Blunderbuss The blunderbuss is a muzzle - loading firearm with a short , large caliber barrel , which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout the entire bore , and used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity and / or caliber . The blunderbuss could be considered to be an early form of shotgun , which was often adapted to military and defensive use . It was effective at short ranges , but lacked accuracy for targets at long range . The term dragon was used to describe a blunderbuss in handgun form , and it is from this that the term dragoon evolved . Etymology . The term " blunderbuss " is of Dutch origin , from the Dutch word " donderbus " , which is a combination of " donder " , meaning " thunder " , and " bus " , meaning " Pipe " ( Middle Dutch : " busse " , box , tube , from Late Latin , " buxis " , box , from Ancient Greek " pyxίs " ( πυξίς ) , box : esp . from boxwood ) . The transition from " donder " to " blunder " is thought by some to be deliberate ; the term " blunder " was originally used in a transitive sense , synonymous with " to confuse " , and this is thought to describe the stunningly loud report of the large bore , short barreled blunderbuss . The term " dragon " is taken from the fact that early versions were decorated with a carving in the form of a mythical dragon ' s head around the muzzle ; the muzzle blast would then give the impression of a fire - breathing dragon . Construction . The blunderbuss could be considered an early shotgun , and served in similar roles . While various old accounts often list the blunderbuss as being loaded with various scrap iron , rocks , or wood , this would result in damage to the bore of the gun ; it was typically loaded with a number of lead balls smaller than the bore diameter . Barrels were made of steel or brass . The muzzle ( and often the bore ) was flared with the intent not only to increase the spread of the shot , but also to funnel powder and shot into the weapon , making it easier to reload on horseback or on a moving carriage ; however , modern experiments have shown that the flared muzzle has no noticeable effect on shot spread . The flared muzzle is the defining feature of the blunderbuss , differentiating it from large caliber carbine s ; the distinction between the blunderbuss and the musketoon is less distinct , as musketoons were also used to fire shot , and some had flared barrels . Blunderbusses were typically short , with barrels under two feet ( 60 cm ) in length , at a time when a typical musket barrel was over three feet ( 90 cm ) long . One source , describing arms from the early to middle 17th century , lists the barrel length of a wheel lock dragon at around eleven inches ( 28 cm ) , compared to a sixteen inch ( 41 cm ) length for a blunderbuss . Use . The blunderbuss , and especially the dragon , was typically issued to troops such as cavalry , who needed a lightweight , easily handled firearm . The dragon became so associated with cavalry and mounted infantry that the term " dragoon " became synonymous with mounted infantry . In addition to the cavalry , the blunderbuss found use for other duties in which the shotgun - like qualities were desirable , such as for guarding prisoners or defending a mail coach , and its use for urban combat was also recognized . Blunderbusses were also commonly carried by officers on naval warships , privateers and by pirates for use in close - quarters boarding actions . The Portuguese marines used it widely in the 17th century . Many types of ammunition , including gravel and sand , could be shot . The blunderbuss used by the British mail service during the period of 1788 – 1816 was a flintlock with a 14 - inch long flared brass barrel , brass triggerguard , and an iron trigger and lock . A typical British mail coach would have a single postal employee on board , armed with a blunderbuss and a pair of pistol s , to guard the mail from highwaymen . One 18th century " coaching blunderbuss " in another British collection had a brass barrel 17 inches long , flaring to 2 inches at the muzzle ; it was also provided with a spring - loaded bayonet , which was held along the barrel by a catch and would spring forward into place when released . While the blunderbuss is often associated with the Plymouth Colony Pilgrims of 1620 , evidence suggests that the blunderbuss was relatively scarce in the American colonies . After the Battle of Lexington in 1775 , British General Thomas Gage occupied Boston , Massachusetts , and upon negotiating with the town committee , Gage agreed to let the inhabitants of Boston leave town with their families and effects if they surrendered all arms . While most of the residents of Boston stayed , those who left under the agreement surrendered 1 , 778 long arms , 634 pistols , 273 bayonets , and only 38 blunderbusses . The blunderbuss did still have its civilian applications , however ; the Lewis and Clark Expedition carried a number of blunderbusses , some of which were mounted and used as small swivel gun s on the pirogue s . By the middle 19th century , the blunderbuss was considered obsolete and was replaced in military use by the carbine . Though the latter was considered by some to be a poor replacement , and the blunderbuss still found use with civilians as a defensive firearm . The carbine in use by the British during the Crimean War was lampooned in " Punch " magazine as being able , in the hands of a good marksman , to " hit a hayrick at 80 yards " . In popular culture . In the 1991 film " Beauty and the Beast " , the main antagonist Gaston uses a blunderbuss for hunting . In the 2000 video game American McGee ' s Alice , Alice ' s Blunderbuss is a secret weapon which can only be found in two hidden locations and is the most powerful weapon in the game . In the 2012 film Looper , Loopers carry a modern version of a blunderbuss . Loopers , whose job is to execute bound prisoners at close range , use a blunderbuss : " Cause it ' s impossible to hit anything further than fifteen yards , " and " Impossible to miss anything closer . " In an addon for the 2010 video game " Red Dead Redemption " called " " the protagonist John Marston received a Blunderbuss and his initial reaction was : " A Blunderbuss ? What is this , 1850 ? " , pointing out the gun ' s antiquity , because the Blunderbuss was discarded in the mid 1800s while the game takes place in 1911 . In the video game Bioshock Infinite , the Blunderbuss is available as a weapon in the game ' s downloadable content . It is also set to appear in the Assassin ' s Creed IV DLC " Freedom Cry " . In the video game Saint ' s Row IV It appears as a skin for the pump action Shotgun Susko , Thomas , The American Blunderbuss