An Unusual Haquebut (Ganzer Haken), ca. 1440-1500

[Spiridonov]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

Addendum to post #10:

The overall length of the handgonne is 28.6 cm, the bore 13 mm.

m

Michael, thank You! As You know exactly measurements is very important for me It's very pleasure that You've got it for me and another members of forum.
By the way, the grips like the grips of Landsknecht messers appears earlier than in begin of 16 century

[Matchlock]

Do you have sources for this thesis?

I would be glad to see them.

m

[Spiridonov]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

Do you have sources for this thesis?

I would be glad to see them.

m

I have made this photo in Sforza Castle when I was in Milan. This wall-painting is about 1460. And this is not earlies example of this type of tiller

[Matchlock]

That's true for Early Renaissance Italian edged weapons, Alexender,

Thank you so much!

My experience of doing research in earliest firearms for some 30 years has proved though that guns generally used to fall behind other stylistic trends in arts and crafts by at least some decades. E.g., if you find a Late Gothic roped frieze (Schnürlband) on some everday use item of ca. 1450, let's say a beaker, you will not find the same decorative element on barrels before the end the 15th c.

This I feel should be kept in mind when it comes to dating earliest guns. In the samples I posted above, the shape and length of the muzzle section, as well as the pronounced Renaissance-style sectioning of the Ingolstadt barrel by friezes, both give a fixed date of post quem, which is 1500 to 1510.

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Another haquebut with long and flat integral tiller retaining transerverse nails for the missing grips, ca. 1500-15, in the Historisches Museum Bern, Switzerland.

Overall length 151 cm
weight 14.5 kg
barrel length 92 cm
bore length 90.5 cm
bore diameter 2.1 cm
outer muzzle diameter 4.7 cm
outer rear end diameter 6.1 cm
hook 10 x 5.8 cm
tiller length 59 cm

m

[Matchlock]

As all development in the history of small guns seems to derive from large cannons/artillery pieces, here is the predecessor of the above posted haquebuts with long tillers: a piece of artillery, illustrated in a Swiss Gothic manuscript (codex), on the adventures of the first crusade, preserved in the Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen, Cod.Sang. 658, fo. 61, detail.

Please also note the tiller arquebus fired by a soldier in the second close-up.

As this profusely illumniated book, hitherto virtually unknown, offers vast and manifold sources on 15th century weapons of all kinds, here is the link for download:

http://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/de/preview/csg/0658

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Another arquebus depiction, from the same codex, 1465, fol. 38.