Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

fernando · 30th November 2010, 07:10 PM

Splendid pictures, Michl
I confess i wouldn't figure out what those "wedgers" were doing, unless enlightened in an objective context.

The farther i would reach was the bagging of stone balls in cloth sacks, with the common purpose to seal the gases.
Assuming that, at such stage, by the discoveries period, one to two centuries after Agincourt, cannons were certainly stronger and balls would probably be more thoroughly made, other "stuffing" materials were possibly no longer needed.
I was also aware that "pedreiros" (stoner cannons) had a chamber narrower than the bore, thus named "encamaradas" or "de releixo" (enchambered or relaxed).
OTOH, this wouldn't impede the quick damaging of barrels with such "harsh" ammunition. The Portuguese discoverers have circumstancially found a solution to diminish the problem, by melting and recasting the barrels after every hundred shots, something that could be done in foundries established in places like Goa, Cochim, Melaka and Macao.

Thank you for the fantastic and comprehensive Agincourt battle synopsis, Wayne. It is of great importance for cannon enthusiasts perusal. I will save it together with the record of the cannon ball discussed here.

30th November 2010, 07:10 PM	#3
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Splendid pictures, Michl I confess i wouldn't figure out what those "wedgers" were doing, unless enlightened in an objective context. The farther i would reach was the bagging of stone balls in cloth sacks, with the common purpose to seal the gases. Assuming that, at such stage, by the discoveries period, one to two centuries after Agincourt, cannons were certainly stronger and balls would probably be more thoroughly made, other "stuffing" materials were possibly no longer needed. I was also aware that "pedreiros" (stoner cannons) had a chamber narrower than the bore, thus named "encamaradas" or "de releixo" (enchambered or relaxed). OTOH, this wouldn't impede the quick damaging of barrels with such "harsh" ammunition. The Portuguese discoverers have circumstancially found a solution to diminish the problem, by melting and recasting the barrels after every hundred shots, something that could be done in foundries established in places like Goa, Cochim, Melaka and Macao. Thank you for the fantastic and comprehensive Agincourt battle synopsis, Wayne. It is of great importance for cannon enthusiasts perusal. I will save it together with the record of the cannon ball discussed here.