Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Philip · 18th January 2011, 05:41 AM

Oops, forgot something.
From the dimensions, this appears to have been made for a rampart gun, mounted in a wood stock of generally similar shape to those of the normal sized Japanese musket. No swivels were provided, the forestock was rested on a parapet or stuck through a firing-port in a castle wall. Probably rested on some sort of cushion since I've seen many complete examples and the wood on most isn't all dinged up as you'd expect if the gun were just placed on a hard surface when fired.

The short buttstocks of Japanese firearms were designed to be held against the cheek, not shoulder, when fired. This is based on the original Indo-Portuguese design brought to Japan. Almost identical butt shapes were also used in the Malay archipelago until the late 19th cent., and a very rare gun from Goa of very similar design is preserved in a museum in Dresden.

Japanese matchlocks appear to have changed little during the 350-odd years that they remained in use, although there are minor differences in butt profiles, muzzle shapes, and lock details that point to regional differences and different artisanal traditions. Most of the reference material that explains this is in Japanese.

18th January 2011, 05:41 AM	#6
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	configuration of gun Oops, forgot something. From the dimensions, this appears to have been made for a rampart gun, mounted in a wood stock of generally similar shape to those of the normal sized Japanese musket. No swivels were provided, the forestock was rested on a parapet or stuck through a firing-port in a castle wall. Probably rested on some sort of cushion since I've seen many complete examples and the wood on most isn't all dinged up as you'd expect if the gun were just placed on a hard surface when fired. The short buttstocks of Japanese firearms were designed to be held against the cheek, not shoulder, when fired. This is based on the original Indo-Portuguese design brought to Japan. Almost identical butt shapes were also used in the Malay archipelago until the late 19th cent., and a very rare gun from Goa of very similar design is preserved in a museum in Dresden. Japanese matchlocks appear to have changed little during the 350-odd years that they remained in use, although there are minor differences in butt profiles, muzzle shapes, and lock details that point to regional differences and different artisanal traditions. Most of the reference material that explains this is in Japanese.