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28th November 2013, 01:50 PM
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#1 |
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Halstenbek, Germany
Posts: 202
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Curious stone cannon
 A curiosity from ancient China: A stone cannon of the Ming Dynasty at Shanhaiguan Great Wall Museum |
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28th November 2013, 04:27 PM
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#2 |
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Lead Moderator European Armoury
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal
Posts: 9,642
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Fantastic,
Thinking we already know all that has to be known. Yet what more we have to know before we die  .Thanks a million for sharing this, Andi. Will obviously save this picture to my archives. ... Assuming i will never get to visit that museum ... much less the Great Wall .
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28th November 2013, 04:56 PM
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#3 |
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(deceased)
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking
Posts: 4,310
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Curious it is, no doubt; fantastic? Possibly ...
How would it have worked, with two touch holes?! I'm afraid what really puzzles us is the fact that that piece of cannon must have been crudely altered some later time.  Best, Michael |
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28th November 2013, 05:25 PM
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#4 |
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Lead Moderator European Armoury
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal
Posts: 9,642
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After a quick browsing ...
It seems as these things were not that uncommon in the Great Wall arsenals.
More uncommon appears to be nowaday's knowledge of how they worked in those days http://www.greatwallforum.com/forum/...te-cannon.html I still call them fantastic ... almost unbelievable 
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28th November 2013, 05:44 PM
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#5 |
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(deceased)
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking
Posts: 4,310
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Hi 'Nando,
This one I completely understand: a breechloader with the interchangeable breech missing. But two touch holes in line??!! Best, Michl |
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28th November 2013, 05:50 PM
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#6 |
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Lead Moderator European Armoury
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal
Posts: 9,642
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I would surmise that the orifice on the back has a different purpose
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30th November 2013, 11:18 AM
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#7 | |
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Nipmuc USA
Posts: 489
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Quote:
Cheers GC |
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30th November 2013, 01:12 PM
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#8 |
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(deceased)
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking
Posts: 4,310
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Yeah, most probably.
Cheers, m |
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30th November 2013, 02:32 PM
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#9 | |
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Lead Moderator European Armoury
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal
Posts: 9,642
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Quote:
To my unexperienced eye, the hole in the back seems to be horizontal. I reckon i see various holes but only one touch hole. Also the breech cavity doesn't seem to accomodate a classic rotating cilindrical re(chamber), but rather a squared frame for a lid. There ought to be an explanation for such an atypical system. . |
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30th November 2013, 04:51 PM
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#10 |
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(deceased)
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking
Posts: 4,310
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Exactly, 'Nando,
The hole in the muzzle plate/flat is highly unusual and dangerous, and the lateral damages seem to be rests of former integral stone trunnions, which would make much more sense than drilling a horizontal hole for a transversal bar into granite ... Best, Michl Last edited by Matchlock; 30th November 2013 at 06:24 PM. |
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