auction Company of Youtube Music credits: At the Sign of the Crumhorn by Vingul of Youtube.com The Witches' Dance by Jon Sayles of jsayles.com DamaMay by Kevin Macleod of Incompetech.com Johann Fischer Musicalisches BlumenBueschlein Suite No2 in F major Graupner Suite for 3 Chalumeaux GWV 443 #pirates #history #gunhistory