A stupendous hand cannon

fernando · 7th August 2009, 07:19 PM

Dear Philip,
Thank you so much for your knowledgeable comments on this piece and for the treatise in gunpowder. Next time you come over, i will be glad to take you to a visit to Barcarena gunpowder factory, a Royal complex that started as an arms factory in the XV century and remained producing gunpowder till just the other day. It is nowadays a very interesting museum.
Concernning the cannon, i see what you mean about the recessed touch-hole and hope that Michael comes around, expecting that he can situate this characteristic in time or and place of origin.
About the possibility of the hole rectification and bushing i can't figure it out by myself, as age dust and patina would 'disguise' any possible marks of a seam.
I understand that gunpowder evoluted both in composition and form (granulating and so) between the XIV and XVIII centuries. Certainly the bringing into practice of such technology advances, contemplated some nations and or forces more than others. I was paging a little book i have, a sort of catalogue of an artillery exhibition occurred in the Portuguese Oporto Military museum and, amazingly, the gunpowders described to have served the (twenty five) exhibited pieces only changed from fine to granulated powder in the XVIII century. This obviously proves nothing, but it is somehow symptomatic, though ... or the guy that wrote the legends is not such an expert

.
OTHH, this cannon is assumedly a very early specimen, most probably from around 1400. In my ignorant perspective, it could have been that the rather thick rear end was intended to create a weight to avoid the piece to recoil too much with the kick back. Naturally this would be useful for both weak and strong gunpowder. Maybe the idea was, in any case, to have the cannon mounted in a device that demanded stability ?.
I hope Michael comes in some time and switches the light in the subject.
Fernando

7th August 2009, 07:19 PM	#1
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Dear Philip, Thank you so much for your knowledgeable comments on this piece and for the treatise in gunpowder. Next time you come over, i will be glad to take you to a visit to Barcarena gunpowder factory, a Royal complex that started as an arms factory in the XV century and remained producing gunpowder till just the other day. It is nowadays a very interesting museum. Concernning the cannon, i see what you mean about the recessed touch-hole and hope that Michael comes around, expecting that he can situate this characteristic in time or and place of origin. About the possibility of the hole rectification and bushing i can't figure it out by myself, as age dust and patina would 'disguise' any possible marks of a seam. I understand that gunpowder evoluted both in composition and form (granulating and so) between the XIV and XVIII centuries. Certainly the bringing into practice of such technology advances, contemplated some nations and or forces more than others. I was paging a little book i have, a sort of catalogue of an artillery exhibition occurred in the Portuguese Oporto Military museum and, amazingly, the gunpowders described to have served the (twenty five) exhibited pieces only changed from fine to granulated powder in the XVIII century. This obviously proves nothing, but it is somehow symptomatic, though ... or the guy that wrote the legends is not such an expert . OTHH, this cannon is assumedly a very early specimen, most probably from around 1400. In my ignorant perspective, it could have been that the rather thick rear end was intended to create a weight to avoid the piece to recoil too much with the kick back. Naturally this would be useful for both weak and strong gunpowder. Maybe the idea was, in any case, to have the cannon mounted in a device that demanded stability ?. I hope Michael comes in some time and switches the light in the subject. Fernando Last edited by fernando; 7th August 2009 at 07:30 PM.