Handgonne Barrels and Böllers

[fernando]

Fernando, i bow to yours and the late Michael T.s knowledge of subject . I was so sad when i saw he had passed, i would have loved to learn so much from the man and he seemed so giving of knowledge. I read with joy every post and learned so much, they validated my own assumptions on a piece, my first bought from this hoard to be a "Gonne Barrel " not a Boller. But i of course made my mistakes, but i studied and read and researched, even days, hours. But i do disagree with a assumption That Michael T. made as my studies in Art History and forging techniques lead me, that is the transition from round barrels to Hexagonal / Octagonal being from the period of Gothic cultural influence. I believe and think it is evident that it was a change in forging technique not style, from use of winding iron around a mandrel and heat welding together, beating a rounded form together, and the later technique of heat welding plates together. It's simply easier to hammer flat then rounded surfaces, requires less time in hammering and finishing, seats in its stock more firmly and bands more firmly. It really i think its evident and obvious. As they say in design" form follows function".

Yours with all humility ,
Michael Pechacek Sr.
Phoenix AZ
USA

[Pukka Bundook]

Fernando and Michael,

Thank you for this very interesting topic!
Welcome Michael, and I do hope in time you show us some photographs of these interesting little pieces.

I had seen a form of Blunderbuss used in the Germanic lands for such a 'noise -making' purpose, but was totally ignorant of the little Bollers.

Thank you both for starting this thread!

Re. Michael T. His loss seems with time, to be more acute than ever.

Kind regards,
Richard.

[Marcus den toom]

Hi Michael,

Thank you for your post, i hope you will be showing us your collection very soon.

Quit a good thesis, Michael Trömner would have approved of most of it i am sure.

My personal view on Böller and hand cannons is that the latter does not have a wide base (relative to the normal width of the barrel) and there is also no real powder pan.
After the 1400s the hand cannons where more and more mass produced, all of the "feuerwerk und Kriegsbuche" (firework and war books) from the 1390-1500 depict that multiple barrels on one stock was more common than just one single barrel. Quit alot of those have indeed been turned into Böller or even doorstoppers

[Silver Shield]

My Pictures will be posted and additional text soon , showing basic relationship , especially design continuity .Also I have in my collection a piece I have that seems certainly to be a mimic of a handgonne barrel , made much later . Pictures will show comparison between a almost identical handgonne barrel of the early 1400s and the mimic , which I am sure will shock some collectors and interested parties . But what else would you expect , if indeed the traditional use and model for boller where handgonne barrels ?

[fernando]

A. Handgonne barrel and Mimic
Barrel weight 1.282kg
length 14cm
width at bore aprox. 4.2 cm at base 5cm
bore aprox 2.3cm
octagonal -8 sided

Mimic Boller
weight 1.454kg
length aprox. 14.3
width at bore 4.3cm at base 4.8
bore 2cm
hexagonal - 6 sided
Notice uneven faces of gonne barrel , with rounded facets , but very sharp well defined facets on boller !

B. Handgoone barrel and mimic
Bore face showing rounded shoulders and uneven bore hole of gonne barrel , while boller has very well rounded bore , and well centered


.

[Silver Shield]

Some pictures of "Gonne Barrels " of the type seen circa early to mid 1400s Verses comparisons with a small boller that mimics the features of gonne barrels, all from the same area of Austria . The gonne barrels all exhibit 8 sides, some rounding of the facets , bores from about 1.8cm to approximately 2cm, all with somewhat out of round bores . From left to right weights ; .970kg, 1.282kg, 2.258kg ,2.112kg . The lengths from left to right aprox. ; 13.8cm ,14cm, 22cm,13.2cm. . The "Mimic" boller barrel is 14cm with a bore of 2cm , 6 sided , and very near perfect round . the vents or touchholes of the gonne barrels , also do not have a pushed up flash pan , although the small barrel , the 1st on the left has a small sulcus in front of its vent ,certainly forged or made during its construction ,presumed to be a early form of powder pan , and the very squat barrel on the far right has cone at the vent that is inverted to hold a small amount of residual powder to certainly get a better fire . It will be noted that Pictures of the " Mimic" barrel the flash pan has been pushed up to form a cup that would be useless when barrel was in a horizontal position , and would only be useful if barrel was in a vertical or upright position and the evidence of not only time but use show that the barrel was used contemporaneously with this feature , as pitting and other indications are consistent over the whole body of the barrel and cascade down into the area towards the vent where the material was removed to push up the pan. Also enough cannot be said about the apparent similarities with the gonne barrels , as far as overall design , but also the very different overall workmanship and apparent precision of forging .
1st picture showing 4 presumed gonne barrels , the 2nd with addition of mimic , the 3rd a close up of vent and flash pan of mimic boller .

[Silver Shield]

Here is a few more pictures , again of bollers and barrels from the same hoard from the same area of Austria , comparisons of shape , vents , and details .

Pictures #1 side by side comparison of two bollers , one the "Mimic " the other a 24.5cm high octagonal classic style boller , notice the cut of the flashpan is identical .So is the signs of forging, forging details such as crisp facets , but the larger one has the base widened to for a stand as it is . The signs of age also match very well , as to be frightening ! I believe both are most likely 18th to 19th century .
Picture #2 the two bollers side by side , the "Mimic" 14cm tall the Classic Boller 24.5cm tall , notice the design struck into the sides of the large boller showing evidence of its actual use , Fireworks !!
Picture #3 comparison of bore face on both bollers , rounded shoulders , very round bore , Large boiler 2.7cm bore , small "Mimic " bore of 2cm
Pictures #4 and #5 comparison of vent holes between two of the handgonne barrels that seem to be undisturbed and the classic large boller , though the squat one does have a cut down on the vent .