AboutDoug Little Expertise I can answer questions relating to Legal Concealed Carry in most of the Western US, with detailed knowledge of Concealed Carry laws in Arizona.
I have an in-depth understanding of tactical and defensive handgun skills including Close Range Gunfighting, Armed Vehicle Operations, Low Light Gunfighting and Advanced Concealed Carry techniques.
I can answer detailed questions regarding Firearms Safety, Gun Handling and Marksmanship techniques. I can also answer detailed questions in the area of Crime Prevention and Victim Avoidance.
***PLEASE NOTE: Despite having done so in the past, I cannot continue to answer questions about valuation of firearms of any kind or questions regarding when a gun was made or what the impact of age or condition might be on the value of any firearm, either contemporary or antique.***
Experience NRA instructor for Personal Protection in the Home, Home Firearms Safety, Basic Pistol and Refuse to be a Victim disciplines. Certified by the AZ Dept. of Public Safety as a Firearms Safety Instructor for AZ Concealed Weapons Permit Classes and AZ Unarmed and Armed Security Guard Training. Instructor in both Low Light Gunfighting and Close Range Gunfighting. Staff instructor for Suarez International. I am a multiple graduate of Gunsite Academy and hold a certificate of Armed Vehicle Operations from them. I have been instructing in Arizona professionally for the past 4 years and have over 20 years shooting experience. Certified by the International Society of Crime Prevention Practioners as a Crime Prevention Specialist.
Organizations National Rifle Association, Life Member; International Society of Crime Prevention Practioners; International Defensive Pistol Association; Arizona State Rifle and Pistol Association; Association of Police Marksman; Board of Directors, US Marshals Posse - District of Arizona
Education/Credentials BS, Political Science, Appalachian State University;
Suarez International - Low Light Instructor,
Suarez International - Close Range Gunfighting Instructor,
Gunsite Academy - Armed Vehicle Operations,
Arizona Department of Public Safety - Firearms Safety Instructor,
NRA Instructor Ratings in Personal Protection in Home, Home Firearms Safety and Basic Pistol,
ASP Tactical Baton Instructor,
ASP Tactical Handcuff Instructor.
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Expert: Doug Little Date: 7/19/2008 Subject: 2 gage shotgun
Question Hello Doug. I have what I believe to be a 2 gage shotgun I inherited from my Father. If I remember correctly, this gun took 2 LBS of shot and used 50 Grams of blasting powder, and was fired from a stationary mount or attached to a trained steer.The barrel is 28 1/2" long, the bore is 1 1/8" and the barrel thickness is 1/4" at the tip. The weight of the barrel is approx. 12 LBS I believe it was used by commercial Goose hunters. Would you be able to offer any additional information, or correct the information I have? Are there many of these old shotguns around? I have the barrel, nipple and tang only. Thanks, Dennis
Answer Dennis,
You have a gun that is alternately referred to as a Punt Gun or a "Goose Cannon". Truly these old 2 gauge and 1 gauge guns were more appropriately referred to as 'cannons' than shotguns. A 2 gauge could have used 1/2 pound shot or smaller shot in more quantity, potentially as much as a couple of pounds of shot at a time. The powder load appropriate to move that shot along would be pretty large. I'm not sure about the 50 grams (that is a lot of powder).
They were fired from a stationary mount as you suggest.
Here some info from Wikipedia about Punt Guns:
A punt gun is a type of extremely large shotgun used in the 19th and 20th centuries for shooting large numbers of waterfowl for commercial harvesting operations. Punt guns were usually custom-designed and so varied widely, but could have bore diameters exceeding 2 inches and fire over a pound (0.5 kilos) of shot at a time.[1] A single shot could kill over 50 waterfowl resting on the water's surface. They were too big to hold and the recoil so large that they were mounted directly on the punts used for hunting, hence their name. Hunters would maneuver their punts quietly into line and range of the flock using poles or oars to avoid startling them. To improve efficiency hunters could work in fleets of up to around ten punts.
In the United States, this practice depleted stocks of wild waterfowl and by the 1860s most states had banned the practice. The Lacey Act of 1900 banned the transport of wild game across state lines, and the practice of market hunting was outlawed by a series of federal laws in 1918. In the United Kingdom, a 1995 survey showed fewer than 50 active punt guns still in use. UK law limits punt guns to a bore diameter of 1.75 inches (1 1/8 pounder).
Honestly, I don't know too much more about these guns. If you want to see a very cool video of one actually being fired, check out the link below. Please don't be offended by the URL.
