A Bavarian arsenal inventory dated 1485
 

... depicting guns and various other stuff kept in the Landshut arsenal in 1485. It is called the Landshuter Zeughausinventar. Zeug is the old German word for all kinds of weapons, Zeughaus means arsenal. Landshut is a historic city and nowadays the capital of the county of Lower Bavaria. In the Middle Ages, it was a main residence of the Wittelsbach dynasty whose heirs are still alive.

Note the red paint on some pieces.

The late-Gothic handwriting comments on the haquebuts the barrels of which are obviously of cast brass: "Alt Hagknpuchsn", i.e. old haquebuts, meaning that these pieces were already considered to be obsolete by 1485.

The three incendiary cossbow bolts with their flights painted red are referred to as "Alt Fewrpfeyl", again denoting that they had been in the Landshut arsenal for a long time yet.

Quite remarkable is the comment on the group of 4 harquebuses with blackened stocks and brass barrels:
"Handtpuchsn so im kassten sein", harquebuses which are stored in a wooden chest.

The Landshut Zeughausinventar ranks among the earliest known illustrated arsenal inventories. It was executed 7 years before Columbus discovered the New World, and 20 years before the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I had the contents of his arsenals illustrated.

Matchlock

Thanks for the pictures. The one with the fire arrows is especially interesting for me, as I own several of those pieces (15th century). It's exactly the same kind: with only one barb. That's a type that was especially common in Southern Germany and Austria.

stm

Incendiary arrows/crossbow quarrels
 

Excellently observed!

Do your pieces retain their original hafts (Zaine) and incendiary masses?

Would you mind posting a few images?

How do you like these:

what is it?
http://diglit.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/d...130/1/048r.jpg
:shrug:

measurements
 

Hi Matchlock,
how long are your examples of fire crossbow arrows?
(haft and head).
How thick ist the wooden feather.
I ask because i may build one for my medieval reenactment
regards
Dirk

Hi Dirk,

As I added when first posting these incendiary crossbow bolts, I sold them some 15 years ago. Fortunately the present owner is a friend of mine so you will get the measurements. Please allow some time though for he is extremely busy.

Best,
Michael

Hi Dirk,

Finally I got the measurements and thanks to Fernando's master mind I managed to also find your request, so please go here:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12224

Best,
Michael

Hello Spiridonov

Did you know it already? I asked myself the same question and beged a friend to transcribe the Text of the page. Hopefully I will get his reply soon.