My First Handgonne

[CrufflerSteve]

A member of this forum provided me with a handgonne at a very reasonable price. It resembles the first hand gonne in Wagner's "Medieval Costume, Armor and Weapons". That was bronze. This is built from a pistol barrel with a bore around .675".

I mounted it on a $1 garage sale tool handle. It went to the range with me yesterday to celebrate the 4th. I don't have a mold for a ball that size but I roughly calculated the expected weight and made some shotgun loads of smaller ball around that weight. With 50 to 60 grains of Elephant ffg it made a nice bang with no real recoil.

The gonne is about 14" long with a 10" long bore. Are there any standards for the poles in length, finish & so on? The length of the gonne & pole is 5' 6". The pole was a hideous green urethane and comes with a hole at the base so I can hang it up with my other garden tools. (Perfect for garden pests.) I sanded the wood bare which looked better. I was also shooting some cannon and there was lots of dirty black residue around so it is now nicely smudged. I would prefer a regular finish but if I keep shooting it, it'll be a 'BP black' finish.

Now for another gonne or two and maybe then I'll be ready for something modern like an Arquebuse.

Steve

 

[Chuck Thom]

Steve , like the pictures.. an arquebus is not that hard to build. You can do it, you have the itch I know. Cost is very reasonable. consider it your next project. Chuck

 

[Teleoceras]

CrufflerSteve:

Congrats on your new Handgonne! :RO:

The length of the tiller looks good in the picture. I would recommend you getting a linstock (if you don't have one) to hold the slowmatch so that you lessen the risk of burnt fingers. :imo:

 

[CrufflerSteve]

CrufflerSteve:

Congrats on your new Handgonne! :RO:

The length of the tiller looks good in the picture. I would recommend you getting a linstock (if you don't have one) to hold the slowmatch so that you lessen the risk of burnt fingers. :imo:

I don't have a linstock yet. They seem pretty simple, some thin metal rod or heavy wire and a stick. Are there any plans or detailed pictures out there? I'd like to make something fairly period correct. I'm on another forum where the members are making some from copper plumbing tubing. It works well but doesn't seem right. I've seen sources for pure cotton rope and the chemicals to turn it into slowmatch. It would certainly be better than the blowtorch I was using yesterday.

I think I'm going to finish the tiller. The raw wood has big black stains from yesterday. I'd like something that seals the wood so I can clean it. I assume there was some sealing of the wood in the originals unless they just replaced the tillers all the time. Without sealing, wood warps & cracks. I'll bet original tillers are few and far between while original handgonnes are much more common so information on this might be harder to find. Would a natural finish be best or a particular stain? Oiled? Varnished?

Steve

 

[robinghewitt]

an arquebus is not that hard to build

That's true, you can call most anything an arquebus without fear of contradiction :kid:

 

Cute piece. As this was an age of experimentation, there were no set standards. Standards would come later with the introduction of Guild houses. How did he block the breech? A little boiled linseed oil, buffed out with a woolen rag would give you a good period finish.

Just :m2c:

 

[Chuck Thom]

3/4 16 fine thread bolt threaded in about an inch

 

[CrufflerSteve]

an arquebus is not that hard to build

That's true, you can call most anything an arquebus without fear of contradiction :kid:

The Squire is right. I should buy more of the books on the list. I just have a few.

When I went looking for arquebus on the net and waded through all the fantasy gamers I saw a variety of devices with the name. Some I'd call a hackbut handgonne. There was one with a serpentine for the slowmatch and a few that looked like matchlocks in primitive stocks. Is this correct? I suppose there was a transitional period as the handgonne evolved so there could be confusion about it.

Claypipe,
I'll probably use Watco on it. I guess natural or one to give it more of an 'oakish' look. I know many modern woodworkers sneer at it but I have a fondness for it from when I was a cabinetmaker 30 years ago. As I understand it, Watco is pretty much BLO with additives to make it dry faster. BLO can be a pain in Colorado with the intense sun. I've seen gunstocks finished with BLO that would start sweating oil after an hour or two at the range. Watco finished ones won't do this after a week or so.

Steve

 

[USMCsniper]

You could try something like this.

 

[CrufflerSteve]

You could try something like this.

That does look interesting. Where is the end in relation to the vent? When I was loading my gonne with 2fg, if I didn't have a fuse in, a few flakes popped out. A slowmatch hanging close to the vent could add a lot of excitement to my life. The Rifle Shoppe uses an 'S' lever for their slowmatch. It still makes me nervous. I know it was done this way. I also know accidents happen.

I'll probably use a seperate linstock for now and I'm thinking of experimenting with 'quills' instead of fuse. I've heard a few recipes for them that sound intersesting. When I get used to firing these, I'll consider a slowmatch on the gonne.

Steve

 

[Teleoceras]

CrufflerSteve:

You could try something like this.

That does look interesting. Where is the end in relation to the vent? When I was loading my gonne with 2fg, if I didn't have a fuse in, a few flakes popped out. A slowmatch hanging close to the vent could add a lot of excitement to my life. The Rifle Shoppe uses an 'S' lever for their slowmatch. It still makes me nervous. I know it was done this way. I also know accidents happen.

Those pictures are from my site of Gretchen. The slowmatch was being held just behind the hole on the serpentine. The serpentine does go up further giving at least a good clearance to clamp the slowmatch in place.

FYI, the serpentine is being reworked by Eric Kettenburg due to some dangerous situations that developed because his initial design had the clamp screw on top. That would lead to having to "Thread the eye of the needle" with burning slowmatch. Sufficed to say it didn't work and he is took her back to put the clamp screw on the bottom so that the slowmatch can be slid into place.

 

When I was loading my gonne with 2fg, if I didn't have a fuse in, a few flakes popped out. A slowmatch hanging close to the vent could add a lot of excitement to my life.

I'll probably use a seperate linstock for now and I'm thinking of experimenting with 'quills' instead of fuse. I've heard a few recipes for them that sound intersesting. When I get used to firing these, I'll consider a slowmatch on the gonne.

Steve

With Gonnes, one primes first, then loads. Slowmatch should be removed during priming and loading. Quills are great, but require a larger touch hole. I like fuse for aimed shots.

Just :m2c:

 

[David Teague]

With Gonnes, one primes first, then loads. Slowmatch should be removed during priming and loading. Quills are great, but require a larger touch hole. I like fuse for aimed shots.

:hmm: Hmmm... My gonne only has a hole on top of the barrel for the priming powder... if I primed first, the priming powder would fall off when I stood the gonne on end to load... :no:

My Arquebuse has a pan cover, but I just don't like priming a weapon first before loading... it's not a combat situation.

I like my fingers, face, eyes and brain where the are... :crackup:

 

So, how much of the main charge sprays out when you ram your ball home?

Is there a depression where your priming powder goes? Or do you just prime the touch hole?

Loading a gonne is a different procedure from that of loading an Arquebuse.

Just curious, how long have you been shooting gonnes?

Well, its off to the Vermont Renaissance Festival in the morn, last weekend of gonne demos. Wonder how many car alarms we'll set off this weekend. So far we have a dozen collectively, five at one time.

Just :m2c:

 

[David Teague]

So, how much of the main charge sprays out when you ram your ball home?

I have not noted that effect with my gonne. I'll look for it next time at the range...

Is there a depression where your priming powder goes? Or do you just prime the touch hole?

Mine just has the touch hole on the top of the barrel

Loading a gonne is a different procedure from that of loading an Arquebuse.

How so? I just load it like the rest of my muzzleloaders.

Just curious, how long have you been shooting gonnes?

Gonnes? This summer... and if you count my 3/4 scale cohorn (with slow match) 25 years (it was my first avatar until tonight). Arquebuse, last 2 years, Flinters, 21 years, caplocks since 1973.

Well, its off to the Vermont Renaissance Festival in the morn, last weekend of gonne demos. Wonder how many car alarms we'll set off this weekend. So far we have a dozen collectively, five at one time.

:crackup: :hatsoff:

VeryCool, have fun! ( We piss off the Bag Pipers at the Alaska Highland game each year with musket demos and cannon fire... )

Cheers,

DT