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Blunderbuss vs Musket - What's the difference?

blunderbuss | musket |

As nouns the difference between blunderbuss and musket

is that blunderbuss is an old style of muzzleloading firearm and early form of shotgun with a distinctive short, large caliber barrel that is flared at the muzzle, therefore able to fire scattered quantities of nails, stones, shot, etc. at short range while musket is a species of firearm formerly carried by the infantry of an army. It was originally fired by means of a match, or matchlock, for which several mechanical appliances (including the flintlock, and finally the percussion lock) were successively substituted. This arm has been superseded by the rifle.

blunderbuss

English

Noun

(es)
  • An old style of muzzleloading firearm and early form of shotgun with a distinctive short, large caliber barrel that is flared at the muzzle, therefore able to fire scattered quantities of nails, stones, shot, etc. at short range.
  • * 1817 , Merriweather Lewis & William Clark, Travels to the Source of the Missouri River, and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean , Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown (1817), page 354:
    • We fired the blunderbuss several times by way of salute, and soon after landed at the bank near the village of the Mahahas, or Shoe Indians, and were received by a crowd of people, who came to welcome our return.
  • * 1942 , Carl G. Erich, " Flintlock Blunderbuss", Popular Science , June 1942:
    • One of the most picturesque of the old flintlock guns is the blunderbuss , which was often carried by coach guards for protection against highwaymen.
  • * 2007 , Norm Flayderman, Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms , Gun Digest Books (2007), ISBN 9781440226519, page 764:
    • The blunderbuss never gained great favor in the American colonies or early United States.

    External links

    * (wikipedia "blunderbuss")

    References

    *

    musket

    English

    Alternative forms

    * musquet

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A species of firearm formerly carried by the infantry of an army. It was originally fired by means of a match, or matchlock, for which several mechanical appliances (including the flintlock, and finally the percussion lock) were successively substituted. This arm has been superseded by the rifle.
    • Soldier, soldier, won't you marry me, with your musket , fife and drum.

    Derived terms

    * musketeer

    Related terms

    * musketoon

    See also

    * ("musket" on Wikipedia) ----