'Pocket' cannon

[ROKUJURO]

These are for Piers!

 

 

 

[Brian]

So much want!

[Baba Yaga]

Didn't the Japanese get the Matchlock idea from Indonesia? 

I'm an avid gun collector CCW and all. Those operators should have ear and eye protection.

Blown out eardrums and powder burned eyes are no joke.  Don't try that at home.  

[Viper6924]

Nothing beats the 30 monme matchlock from Yonezawa 👍

Just look at the amount of stuffed paper flying out from the barrel. That brings a lot of ”Umpf” 🙂🙂🙂

 

Jan

[ChrisW]

If I am not mistaken, the story is as follows: Some Portuguese sailors shipwrecked on the Japanese island of Tanegashima. The local lord allowed them materials and provisions to repair their ships to go home, but in exchange, he got some of their matchlock rifles. The design was copied and quickly spread throughout the country in the span of a decade or so. Ergo, this is why Japanese matchlocks are called Tanegashima.

[Baba Yaga]

2 hours ago, ChrisW said:

If I am not mistaken, the story is as follows: Some Portuguese sailors shipwrecked on the Japanese island of Tanegashima. The local lord allowed them materials and provisions to repair their ships to go home, but in exchange, he got some of their matchlock rifles. The design was copied and quickly spread throughout the country in the span of a decade or so. Ergo, this is why Japanese matchlocks are called Tanegashima.

 

Ah, very good! 

 

"Istinggar is a type of matchlock firearm built by the various ethnic groups of the Malay Archipelago. The firearm is a result of Portuguese influence on local weaponry, particularly after the capture of Malacca (1511)"

"China is credited with inventing both gunpowder and firearms but the matchlock was introduced to China by the Portuguese. Europeans refined the hand cannons used in China and in the 15th century the matchlock mechanism was developed."  

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Jean, loved those, many thanks.

 

The first is Yonezawa, about which Jan has written THE definitive book. An opus, chock full of information and a fascinating read, in my opinion.

‘The Yonezawa Matchlock

Mighty Gun of the Uesugi Samurai’

By Jan Pettersson

 

The second is their very local (and bitter?) rival the Uesugi group.

Their stances and language are somewhat different up in that part of Japan, following a distinct branch of evolution from the *smoothbore Japanese matchlock’s roots in that coming ashore in Tanegashima descrbed by Chris above.

*(No rifling, so not strictly a ‘rifle’ per se.)

[Anthony de Vos]

Hi!

 

Yonezawa and also the sibling, Seki school are my favouries. Here are my small group.

 

Anthony

[Bugyotsuji]

Er…. ‘small’? True Japanese modesty at work! 
Wow! Even Yonezawa and Seki collectors would be surprised!
Can you tell us what sizes they are, Anthony?

[ChrisW]

That's a very impressive collection!

I only have one tanegashima and its unfortunately been converted to percussion sometime in its life.

[Bugyotsuji]

Chris, do you have a thread on your gun and the conversion? 

[Anthony de Vos]

Hi!

Piers, the Yonezawa at the top is 10 monme. Under There is a 50 monme Seki. Then there are two ten monme Seki were one is converted to percussion. That one is made in Kunetomo and returned there for the percussion upgrade. The one at the bottom is kind of a hybride. It’s a six monme bajozutsu. The stock and lock is all Seki but the barrel is maybe nanban and pegs are holding the barrel, not the brass or cupper bands you normaly see on both schools. The 50 monme Seki has both the original cupper and brass band as well as a set in silver with chrysantemum decorations.

 

Anthony

[ChrisW]

On 4/21/2022 at 7:08 PM, Bugyotsuji said:

Chris, do you have a thread on your gun and the conversion? 

No, but I did buy it from a member a few years back. I'll try to get some pictures when its sunny out and post it.