A Beautiful Mid-14th Century Handgonne

[Matchlock]

Here is a watercolor of ca. 1410 from the famous Cod. vind. 3069, fol 40, Austrian National Library, Vienna. The gunner is depicted firing a smaller Steinbüchse by means of a long igniting iron* (Loseisen). A lime stone ball (not to scale as was usual at that period of time) is seen leaving the muzzle and flying over the moat towards a tower as part of the wall of a city laid siege to.

Two details are remarkable:

- the way the guy is balancing a bowl with stone balls in his left hand (which does not really make much sense )

- the carriage is already adjustable in height and its wheels show a very special form of parallel spokes (Parallelspeichenräder) characteristic of the alpine regions where they were kept in use for hundreds of years until the early 20th century.

*For a detailed discussion of igniting irons and linstocks, please see my thread
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=10029

Best,
Michael

[Spiridonov]

It seems that spiral welding is on the barrel on the top of the topic

[Matchlock]

Absolutely, Alexander!

m

[Matchlock]

For two rare bombards/Steinbüchsen sold at auction, please see my thread:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18482

Best,
Michael

[Spiridonov]

The wrought-iron gun has a total length of 260mm a bore 31mm. It was found in Southern Germany.

[Spiridonov]

One more
"A VERY EARLY & EXTREMELY RARE NORTHERN ITALIAN (PERUGIA?) 14th/15th CENTURY WROUGHT IRON HAND-CANNON, ca. 1400: In overall fine untouched condition. Lightly oxidized and rust-patinated wrought, iron surfaces with the expected patches of wear, discoloration, scattered pitting and roughness. Of very early, mid-14th Century, small-sized, Hand-Cannon form: having a wrought forged, twisted, bulbous-type, 7”, iron barrel with a slightly irregular, 1.25+ caliber bore: the underside of the muzzle with its original, rectangular, pierced, hook/hack for the attachment of a “Tiller”/Stock. A pronounced twisted midsection and an integrally forged rear handle/powder-chamber with its early type, top-mounted, vent-type/touch-hole. The exterior surfaces retain a fine, untouched, chocolate-brown age-patina and the expected signs of wear from use and exposure. In overall fine condition with a russet-brown patina and scattered forge-roughness/pitting. Some expected bore-irregularity, rust-stains, signs of age and wear. Exhibits a hand-forged, wrought-iron, "twist" pattern with evident hammer-marks and laminations. Overall length 11": and possibly one of the 500 Hand-Cannons/”Bombards” described in the Perugia Arsenal inventory, of 1364; as this and several other similar surviving examples, similarly to those described, is made with a 7” barrel. “500 bombarde una spana longhe” (a span being approx. 9”). {For additional information, Please see M. L. Brown’s: “Firearms in Colonial America…”, pg. 7 & H. L. Peterson’s: “The Treasury of the Gun”, pg. 39). An extremely rare, early and original 14th/15th Century European (Northern Italian) Hand-Cannon, ca. 1400. Rarely seen outside of large European Estate or Institutional collections. One of the earliest examples of a European Firearm on Today’s Market. For a similar example, please see Dudley Pope's: "Guns", “Firearms in Colonial America”, C. Blair’s: “European & American Arms…”, & Jan Durdik's: “Alte Handfeuerwaffen”, pg. 20.

No markings other than a large "18" at the muzzle, twist pattern on the barrel, mounting peg on the muzzle, 4 1/4" grip area with touch hole to the rear. Definitely old, but cannot identify.
BBL: 6 3/4 inch round "

[fernando]

A gun with a similar profile may be seen in Prestige de lármurerie Portugaise, an exhibition held at Musee d´Armes de Liege, in 1991.
It belongs (or belonged) in the collection of Rainer Daehnhardt and is said to have been excavated in the field of the battle of Aljubarrota, which took place in 1385. We know that this is a very early date and a Portuguese specialist doesn't agree that small artillery was used in this battle by Portuguese, also there is a chronicler of the period (Fernão Lopes) who describes how the Spanish side used a number of 16 heavy bombards (trons). Mr. Daehnhardt pretends that, for the same logic, nothing rejects that small hand cannons were used by the Portuguese side.


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