Tannenberg Hand Gonne

G/Day Folks, I'm from Queensland Australia and have not been active on the Forum for ages.

We have to deal with some pretty draconian Firearms a Legislation. A Medieval Reenactment mate of mine gave me a Replica of a Tannenberg Hand Gonne a couple of years ago and it has been an ordeal bringing it into Service.

I had a very very long and frustrating wait dealing with Qld Police Weapons Licencing Branch convincing them this I was a Law Abiding Licenced Firearms Owmer and the Hand Gonne was a Cannon on a Stick and absolutely nothing like a Handgun which you need a seperate Licence for ??? Eventually they approved my Permit to Aquire and the Gunsmith was able to Drill the partially drilled Touch Hole and Proof Fire my Tannenberg.

The Gunsmith annoyed me a bit by not contacting me and taking it upon himself to bore out the Stepped Chamber so it now has a straight Chamber. In the end though it's a good move because now I can shoot lighter charges out of it at Reenactment Events

Specs as follows

Brass Cannon Body with a .688 Bore 10.5" deep.
proof load was 255gr of Blackpowder
Proofed to fire 75 grains of Black Powder and a bore size Lead Ball

Next Job is to make the various bibs and bobs I need to accompany my Tannenberg. I have been studying various period Paintings and all the information I can google re the Equipment Hand Gunners carried in the lat 14th Century but can't say I have a clear idea of what everything looked like.

Here's a really bad photo of my Tannenberg Hand Gonne next to my 68" Finno Ugric Bow for scale

Dear Cnut .Well you are a 'left fielder' but good on you. I had rifles in QLD then they went mad with anti gun nonsence & I lost my 40 cal flint rifle first I ever made Sold Via Searles in Brisbane the lock was worth what I got .Anyway why they make such a fuss over a Hand Gonne no idea hardly handy for robbing a bank . I've done Pensic with SCA but mostly as I roadied with a publisher but I appreciate early stuff. I had a Morko gun casting but a friend HAD to have it so its gone . The rifle I mention was stocked in beech 1" oct only slightly swamped orig lock with London stamped on it wooden box for tools dragon sideplate added cheek piece .ALL wrong but shot well with a picket patched with kerchief lawn . Anyway Welcome to the forums I'me only a' new chum' to it, but find it interesting .
Regards Rudyard

It looks like the brass barrel sold by the Rifle Shop.
Do you know where it was made?

I have ordered a parts kit for the Hakenbusche - can't wait for it to get here!

The good friend that gave me the Handgonne picked it up in Denmark, apparently it was a limited edition run but he can't remember who made it as he had it for many years. Definitely European manufacturer with no identifying marks, beyond that clueless.

Rudyard, yeah, we copped a raw deal in 96 with lots of lovely firearms having to be handed on to others or worse still going to the crusher.

There was a lot and I mean a lot of backwards and forwards emails and phone calls, photographs, history of the Tannenberg, paperwork from the Gunsmith etc. Boils down to the anti firearm mentality of the Gov rnment and Police. No way, no how was I going to melt away like they wanted.

There are several other Handgonnes floating about Queensland but it's been many years since I've seen them at the Abbey a Medieval Fair. The Abeys is the biggest Medieval Reenactment Festival in the Southern Hemisphere.

A mate of mine had a 3 Barrelled Handgonne but heaven knows where it is now. I'm taking this Handgonne it's me on my next Hunting Trip and really looking forward to the first firing with Lead Shot. I note a 3/4oz Lee Keydrive Slug is a lovely sliding fit down the Bore. I have plenty of felt wads so that will be a treat shooting also

Good on you Cnut.

Worth sticking out for, to get it all sorted. They like and hope to wear you down so you throw in the towel.
As our mate Rudayrd would say, ..."the only way forward is backwards".
I've only got as far back as the snapping matchlock, but found a good lump of iron for a hand-gonne barrel. (buggy axle)
Suppose if we Keep going backwards we'll be chucking rocks, then sharpening our teeth.

Look forward to more reports on this when you get some use out of it.

Best,
Richard.

1996 was it . It still annoys me . I kept a double rifle bp hammer by Lang on a station nr Surat along with the 38 ml target rifle & the 40 cal flint. I did salvage the 38 but the double sold .No option .Now we in NZ have the loony left trying to disarm us . But' Box locks' to them they are not succeeding, only in rightfully aggreaving the law abideing liscenced firearm owners as if that will solve crimes. By making us scapegoats for a crime we never did they have utterly ailienated the legal owners for Political grandstanding Jucinda Lucerne & her Police State ministers .What a shower couldn't run a piss up in a brewery !. On the humourous side we have had great debates on this forum as the the merits or possibilitys of shooting flying with Hand Gonnes . You might prouve it can be done ? I have said maybe it could be but the whole notion would be most unlikely to occur .
Regards Rudyard

Good on you. I lived in Aus (NT & WA) for 9 years and one of the reasons I moved back to the States was those laws. Definitely more culture control then gun control. I would have been happy with a muzzleloader and an air pistol....grumble, grumble