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blunderbuss help

2K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  soundguy 
#1 ·
Gun Firearm Shotgun Trigger Gun barrel
Shotgun Metal
Hi, just joined the forum and my grandfather has this blunderbuss and was curious if you guys could help me identify it and estimate it's value.
 

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#3 ·
It is a working gun but from the crudeness I'd say it was probably made someplace like India. The flint is too short for it and from the hole in the lock under the frizzen I'd say the main spring is missing or broken. IMO value would be whatever you could get which most likely wont be much.
 
#4 ·
It looks to have ben made partly from scavenged parts and partly from rather crudely made parts where they couldn't find something better to scavenge.

The trigger guard for example appears to have been made from a broken front finial and bow off of a finer gun with a crudely hammered rear section welded on to it and the whole thing just nailed to the surface rather than inlet and attached with screws or retaining pins.

I can't really tell what those proof marks are if they are even proof marks.

My best bet is it was put together using the cheapest stuff possible for use as a trade gun.

Flintlock trade guns were still being sold to natives in Africa and South America into the early 20th century.

This one looks to be older than early 20th century but it's still a cheaply made trade gun in poor condition and not worth a whole lot.
 
#5 ·
I can't see the "proofs", (if that's what they are), well enough. If they are indeed proofs I don't believe they're European.
 
#7 ·
Like you I can't tell enough from the pictures what those marks are but they do resemble some early Dutch touch marks I've seen.

The metal work in the lock and forward portion of the trigger guard looks Northern European at least in design if not in origin.

Clearer pictures of those marks on the barrel would help as would full length pictures of the gun itself.

Also, did you grand dad tell you how and where he got it?
 
#11 ·
Grizzly, I certainly defer. I'm curious to learn the origin. Whatever it is, it is beyond my knowledge.
 
#12 ·
Those are much better pictures, she's definitely showing Germanic influence in the styling and she looks much less cobbled together when seen in full length photos.

I'm going to guess at German or Dutch middle 1700's, but that's just a guess.
 
#14 ·
Buffalo, my first impression was a trade gun made from recycled parts from an older gun (or guns) and later cut down into a blanket gun, those new pictures tell a different story, she was built and designed to be what she is from day one so crude yes but not cobbled together as I first thought and definitely not junk.
 
#15 ·
Having owned a couple blunderbusses & worked on quite a few for clients, I think Grizzley is on target, possibly mid European & mid 1700s, also trigger guard probably not original. Far from the high dollar $3K+ collectible English blunderbusses, it might be priced by a dealer for $1000 and a dealer might pay $250-$400 for it.
 
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