Hi Fernando
,
thanks for posting further passages from the book, it backs up alot of what I have already said. Even the mention of "....... the damascened nine palms barrel trembling in the light of the table lamps...." seems to confirm that these barrels were Ottoman manufactured by the process I mentioned in my last post.
It was also stated that at the time of the siege it was acknowledged that the Ottomans had superior gunpowder. Its finer grain had a faster ignition which provided faster velocity of the projectile. If, as mentioned in the excepts, a 'double charge' was required it can only mean 1. the caliber was larger and therefore the 'ball' heavier or 2. the barrel was significantly longer....to overcome the increased friction of the ball with the barrel as it is propelled through it.......or 3 ...a combination of 1 and 2.
"..........At the left flank of the advance, a series of Tüfekchi entered formation
off the limit reached by the arquebuses and shot a mantle of fire from their nine palm muskets ......."
This also suggests that my asumption that these 9 palm muskets were specialist weapons used at distance ....before the two army 'fronts' could engage in force, is also right.
The Tüfekchi were the Janissary (elite soldiers) musketeers
I have tried, in vain, to find a picture, hopefully one will "turn up"
All the best
David