Blunderbuss Mechanics, CCW Laws Across State Lines & Gunslinger Radio Network

Estimated reading time: 4 min

The Gunslinger Syndicated Radio Show opened its March 3 broadcast by running through the full AM station lineup and streaming presence before fielding calls. A caller asked how a blunderbuss actually works, prompting a straight-ahead breakdown of flintlock mechanics and the wide-mouth barrel’s true purpose. A second caller, a California gun owner now living in Washington State, laid out the stark difference between getting a CCW in Ventura County versus Tacoma: 14 months versus 11 days.

On the Air

On the Air: The Gunslinger Syndicated Radio Network

Every Sunday night from 7 to 9 PM Pacific, the Gunslinger Syndicated Radio Show goes live across six AM stations and every major streaming platform. The AM network covers California from San Diego to San Francisco, stretches east to Phoenix and Las Vegas, and reaches listeners coast to coast through the livestream. The full broadcast footprint:

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The Firearms

The Blunderbuss: What That Bell-Mouth Barrel Actually Does

A caller named Richard raised a question worth settling: does the wide flared muzzle of a blunderbuss have anything to do with how the gun fires, or is it purely a loading aid? The answer, as the hosts laid out, is the latter. The bell-mouth opening functions as a funnel, making it easier to dump a charge down a short barrel in a hurry. That was the whole engineering idea.

The blunderbuss is reasonably described as the world’s first practical shotgun. The bore accepted just about anything you could load it with: lead ball, nails, rocks, or whatever else was within reach. It was a weapon built for close quarters and desperate situations, not precision. Firearms technology was still in early development, and the blunderbuss reflects that era’s priorities: get something lethal downrange fast, with whatever you had on hand.

How-To

How to Load and Fire a Flintlock Blunderbuss

The hosts walked through the full sequence of loading and firing a flintlock blunderbuss, start to finish.

  1. Pour the main charge: Measure your black powder and pour it down the muzzle from the top. The flared bell-mouth makes this easier than a standard straight bore.
  2. Tamp the powder: Use a ramrod or wadding to press the powder charge down and seat it firmly at the breech end of the barrel.
  3. Load your projectile: Drop in your shot, ball, or improvised load on top of the tamped powder. For a scatter load, add a wad over the shot to keep it from rolling out.
  4. Prime the pan: Open the frizzen and pour a small amount of finer-grained priming powder into the flash pan on the side of the lock. Close the frizzen down over it.
  5. Cock the hammer: Pull the cock back to full cock. The flint is held in the jaws of the cock, positioned to strike the frizzen face when released.
  6. Fire: Pull the trigger. The hammer falls, driving the flint across the frizzen face, which throws a shower of sparks into the priming powder. The primer ignites, and a jet of flame passes through the touch hole in the barrel wall, detonating the main charge and sending the load out the muzzle.
The Callers

CCW in California vs. Washington State: 14 Months Against 11 Days

A caller named Frank, formerly from Ventura County and now living in Tacoma, Washington, offered a comparison that speaks for itself. Getting his first California CCW took 14 months. After relocating to Washington, his concealed pistol license, known there as a CPL, was issued in 11 days. No mandatory training course, no range qualification required by the state. Under Washington law, you do not even need to currently own a firearm to apply for the permit.

The contrast is not lost on anyone who has navigated California’s may-issue history or the reforms that followed Bruen. Frank noted that Washington’s political class has been working to import California-style firearms restrictions, and that Seattle has not elected a Republican mayor since 1932. The hosts did not find that surprising given how Seattle looks today.

For California residents working through the CCW process or keeping up with legislation that affects carry rights, the California Rifle and Pistol Association tracks active bills and court cases and provides resources for gun owners navigating the state’s regulatory landscape.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of the flared muzzle on a blunderbuss?

The bell-mouth opening on a blunderbuss barrel served as a loading funnel, not a firing mechanism. It made it faster and easier to pour powder and shot down the bore, particularly under stress or in low-light conditions. The shape had no effect on the shot pattern or how the weapon discharged.

How does a flintlock ignition system work?

A flintlock fires through a chain reaction in the lock mechanism. When the trigger is pulled, the cock drops and drives a piece of flint across the steel frizzen face, producing sparks that fall into a small pan of priming powder. That primer ignites and sends a flame through a touch hole drilled into the barrel, detonating the main powder charge behind the projectile.

How long does it take to get a CCW in California compared to other states?

Processing times in California vary significantly by county and have been in flux since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision required the state to move to a shall-issue standard. A caller on this episode reported a 14-month wait for a Ventura County CCW prior to those changes. By contrast, Washington State issued his concealed pistol license in 11 days with no mandatory qualification requirement.

What is the California Rifle and Pistol Association and what does it do?

The California Rifle and Pistol Association, or CRPA, is the state’s leading firearms rights organization. It tracks and opposes restrictive firearms legislation, files and supports Second Amendment litigation, and provides legal resources and information for California gun owners. The CRPA has been involved in several significant court cases challenging California firearms laws.

Where can I listen to or watch the Gunslinger Radio Show live?

The show broadcasts live every Sunday from 7 to 9 PM Pacific across six AM stations in California, Arizona, and Nevada, including KRLA AM870, KTIE AM590, KCBQ FM96.1/AM1170, KTRB AM860, KKNT AM960, and KXNT in Las Vegas. It also streams simultaneously on YouTube, Rumble, Facebook, X, Odysee, and Spotify. Call in live at 866-870-5752.

Sources

Sources, Credibility, and Continuing the Conversation

The blunderbuss mechanics and flintlock ignition sequence discussed in this episode are grounded in well-documented firearms history, and the hosts’ account of the loading process aligns with standard descriptions of 18th-century muzzleloading arms. The CCW processing comparison between California and Washington reflects one caller’s firsthand experience and is consistent with the documented difference between California’s historically restrictive may-issue county-level discretion and Washington’s shall-issue CPL framework. The Gunslinger Syndicated Radio Show has been covering firearms, law, and the auction trade since 1998, and the conversation on air reflects that depth of accumulated experience.