A unique bronze barrel wall gun (doppelter Doppelhaken), Nuremberg, ca. 1515-20

[Matchlock]

As the following definition is basic for the subject of this thread, here is what I have often pointed out since 2008.




Re: BRASS or "BRONZE" barrels?


Material type: Copper alloy

This term should be used for any alloy which appears to include copper. It is only if you know for sure that the item is a particular alloy (e.g. bronze, brass, gun metal, speculum) that you can correctly identify, and term, the item in question.

Most of the time, though, you will be able to identify the alloy only from the appearance, weight and type of object (e.g. leaded bronze for Medieval and post-Medieval cooking vessels, or brass for Byzantine buckets, or bronze for Bronze Age objects, bell-metal for bells, speculum for Roman mirrors, etc etc) and so the identification will not be certain.


Therefore if you do certainly know the type of alloy because you have had a compositional analysis, then it is very important to say this.


Also, keep in mind that the historic and contemporary term for cast-copper alloy barrels was BRASS.




Michael Trömner