The need for weapons that could give a man an edge in close-quarter fighting meant that a variety of designs emerged.
The Blunderbuss
The term 'blunderbuss' is derived from the Dutch 'donderbuse', meaning thunder-box or thunder-gun. It was first developed in Europe in the seventeenth century. It became the weapon of choice for coachmen and highwaymen alike, and saw some use in naval encounters.
Basically, the blunderbuss was a smoothbore firearm, with a short, wide barrel that flared outwards at the muzzle. Contrary to popular belief, the flared muzzle did not help spread the shot: it enabled the user to reload the weapon rapidly. Blunderbusses were loaded with just about anything, from musket balls to nails and broken glass.
The barrel was made of brass, so it didn't rust. The blunderbuss was first and foremost a close-range anti-personnel weapon. It's limited range made it unpopular with the military, although the Austrians, Prussians and English all experimented with blunderbuss-armed soldiers. The blunderbuss could also be used for hunting fowl and small game, although it lacked the range and accuracy of more conventional fowling pieces. Blunderbuss snare traps with self-firing trigger mechanisms were invented.
The Pistol
By the 1700's, pistols possessed flintlock firing mechanisms. Like all firearms of the period, they were single-shot muzzleloaders. Pistols were immensely popular as they conferred a significant advantage in hand-to-hand fighting. They were used by soldiers, sailors, civilians and criminals alike. The renowned pirate, Edward Teach (alias Blackbeard) went into battle with several braces of pistols dangling about his person and lighted slow-matches (fuses) in his beard and hair.
Pistols were also used in duels. The opponents would start out back-to-back and walk an agreed number of paces before turning and firing. Pistol wounds could be particularly nasty as the victim usually suffered from powder burns inflicted from the close-range muzzleflash of the weapon.
Carbines
The carbine (taken from the french carabine) was a shortened musket developed primarily for the cavalry. It had a shorter range and was even less accurate than standard-issue infantry muskets. Troopers could fire it from the saddle or dismount to fight as infantry. The carbine was useful in close-combat but it's effectiveness diminished at range.
The Nock gun, or volley gun, was a firearm with seven barrels. It was designed by Englishman James Wilson in 1779. The barrels were loaded through their muzzles and all seven barrels were ignited by one central powder charge. This meant that the Nock Gun had a fearsome recoil - enough to potentially dislocate a man's shoulder - and the many barrels ensured that it took ages to reload.
The Nock saw limited service in the navy but was eventually discarded for being to clumsy and dangerous for practical use. The fictional Sergeant Patrick Harper, from the Sharpe novels written by Bernard Cornwell, uses a volley gun.
The Illustrated History of Weaponry
Chuck Wills
SevenOaks, 2006
