The blunderbuss is a muzzle-loading firearm with a short, large caliber barrel, which is flared at the muzzle, and used with shot. The blunderbuss is an early form of shotgun adapted to military and defensive use., entry for Blunderbuss The term dragon was used to describe a blunderbuss in handgun form, and it's 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,… (More on Blunderbuss)