Trying to narrow down the chronology is indeed tough on something like this. This is a type of böller, I would think, because its shape calls for it standing upright. Even if the barrel was provided with a socket, or shaped to fit a stock, its conical bore would make it impractical as a projectile weapon. The problem with such a bore is that a ball of any given size would only go down to a certain point, and deciding what point is optimum in relation to the volume of powder is critical from a safety standpoint because if there is any air space in between, excessive pressure can be generated by the explosion, turning the barrel into a little bomb.
As a noisemaker or signal device, the design of such a device can stay unchanged for a very long time. There are three- (or more) barrel versions of these, forged of iron, found in different Far Eastern countries and the ones from 17th cent. Korea can hardly be distinguished from those from 19th cent. Indochina. So the generous range of dates that you suggest is perhaps the most realistic assessment.
|