Breech loading 1450-1550

[Spiridonov]

Michael, thank You for this great photos of breechloader. I think that cartridge for this gun was longer than breech thereby rear end of cartridge should be a little sticking out of the breech. When the breech block lift up it cut away rear end of the cartridge (like a guillotine) and powder fall on the deepening of breech block. So there is no need to fill powder on the pan from powder flask. I do not pretend that this is true but just a hypothesis. What makes me think this way? Here is one picture show us ignition channel bending. So, there is not possibility to pierce cartridge by awl through the touch hole. It’s mean that cartridge should be cut of like on sharps rifle to make contact powder with ignition channel. Moreover recess width is too large. This suggests that this recess is designed to catch the powder falling out of the cartridge. This makes gunpowder falling from the edges to the center. By the way gun of absolutely similar design is in the museum of artillery in Saint-Petersburg