A couple of handgunns

[oldarmy]

My handgunns. One is 50 the other is 75
Welded the blades on them. Just some scrap had laying around.




They both have long maple handles.

 

[William Lincoln]

Way to repurpose camshafts (if that is what I'm seeing).
Wow. No license needed deadly iron.

 

[Des52]

Sweeeeet!

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

NICE ... but would be more properly termed as 'hackbusche' vs. 'hand gonne', due to the hooks added.

 

[B P Arn]

What is the reason for the fins/blades?

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

What is the reason for the fins/blades?

Recoil, they ‘hooked’ them over the wall or rampart when firing; allowed for somewhat aimed firing. There are even period paintings showing horse-drawn wagons with portholes with 6 of them sticking out through the portholes, reminiscent of that John Wayne & Yul Brenner movie ‘War Wagon”, albeit that was a MUCH later Western, lol!

Historically, the term ‘arquebus’ derived from the Dutch word Haakbus ("hook gun"), but was applied to many different forms of arms from the 15th to 17th centuries. It originally referred to "a hand gonne with a hook-like projection or lug on its under surface, useful for steadying it against battlements or other objects when firing". These so-called ‘hook guns’ were the earliest forms of defensive arms mounted on city walls in the early 15th century, in what is now Germany. The arquebus further developed into a true long arm, by the addition of serpentine ‘S’ levers with lit matchcord, heavier/better designed stocks, etc, that progressed into true shoulder-fired arms.

Now some believe you would then at least have a weapon that you could swing, but I personally discount that theory. Most had an iron spike on the tiller end and I can see that after firing that you may have turned it around and used it like a pike, for a direct or straight ‘thrust’ move, or to parry a blade, but swinging one is a sure way to break one’s firearm tiller (stock). Yeah, but you can bet someone would swing one for sure to save their own skin!

 

[oldarmy]

Thanks for the info.
Was there a "standard" length of the tiller?
Mine are pretty long at about 4'

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Was there a "standard" length of the tiller?

No standard, but 4-5' is good.

 

[sgtsquid]

Thanks for the info.
Was there a "standard" length of the tiller?
Mine are pretty long at about 4'

On my handgonnes, the standard length is short enough to fit in the trunk of my car. That comes out to 47" total length. I find that give me plenty of tiller length.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

LD

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

L-Dave raises a good point … as a true aquebus would have a shorter, more of a ‘gunstock’ type general shape, whereas a hand gonne mounted on a tiller, would have the longer tiller or pole.

I have a picture somewhere that shows the difference, although no scale is referenced.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Nice.

I have a very crude handgonne I made from a piece of threaded gas pipe and a table leg. Just wanted to try to see if I could make one a while back when I was bored. I tried it out with a couple squib loads with just paper wadding, no projectile just to see if it would work. Used the fireplace lighter to set off the priming in the touch hole. It does work. It's good for making noise and that's about it. I don't think I'd trust it with a projectile on top of the powder since it's got a seam in the bore.

 

[cynthialee]

Nice.

I have a very crude handgonne I made from a piece of threaded gas pipe and a table leg. Just wanted to try to see if I could make one a while back when I was bored. I tried it out with a couple squib loads with just paper wadding, no projectile just to see if it would work. Used the fireplace lighter to set off the priming in the touch hole. It does work. It's good for making noise and that's about it. I don't think I'd trust it with a projectile on top of the powder since it's got a seam in the bore.

mine is a rescued barrel from a matchlock that was being rebuilt that I secured to a 2x2 with nails and cord, I touch it off with a stogie

shoots a .380 ball with a thick patch, I think it is properly a .40 at least that is close enough on the measure at the muzzle
isn't any form of accurate at all but it is fun to shoot sometimes just to see if you can at least get on the target

 

[oldarmy]

I bought both of mine from cannonfab. Com. They were just $100 each. He will weld a blade onit for you.