Allen,

A punt gun was a literal cannon that was mounted on the front of a small boat to shoot into flocks of waterfowl on the water. A standard load in the larger ones was about a pound of shot and an equal volume of black powder. They have nothing to do with any sporting gun that was ever made no matter the length of barrel. When you hear people speak of 4 and 8 gauge guns as "punt guns" you're talking to somebody who knows nothing about the subject.


Destry

Thanks destry, good points. I'm familiar with punt guns. My point or rather question was when the feds outlawed the use of punt guns (and market hunting toook a dive) did the gun manufacturers revert to these 8 and 10 gauge guns as more or less a substitute (recognizing the huge difference between a real punt gun and these). I think your answer is no. The 8 and 10 gauge guns were not developed as a substitute.

Punt guns, any shoulder gun larger than 10 gauge, and the sale of migratory birds, were all outlawed at the same time in 1918. Once the sale of game was outlawed, there would have been no reason to have punt guns or any substitute as fowling became a "sport" and not a "trade". These long barrel guns were once thought to "shoot harder" and "carry further" than shorter barrel models, that was the reason they existed. I like a long barrel gun myself, but they have no real advantage in the field other than the confidence they create in ones mind.

Destry

Also we must remember that when black powder was the propellent of choice longer barrels were needed to obtain a complete burn.

I'd say black powder was long out of use by the time this Marlin hit the market.

DLH