Blunderbuss
Collection object
1987.0102
L. top of muzzle to heel of butt 77.1; L. barrel 37.2; L. muzzle 6.2, centre section 15.5, 5 - sided section 15.5; Muzzle D. internal 3.7, external max 5.45, min 3.6; Barrel D., middle section 3.3; W. 5 - sided section 3.7 - 3.9; W. top facet 1.9; L. trapezoidal plate level with top of barrel 5.0, W. 2.15 - 1.95; L. of woodwork, from beginning of muzzle section to middle of butt plate 69.6; W. of woodwork, at ramrod holder 4.2, at feather spring securing screw 5.4, at first screw behind trigger guard 4.25, at butt 5.2; L. of ramrod holder 4.7, W. centre 0.8, internal D. 1.0; l. of ramrod groove 9.6; Lock - plate 17.5 x 3.2; W. of feather spring 1.3, max L. 5.5; L. of pan 3.7, of pan cover 4.6; L. of striker 5.45; T. of striker 1.25; W. of pan 3.3, of striker at junction with pan cover 3.3; L. of trigger guard & plates, max, 19.2; W. of forward plate, max, 1.6, of rearward plate, max, 1.7, of guard, max, 2.1; L. max of guard 7.05; W. Butt plate 5.65, L. 12.4, L. butt plate tongue max. 8.2; Wt. 3367.8 gr
Blunderbuss, flintlock, muzzle loading, made by Richardson, Limerick. Copper alloy barrel, butt plate, trigger guard and ramrod holder. Ferrous metal the remainder. Barrel inscribed in 3 places at breech end. Printed paper label stuck on left hand side. The barrel consists of a slightly tapering five-sided breech end section, a cylindrical middle section, and a conical or bell-shaped muzzle. The ends of the facet angles of the breech end section are truncated, bringing them to the level of the facet faces, creating a smooth ringed end to the breech end section. Beyond this (towards the muzzle) there is a slight step down to another, smaller, ring, and from this down to the middle section of the barrel. This middle section is plain. Beyond this is the muzzle section, which generally conical in shape, with three sections. The section nearest the breech end consists of a raised band with a central rounded raised rib. Beyond this is the lower, plain, central section with slightly concave surface, with, at the end nearest the muzzle, a broad shallow groove bordering the final section. This final, raised, section consists of, consecutively, a narrow raised rounded rib, a narrow groove, a broad plain area with slightly convex surface, a narrow groove, and, finally, a raised plain band terminating the muzzle. The forward face of the muzzle is flat in profile, and the interior of the muzzle is plain, and conical in section. Set into a groove cut into the woodwork beneath the central section of the barrel, is the ramrod holder. This is placed nearest the muzzle end. The ramrod itself is missing. The holder is cylindrical in shape with slightly convex sides, and a narrow rounded raised rib at each end. The groove for the ramrod extends from the forward end of the woodwork, beyond the holder, back past the holder into a tunnel in the foregrip. Extending to the rear from, and level with, the upper surface of the rear section of the barrel is a trapezoidal plate of ferrous metal, perforated near the end for a countersunk securing screw which is of copper alloy. Viewing from the butt towards the muzzle, the exterior firing mechanism is located on the right of the barrel. It consists of a flat plate mounted on the woodwork, on which was the cock (now missing). In front of the cock is the hinged combined steel and pan cover, and below this the pan. Below both of these is the feather - spring for the steel and pan cover. There is no obvious sign of a safety catch having been present. The touch - hole is located in the side of the barrel, beside the pan. The lock plate appears to have been misplaced on the woodwork vis a vis the touch hole, as evidenced by marks on the barrel around the touchhole. There are a pair of parallel lines engraved on the plate, which run along its margin and encircle where the cock would be. The trigger guard consists of a curved guard and, extending from it to the rear towards the toe of the butt, a tapering tongue of flat metal perforated for three countersunk screws. There is also another metal plate which extends forward, from the point where the trigger guard curves away from the body of the weapon, past where the guard retouches just in front of the trigger, and forward in a series of two paired concave curves (one pair each side), then a pair of slight shoulders, and finally gently curving together into a blunt point. This second plate is perforated for 3 countersunk screws, 2 of which are present. This plate and the trigger guard have been crudely repaired or reconstructed in the past. The trigger itself is a curved plate of metal, at right angles to another broad flat piece of metal. It is loose. The butt plate runs from the toe to the heel of the butt in a slightly concave curve, and from the heel extends in a tapering tougue of flat metal, ending in a blunt point. The plate is perforated for three countersunk screws, one large and two smaller. The larger screw is placed near the toe of the butt, one other at the point of the heel, and the last near the end of the tongue of metal extending along the
Richardson (gunmaker)