Early Breechloaders (thread from another forum)

fat tony

fat tony

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http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7364&highlight=simon+arnold

some interesting reading & pics.

One of the posters has included a closeup section of a painting called: "Resurrection and the Descent of Christ" by Bartolomé Bermejo, approximately 1475.

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^By reading through this thread, these types of cannon had the powder contained in the cup like breech, which was held in place by an iron wedge which fitted into a mortise on an extension of the barrel. The muzzle end of the powder chamber had a self holding taper which fit into a corresponding hole in the breech end of the barrel. The muzzle end of the powder chamber was plugged with a chunk of wood. The ball or shot was presumably loaded in front separately.

Smaller firearms had breeches of this style too, which is news to me. It would make sense.

Another early breechloader ,this one in a museum apparently:

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According to some statements in the linked thread, the priming for the matchlocks was a shaped rod of a certain tree fungus mixed with saltpetre.

I am supposing the heavier artillery was ignited with a linstock?
 
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The raised and pivoted piece is lifted up and back to allow the presumably loaded tube to slide into the breach end of the barrel. The pivoted portion then comes down and locks the loaded tube in place. What I don't see is a pan of any sort that the serpentine and slow match lowers into to fire the gun. Also I think the first description of the cannon is a bit off. I think the powder chamber was like a beer stein and closed at the breach end like a cast iron mug. I doubt that wood was used as a base for the "mug". The Armstrong cannon in the UK around 1860 was loaded that way unless I am badly mistaken.

cheers mooncoon
 
It looks like the breech block on the matchlock would slide into the gun and then rotate with the Pan forming a locking lug.Maybe the worlds first bolt action.
 
Cup - mug, I guess there is correct terminology for this sort of thing. It's shown in the painting. My first exposure to this sort of cannon was through visiting Port Royal National Historic Park in Nova Scotia some time ago. The replica of this early wood fortification (early 1600s) had a few small replica breech loading cannons similar to the one shown in the painting, but they had s shaped tillers made of iron with a pommel on the end, & had no wooden bits.

I have heard such cannons referred to as culverins, but the term can be applied to a wide variety of early cannon. The ones at Port Royal were replicas of early breech loading swivel guns.

My understanding is that wood was not used as a breech face for the powder chamber. There are pictures of recovered 'mugs' with the remains of the powder charge still intact, & with the wooden plug still in there, just dig through the thread at the link. I am not sure where this sort of thing would come from, maybe a shipwreck? My guess is that the wood plug served to keep the powder tamped until the moment of firing.

I would like to add these pics that are not really related to the original topic.

I don't know what the characters show, but I am suspecting this might be something from the Warlord Era in Chinese history, maybe early 20th century. Can we have a translation please?

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The 2 black & white pics came from a discussion on Chinese Wall guns.

http://vintagesemiautorifle.proboards.com/thread/458/chinese-jingal-rampart-gun

Sorry Hardrada55, I must beg forgiveness, but Cgners need education! :p
Notice the mug shaped object. :)

Edit: I am wondering if the very early breechloading cannons described here really had that great of a gas seal, not including the flash hole.
 
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