Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Matchlock · 30th May 2010, 11:54 PM

Thank you so much for your precise arguments, Fernando,

They exactly confirm my opinion, so thanks again for denying my question.

My request was just meant to explore whether there are any differing opinions on this topic.

And yes, of course this curious weapon must have had very little practical use, apart from astounding people for its multiple functions combined. On the other hand, though - what practical use did my almost 500 year old four barrel mace have?
Please cf. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8179

(I realize that the barrels did not rotate). In spite of the spikes in the head the grip is way too fragile and the head containg the barrels is way too heavy in order to really deal a hard blow - the grip would have broken in no time.
And the spearhead is riveted to the hinged muzzle lid in such a delicate way that it, too, would have broken at the very first thrust.

What I wish to say is that curious combination weapons like my mace or the Apache 'revolver' have been built again and again throughout the centuries regardless of their being of little or no practical use.

I feel they are just based on the playful human wit, which seems to have first manifested in the Italian High Renaissance Mannerism of the 16th century, ca. 1520-80.

As to your thesis that the term of multishot firearms may have related to early repeating arms I should suggest to rather put it the other way round. The earliest period illustrations and actually surviving pieces of both multibarrel and superimposed load firearms clearly prove that the invention of repeated fire out of one single barrel did not take place before ca. the 1570's - and that of course is identical with the first application of a revolving cylinder connected to a fixed barrel. )

Before that time (and for long after) it was all about either multiple barrels or superimposed loads in one barrel (the first evidence of the latter, a six shot snap tinderlock arquebus the upper five loads of which would of course have to be fired manually by holding a smoldering match or piece of tinder into the respective pan!, is found in a South German manuscript of ca. 1525 - please see attachment:

Best,
Michael

30th May 2010, 11:54 PM	#13
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Thank you so much for your precise arguments, Fernando, They exactly confirm my opinion, so thanks again for denying my question. My request was just meant to explore whether there are any differing opinions on this topic. And yes, of course this curious weapon must have had very little practical use, apart from astounding people for its multiple functions combined. On the other hand, though - what practical use did my almost 500 year old four barrel mace have? Please cf. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8179 (I realize that the barrels did not rotate). In spite of the spikes in the head the grip is way too fragile and the head containg the barrels is way too heavy in order to really deal a hard blow - the grip would have broken in no time. And the spearhead is riveted to the hinged muzzle lid in such a delicate way that it, too, would have broken at the very first thrust. What I wish to say is that curious combination weapons like my mace or the Apache 'revolver' have been built again and again throughout the centuries regardless of their being of little or no practical use. I feel they are just based on the playful human wit, which seems to have first manifested in the Italian High Renaissance Mannerism of the 16th century, ca. 1520-80. As to your thesis that the term of multishot firearms may have related to early repeating arms I should suggest to rather put it the other way round. The earliest period illustrations and actually surviving pieces of both multibarrel and superimposed load firearms clearly prove that the invention of repeated fire out of one single barrel did not take place before ca. the 1570's - and that of course is identical with the first application of a revolving cylinder connected to a fixed barrel. ) Before that time (and for long after) it was all about either multiple barrels or superimposed loads in one barrel (the first evidence of the latter, a six shot snap tinderlock arquebus the upper five loads of which would of course have to be fired manually by holding a smoldering match or piece of tinder into the respective pan!, is found in a South German manuscript of ca. 1525 - please see attachment: Best, Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 31st May 2010 at 02:49 AM.