During the advent of the Late Middle Ages, cannons where the primary form of artillery and siege weapons. Clunky, unwieldy and taking a long time to load, they were seen mostly throughout China, Europe and the Middle East. They were used as far back as the 13th century. Use of cannons soon reached Russia and the Ottoman Empire by the end of the 14th century. Cannons where used mostly for psychological warfare as it was difficult to cause significant damage to an enemy, but as the design evolved, the more use it saw during battle.
Soon enough, hand versions of the cannon where created, like the Culverin (Hand Cannon) which was a small, smooth barrel attached to a long shaft. Created in France during the 15th century, they where then used by the English navy during the 16th century as anti-personnel weapons.
The first advent of what is considered a firearm is the Arquebus, a smooth bore rifle that saw prominent use from the 15th to 17th centuries. From there, the invention of the Wheellock arrived, followed soon by the Matchlock.
A firearm in this era could fire around 50 to 100 yards, however accuracy would deteriorate rapidly after about 50 yards. This is due in part by the design of the munitions (Lead balls were not smooth, nor completely round) and that the concept of rifling, the spiraled grooves of the inner barrel, was still an experimental concept. Rifling wasn't perfected nor prominent until about the 19th century. Since Etla exists in the 1600's, that is the advent of the 17th century in terms of -baseline- weapons technology.
Dodging a shot from a period gun was difficult if not impossible unless one could see the shooter and the moment of the trigger being pulled. It is possible to throw ones self prostrate, however there is no guarantee of complete avoidance. Its just not possible to see the shot coming. However, guns were used in firing lines due to inaccuracies the further the round travels. Accuracy diminished exponentially the farther away the target was. The more guns firing, the more likely the target would be hit.
Gunshot injuries in this era were dangerous. At a range of 50 yards or less, a round would puncture armor. In fact, there is historical documentation of lead balls piercing plate armor and bouncing around at least two or three times, severely injuring the victim if not killing them. Chain mail could offer some protection, but broken bones, internal hemorrhaging and bruising was almost a guarantee. Unlike modern gunshot wounds, rounds from a period gun ripped rather than pierced, and the ball itself would often shatter rather than flatten, causing greater injury to a larger area. Lead poisoning, sepsis (Blood Poisoning) and amputations where common results of gunshot wounds of the era.
The Wheelock
The Wheelock used a spring-loaded, serrated steel wheel which rubbed against a piece of iron pyrite or flint. A key was used to wind the wheel, putting the spring under tension. Once under enough tension, the wheel was held in place by a trigger. When the trigger was pulled, the serrated edge of the steel rubbed against the pyrite/ flint which generated sparks.
These sparks were directed into a pan, called the 'flash pan', filled with loose powder which led into the touchhole. The flashpan usually was protected by a spring-loaded cover that would slide out of the way when the trigger was pulled, exposing the powder to the sparks.
The wheel-lock was a major innovation since it did not rely on burning material as a source of heat, it could be kept ready for extended periods of time. The covered flashpan also provided some ability to withstand bad weather. Wind, rain, and dampness like fog would render a matchlock useless, but a wheel-lock that was loaded and waterproofed with a bit of grease around the flashpan could be fired under most conditions.
The Matchlock
The matchlock incorporated a "lock" that was actuated by a trigger (Also called a tricker/ tickler). The lock was a simple lever which pivoted when pulled, and lowered the match down to the touchhole. The match was a slow burning fuse fashioned of plant fibers that were soaked in a solution of nitrates, charcoal, and sulfur, and dried. The match was ignited before the gun was needed, and it would slowly burn, keeping a hot ember at the burning end (Think back to that scene where John Smith first met Pocahontas at the waterfall).
After the gun was loaded and the touchhole primed with powder, the burning tip of the match was positioned so that the lock would bring it into contact with the touchhole. When the trigger was pulled, the match came down to the touchhole, which ignited the powder. The round would then be ejected from the barrel.
Soon enough, hand versions of the cannon where created, like the Culverin (Hand Cannon) which was a small, smooth barrel attached to a long shaft. Created in France during the 15th century, they where then used by the English navy during the 16th century as anti-personnel weapons.
The first advent of what is considered a firearm is the Arquebus, a smooth bore rifle that saw prominent use from the 15th to 17th centuries. From there, the invention of the Wheellock arrived, followed soon by the Matchlock.
A firearm in this era could fire around 50 to 100 yards, however accuracy would deteriorate rapidly after about 50 yards. This is due in part by the design of the munitions (Lead balls were not smooth, nor completely round) and that the concept of rifling, the spiraled grooves of the inner barrel, was still an experimental concept. Rifling wasn't perfected nor prominent until about the 19th century. Since Etla exists in the 1600's, that is the advent of the 17th century in terms of -baseline- weapons technology.
Dodging a shot from a period gun was difficult if not impossible unless one could see the shooter and the moment of the trigger being pulled. It is possible to throw ones self prostrate, however there is no guarantee of complete avoidance. Its just not possible to see the shot coming. However, guns were used in firing lines due to inaccuracies the further the round travels. Accuracy diminished exponentially the farther away the target was. The more guns firing, the more likely the target would be hit.
Gunshot injuries in this era were dangerous. At a range of 50 yards or less, a round would puncture armor. In fact, there is historical documentation of lead balls piercing plate armor and bouncing around at least two or three times, severely injuring the victim if not killing them. Chain mail could offer some protection, but broken bones, internal hemorrhaging and bruising was almost a guarantee. Unlike modern gunshot wounds, rounds from a period gun ripped rather than pierced, and the ball itself would often shatter rather than flatten, causing greater injury to a larger area. Lead poisoning, sepsis (Blood Poisoning) and amputations where common results of gunshot wounds of the era.
Diagram of Common Rifles of the 15th and 16th Centuries
The Wheelock
The Wheelock used a spring-loaded, serrated steel wheel which rubbed against a piece of iron pyrite or flint. A key was used to wind the wheel, putting the spring under tension. Once under enough tension, the wheel was held in place by a trigger. When the trigger was pulled, the serrated edge of the steel rubbed against the pyrite/ flint which generated sparks.
These sparks were directed into a pan, called the 'flash pan', filled with loose powder which led into the touchhole. The flashpan usually was protected by a spring-loaded cover that would slide out of the way when the trigger was pulled, exposing the powder to the sparks.
The wheel-lock was a major innovation since it did not rely on burning material as a source of heat, it could be kept ready for extended periods of time. The covered flashpan also provided some ability to withstand bad weather. Wind, rain, and dampness like fog would render a matchlock useless, but a wheel-lock that was loaded and waterproofed with a bit of grease around the flashpan could be fired under most conditions.
The Matchlock
The matchlock incorporated a "lock" that was actuated by a trigger (Also called a tricker/ tickler). The lock was a simple lever which pivoted when pulled, and lowered the match down to the touchhole. The match was a slow burning fuse fashioned of plant fibers that were soaked in a solution of nitrates, charcoal, and sulfur, and dried. The match was ignited before the gun was needed, and it would slowly burn, keeping a hot ember at the burning end (Think back to that scene where John Smith first met Pocahontas at the waterfall).
After the gun was loaded and the touchhole primed with powder, the burning tip of the match was positioned so that the lock would bring it into contact with the touchhole. When the trigger was pulled, the match came down to the touchhole, which ignited the powder. The round would then be ejected from the barrel.
What is Rifling?
Simply speaking, rifling is the arrangement of spiral grooves on the inside of a rifle barrel.
During the manufacture of a rifles barrel, a special tool is used to carve the grooves. These grooves allow a round to fire straighter and faster from the barrel.
What is the History of Rifling?
Rifling started to be worked on in the 15th century (Circa 1400's to 1530's), where Rifled Barrels were still in developmental stages. They were not accurate, nor were they common place. Many people had never heard of the science of it yet. It was not fully worked on until the MID to LATE 16th century, (the middle to near end of the Renaissance Period), meaning for most medieval setting RP, the technology is still considered in it's infancy.
Mid to Late 16th century was when true rifling began to roll out, but it was still not a common thing until the late 19th century.
For historical context, the American colonies were settled in 1607 with the establishment of the Virginia colonies. They had smooth bore wheel lock and flintlock rifles at this time.
The primary rifle of the American Revolution was the British Brown Bess, a smooth bore musket, which had an effective range of 50 to 100 yards. Then there was the Charleville Musket which was imported to the USA from France during the Revolution thanks to the influence of Marquis de Lafayette. While this rifle influenced the Springfield Musket, the Charleville was still a smooth bore rifle. It was primarily used for hunting in the French Infantry.
The Rifled Musket, or the Minié rifle, named for the French captain that invented it, did not see use until the 19th century, or circa the 1800's, and was likewise a smooth bore rifle until the shape of the round began to change. Thus introducing the Minié ball, which had a conical shape rather than be a lump of metal. This was when breech loading truly became popular as it introduced an advance in weapons designs such as the US Springfield and the British Enfield, which were used prominently in the US Civil War. Breech loaded weapons, while they were developed as far back as the 14th century, did not see workable improvements until the 19th century (1800's) when accurate machining was available. 14th century breech loaders were known as 'Swivel Guns', and were more a canon that could rotate on a bolted base/ wooden wedge rather than be something that was carried by hand. They were more often used as weapons for forts, ramparts, and ships. Cartridge storage did not exist until the 19th century, or circa 1800's.
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