18th Century Brass Blunderbuss for Sale - Culloden - Coachmen - Royal Navy - Civilian
Blunderbuss comes for the Dutch meaning "thunder pipe". Brass barrelled blunderbuss started to be manufactured in the 1670s. They proved quite popular both on board ship and as a weapon for home defence or while travelling. The brass was lighter than a steel barrel and withstood the corrosive sea water on board ship.
At the Battle of Culloden, a number of brass barrelled blunderbusses were used by the Jacobite Highlanders . One found on the battlefield is now on display at the historic site's museum, which was purchased for $115,000 . One Jacobite recounted how he fired his blundebuss than his pair of Scottish pistols at the British line. The Culloden blunderbuss was noted as being loaded with 18 ball, presumably buck or swan shot. Some blunderbuss owners even poisoned their shot: "he arms himself with a Blunderbuss, charged with fifteen large poisoned sluggs, conceals it under a large Cloak..."
The use of this blunderbuss continued into the early 19th century and was used as home defence during the crime spree in London after the Napoleonic Wars.
