Dating Earliest Barrels: the Importance of the Position of the Touch Hole

[Matchlock]

More of the Kronburg haquebuts.

Although Hermann Historica's catalog description stated that the stock was of oak, it really was of ash.


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[Matchlock]

Illustrations by Bartholomäus Freysleben (1490-1500) and Jörg Kölderer (1507), from the Tyrolean arsenal inventories for Maximilian I, depicting exactly that type of tiller haquebuts, the barrel painted red with minium (red lead).

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[Matchlock]

Some more instances.

[Matchlock]

A heavy tiller wall gun (German: Doppelhaken) retaining its original long tiller (oak?) stock, ca. 1500-10; barrel of round section throughout, conical touch hole, swamped muzzle; long, rectangular hook.
Overall length 1.74 m.
Sold Hermann Historica, Munich, 14 October 1988.

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[Matchlock]

A heavy, fully stocked wall gun (Doppelhaken), most probably Austria, ca. 1515-20, the barrel of round section throughout, with elongated, swamped, octagonal muzzle section (decisive for assigning its date), one edge turned upward to act as a foresight, small touch hole located on half-right side, with large hollowed pan-like trough to hold the priming mass and guide the igniting iron; attached to the oaken full stock by two 'folded' iron bands, the hook pulled over the barrel by a cuff, scroll buttstock.
Overall length 178 cm.

These heavy wall guns were no longer long guns, they actually were the smallest pieces of artillery, often mounted on a tripod, and served by two men, aimer and igniter (Richt- und Feuerschütze).
Source of period artwork from Jörg Kölderer's illustrations of 1507, from the arsenal inventories of the Tyrolean armories of King Maximilian I.

Sold Hermann Historica, Munich, 22 April 1988.

[Matchlock]

Another heavy wrought-iron tiller haquebut barrel, ca. 1500-10 (wall gun, ganzer Haken), the wooden tiller stock broken off but remains of oak retained in the socket; round socket, barrel octagonal to round, with stepped, pointed, pierced hook placed unusually far at the rear, at about 40 per cent of the overall length of the piece, large touch hole with hollowed igniting pan beneath, located at half-right position; short, swamped, round muzzle section accentuated by a small roped frieze ('Maximilian' style muzzle, Maximilianischer Mündungskopf).
Length overall 108 cm, weight ca. 10 kg.

Sold Hermann Historica, Munich, 22 April 1988.

[Spiridonov]

Michael, thank You so much. You share photos of a lot of barrels which I have not seen before. It's a really rich food for my mind. I need some time to comprehend this information

[Matchlock]

It's my turn to say thank you for reading, Alexender, my friend,


It took me four decades, including taking more than 180,000 photos, to gather together all the information and sort of transform its essence into dating criteria, which now have to be digested. I realize that.


Hang on, please,
'cause there's a lot more to come.


Best,
Michael

[fernando]

Yes Michl, long goes this thread/work, in which you show us and teach us a lot, for which we may only feel much obliged.
To lend the thread a touch of "variety", allow me post the oldest specimen kept in the Portuguese Maritime Musem, which i have twice visited and from which i keep a catalogue on the Artillery thematic.
It is known by the name of "Aljubarrota trom" although, contrary to tradition, it would have never been in this memorable battle. (quoting catalogue author Colonel Nuno Valdez dos Santos; now deceased ).
The text also says that, with its half ton weight and 1,5 mts. length, this is no more than a (loading) chamber from a huge trom or gross bombard, which possible had a 4 to 5 meters length.
Pity that when i was there i didn't take a (clandestine) picture of its touch hole. Maybe when you come down to Lisbon we go there and do it .

.