Keeping on the cannon path

[fernando]

Thank you all gentlemen, for making this develop into such great thread, which leaves me and my cannon full of joy .
I have been weaving some considerations, after your various propposals.
The tail, Manuel, as you mention; indeed the berços had most times these devices detachable, to minimize problems of limited space aboard early ships.
These tails were then called over here 'rabos de ferro' (iron tails), but berços (breech loading falconets) appeared at a stage later than that of this cannon.
Thinking of Philip's sugestion, i confess i envisage hand cannon tails being more often of the socket form, having their wooden poles 'plugged' in; the other way round wouldn't be an harmonious and secure connection, to my view ... but i am a rookie in this area.
On the other hand, if the missing part was not so lengthy, and coming to a point in projection of its tapering angle, it would be improbable that it has been broken by accident.
If instead, and following Michael's later hints, it has been cut off, from being either a short tail or a long tiller, the reason would be its conversion, from a hand held piece into another type of gun; a stationary version, who knows which... a tripod stand cannon, a niche cannon, what else?
Definitely many long leaving weapons (and not only), ended up being sumitted to one or more modifications through their lives.
We are together, guys .
Fernando