A stupendous hand cannon

Matchlock · 8th August 2009, 04:39 PM

Hi Fernando, my friend,

You really deserve being congratulated on this fine, rare and early piece which can doubtlessly be dated as early as ca. 1400!

I attach photos of two handgonnes from my collection which you certainly remember. The smaller of them, ca. 1380-1400, retains one of its originally two iron bands to fix it on the (missing) stock. Just like on your piece, the octagonal barrel shows a broad flat next to a narrower one alternatingly - a very early feature, together with the touch hole being situated quite a bit forward of the rear end. On my piece, the touch hole is 4 cm from the rear, which is about the same relation as my barrel is only 13.8 cm long.

The touch hole of the larger barrel, made in ca. 1460-80, is 6.3 cm from the rear end and has a bulged pan like area around it.

As the touch hole on your beautiful barrel is surrounded by a finely polished and well centered pan moulding which is not by far as heavily corroded as the surroundings, and which is too early for the time your barrel was made, I think that it is a working time amendment of ca. 1450-60 when such pan mouldings first arise.

Well done, my friend! I think your path to early hand cannon has led you far back to their origins already!

Best,

Michael - mad with sheer envy

P.S. May I add that your lovely cat Adriano adds an overwhelmingly natural charm to the old barrel!

8th August 2009, 04:39 PM	#8
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	A Very Important 'Handgonne', ca. 1400 Hi Fernando, my friend, You really deserve being congratulated on this fine, rare and early piece which can doubtlessly be dated as early as ca. 1400! I attach photos of two handgonnes from my collection which you certainly remember. The smaller of them, ca. 1380-1400, retains one of its originally two iron bands to fix it on the (missing) stock. Just like on your piece, the octagonal barrel shows a broad flat next to a narrower one alternatingly - a very early feature, together with the touch hole being situated quite a bit forward of the rear end. On my piece, the touch hole is 4 cm from the rear, which is about the same relation as my barrel is only 13.8 cm long. The touch hole of the larger barrel, made in ca. 1460-80, is 6.3 cm from the rear end and has a bulged pan like area around it. As the touch hole on your beautiful barrel is surrounded by a finely polished and well centered pan moulding which is not by far as heavily corroded as the surroundings, and which is too early for the time your barrel was made, I think that it is a working time amendment of ca. 1450-60 when such pan mouldings first arise. Well done, my friend! I think your path to early hand cannon has led you far back to their origins already! Best, Michael - mad with sheer envy P.S. May I add that your lovely cat Adriano adds an overwhelmingly natural charm to the old barrel! Attached Images