Wadding in 14th to 17th Century Loading

[Matchlock]

Thanks a lot, 'Nando!

Here is a cross sectional drawing of a ca. 1360-80 small bronze handgun barrel which proves that the ball reservoir (or should I say ballroom? ) of this special gun is notably longer than the powder chamber.

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

O.k., here are the real things from my collection - ammunition from five centuries:

- extreme left, standing upright: a glass with a ball and powder load extracted from a ca. 1470 Nuremberg bronze haquebut barrel; the powder pillar measures about seven ball lengths!

- next from left: ball moulds from ca. 1500-1580

- foreground left: linen patches, 17th-19th centuries, felt plugs (waddings) of the same period; paper cartridges, 16th/17th centuries, and cast lead balls retaining their sprue (German Gusszapfen) for binding into a paper cartridge

- foreground, right half: two hemp waddings, a length of matchcord, a piece of tinder, French 'blond' gun flints retaining their lead or leather linings, and excavated reddish brown pyrites for wheel-locks retaining their original lead lining (Bleifutter)!

- background right: earthenware grenades and a small iron hand grenade, Thirty Years War, all retaining their original fillings and fuses!

- a fuse cut sectionally, made from a thick dried grass stem and hollowed out to receive the powder line still present!

These are by far the greatest rarities ever to get your hands on, and not even available in the big museums!

Best,
Michael

[fernando]

Done, Michl
You may wrap them all
I'll come by next week, to pick them up

[Matchlock]

That's just so great of you, 'Nando -

and just in time as well. I 've been planning to throw them away for so long but was not sure where to properly get rid of them.

Thank you so much, amigo - of course all costs will be on me;

Looking forward too seeing you (not a joke!)!

Best wishes and good night to Portugal,
Michl

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

... Looking forward too seeing you (not a joke!)! ...

One of these days ... when you least expect .

[Matchlock]

That's exactly what I was afraid of ...

m

[Matchlock]

This a mid-15th century wrought iron breech for a breech loading cannon retaining both its original powder load and wooden wadding plug. In the case of breech loaders, the ball was shoved in the barrel from behind manually before the breech was put in and plugged by a wooden wedge at the rear.
Of course, this 15th century rapid firing method only made sense with a number of loaded breeches right at hand.

Actually I posted these before in my thread "Breech Loading 1450-1550" but given the fact that this rarest stuff is hard to grasp, and even harder to remember after long time passing, I hope not to be blamed too severely for a little repetition now and then.

Best,
Michael