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punt gun rebuild


winchester79
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Best not go to Spain then, they impound them as naval ships. Well they did to Abel Chapman's punt and gun in the 1880's.

 

 

The little craft reached the Guadalquivir in September, but unforeseen difficulties arose. The Spanish custom-house took alarm. True, the smart little gun-boat was an entire novelty—even in the Millwall docks she had created surprise; here she was incomprehensible. No such vessel had ever floated on Spanish waters, and the official mind needed time to consider. That oracle, after weeks of cogitation, ordered the removal of the suspicious craft from the obscure port of Bonanza to the fuller light that plays on the custom-house at Seville. There, after more weeks of delay, it was decided that the white-painted six-foot barrel was “an arm of war,” that “the combination of boat and gun savoured of the mechanism of war,” and, finally, that “the boat could not be permitted to pass the customs until it had been registered at the Admiralty.” Thus our Boadicea joined the Imperial Navy of Spain.

Seven months elapsed whilst these difficulties were in process of solution, and ere they were smoothed away (as difficulties in Spain, or elsewhere, do dissolve under prudent treatment), and the Boadicea set free to navigate the marismas, the season had passed and the migrant fowl had returned to the north.

 

Chapters 8-12.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41593/41593-h/41593-h.htm

Soon have more than the navy

Edited by Penelope
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  • 5 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

This thread seems to have gone cold. Have you been out afloat?

hello yes have had her afloat three times now, very pleased with how she handles the only thing is when the wind is head on it stops us dead even with the big oars so its get out and walk her home time, we did stalk a small pack of widgeon last time but fired slightly low so took only 5 out of the 20 or so birds even so all were killed clean so we were very pleased only took around 40 hours and 4000 pounds for those 5 duck but worth it for the time you spend in the most beautiful surroundings, i will get some pictures converted and posted soon

hope everyone is having a great season so far :)

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finally managed to get a few pictures uploaded, this was our first shot we picked three then as the tide flooded another two came floating up so netted both of them, only five but we were very happy with the stalk and the clean kills, i worked out the other day thats around 39hrs for five widgeon but worth every bead of sweat the aching muscles and the hour of cleaning stinking black powder residue out the gun and off the decks. on this day the wind set against us and even with the big oars we could make very little ground so out we got grabbed the anchor rope and walked her the last mile or so back home, it always supprises me how much wind catches such a low craft but i suppose the two great lumps sitting up don't help :lol:

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I think you`ll find it is that the punt is relatively large but that, by virtue of its design, the rowlocks for the oars are too close together to permit the use of a pair of oars of sufficient length to drive the punt forward.

 

It`s all a matter of fulcrums and leverage.

 

On my part of the coast we`d use iron outriggers in place of the illustrated rowlocks which mean that the fulcrum of the oars is almost two feet wider which permits the use of a much longer oar which in turn is able to generate more power in each stroke.

 

Unfortunately,outriggers are`nt seen much outside of the south coast and are little used elsewhere.

 

I`ll try to add a pic of a punt with outriggers for information.

Edited by mudpatten
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  • 3 months later...

shaking things up a bit this season, the 1.5" punt gun is for sale on guntrader and i have just bought a T.Frostick double 1 1/8th on hawker recoil system

so now need to build a block to accept the pin on the recoil set up, the gun is running at 8oz from each barrel or 16oz double discharge

a thorough pattern testing in the next few months will see how she preforms

i will pop a couple of pics up soon :)

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Look forward to seeing pictures of the new gun.

 

shaking things up a bit this season, the 1.5" punt gun is for sale on guntrader and i have just bought a T.Frostick double 1 1/8th on hawker recoil system

so now need to build a block to accept the pin on the recoil set up, the gun is running at 8oz from each barrel or 16oz double discharge

a thorough pattern testing in the next few months will see how she preforms

i will pop a couple of pics up soon :)

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Hi a gentleman rang me this week about the history and details of my 1.5" single punt gun but as i have not taken his number i cannot contact him sees this. The gun does have a hole through the collet in which you can see the firing pin, the bolt that was fitted must have been replaced at some point, the proof marks are for birmingham and have a crown atop of cross pikes and the letters B P C also there is another with cross pikes and what looks like a V?? contradicting this on the other side it has the BP and a crown on top.

so to my mind that makes the gun 1875 and the black powder mark between 1905/1954 it would be interesting to know what you think

cheers..ian

 

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