In support of what Fernando notes in #23;
From Tartaglio, "The Arte of Shooting" (1588),
"....through the intolerable fault of careless or unskillful gunfounders all of our great pieces of one name are not of one length, nor of one weight, nor of one height in their mouths, and therefore the gunners books and tables which do show that all of our pieces are of one name...are of equal length, and of one equal weight and are of an equal height in their mouths, are erroneous".
Cited in "Armouries of the Tower Of London: the Ordnance".
H.L.Blackmore, HMSO, 1976, p.391
As we are discussing the term culverin in 1590 as used in accounts of the DeSosa 'expedition' and what size gun probably referred to considering the transport and movement in terrain of said gun, it would seem the dilemma of terms used broadly for varying size guns was notably present in those times.
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