The Blunderbuss was the first and early shotgun, and it is a muzzle-loading firearm with a short, large caliber barrel, which is flared at the muzzle, and used with shot. Contrary to popular belief and depictions in cartoons, the flared muzzle is not to allow the weapon to be filled with shrapnel and junk instead of shot; doing so would damage the weapon. Instead, it served the twin purposes of increasing the spread of shot and making pouring powder and shot into the weapon easier.
Like most antique weapons, any Blunderbuss that is fired in a live-action work is likely a prop or modern reproduction, due to the needless expense of procuring a rare and expensive weapon for such a scene.
The Blunderbuss and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
