Blunderbuss ¿Bougnet? for comment
 

Hello

It is a Belgian blunderbuss, with the particularity that the barrel is scratched or striated, about half.

It could be for Bougnet bullet (Balle Hadee)? Some have a photograph of the cartridge or mention in an old catalog?

Thank you very much in advance. Fernando K

Sorry for the translator

Hi Fernando K,

This is the first time i have seen this type. Most of the time these pistols are double barreled pinfire guns, stamped with the ELG proof mark.
I also don't understand the concept of adding rifling to a blunderbuss barrel, seeing as blunderbusses are mostly used, as far as i understand it, for buckshot and not for a large ball. A large ball would benefit from the spinning effect that the rifling gives it, but buckshot... :shrug:

Very interesting piece, hopefully someone has some real answers for us.

What caliber is it?
If I'm not mistaken, there were large ga. pinfire cartridges, for shotguns of the period. Maybe this pistol could fire either slug or shots.
Very nice looking pistol.

Hello

Under the protocol the Bank of Liege, the caliber is expressed in millimeters 17.0, besides the "perron" in the oval with ELG and initial inspector with an asterisk above and italics E and L

Fernando K

Quite large (appr. 16 GA), so I think it could be dual-purpose - for slugs and shots.

BOUGNET bullet
 

Hello

Here the drawing Bougnet bullet. To the left and right Model 1860, Model 1864, in a publication Argentina.

Fernando K

May i suggest Fernando that, the name of this ammunition would be 'bouquet' ? That would at least make some sense, as this is a type of 'fragmentation' bullet that seems to burst like a 'group of flowers'.
We can see and read in the drawings that the 'mother' bullet is composed by 'fragment' components; the 1864 version being more complex, with outer fragments and inner cores.
Probably the purpose of the rifling in the first section of the blunderbuss barrel is to complement this projectile effect.

.

Could it be for a very specific purpose? e.g. a flare pistol or for throwing lines?
Regards
Richard