No excess too great

Photo: History in Orbit

Short-cut to over-killing

In what can only be described perhaps, as a super-long blunderbuss, this real gun was used in commercial waterfowl hunting in the late 1800s and early 1900s.   They were called 'punt guns' because they were used in a type of boat called a punt.   One of these guns could fire almost a pound of shot and could kill 50 birds in one blast.   In order to maximize the count, 10 punt guns would be fired simultaneously in the name of efficient enterprise.   Not surprisingly, they devastated wild bird populations and were subsequently outlawed.

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BarrytheBirder