A couple mortars for comments

Matchlock · 6th June 2012, 01:43 PM

Exactly, Rick,

That's what I noted earlier in a similar thread:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ight=linstocks

They were kept resting in a bowl filled with glowing coal to retain their red heat.

The bulbous, pear-shaped form on igniting irons which could hold the heat longer does not seem to have turned up before the 16th century (images attachted). But even those bulbous heads were equiped with tapering pricks (Zündstachel) for small touch holes which have also mostly fallen off, due to a permanent change of exposure to red heat and rust.

The photo with the big cannon was taken in the 15th c. armory of the Fortress Oberhaus in Passau, Lower Bavaria, where three of my finest hackbut barrels came from, one of them dated 1481, which makes it the earliest dated small firearm known:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=1481

The Passau hackbut barrels can be seen on the wall to the right of the cannon. The outside of the fortress walls is dated 1499.

The barrel of the cannon is dated 1726 and left to the piece two igniting irons can be seen on their long hafts, alongside with two scourers (Rohrwischer).

Best,
Michael

6th June 2012, 01:43 PM	#9
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Exactly, Rick, That's what I noted earlier in a similar thread: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ight=linstocks They were kept resting in a bowl filled with glowing coal to retain their red heat. The bulbous, pear-shaped form on igniting irons which could hold the heat longer does not seem to have turned up before the 16th century (images attachted). But even those bulbous heads were equiped with tapering pricks (Zündstachel) for small touch holes which have also mostly fallen off, due to a permanent change of exposure to red heat and rust. The photo with the big cannon was taken in the 15th c. armory of the Fortress Oberhaus in Passau, Lower Bavaria, where three of my finest hackbut barrels came from, one of them dated 1481, which makes it the earliest dated small firearm known: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=1481 The Passau hackbut barrels can be seen on the wall to the right of the cannon. The outside of the fortress walls is dated 1499. The barrel of the cannon is dated 1726 and left to the piece two igniting irons can be seen on their long hafts, alongside with two scourers (Rohrwischer). Best, Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 6th June 2012 at 03:06 PM.