"15th C. handguns" Topic
5 Posts
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Sundance | 25 Sep 2015 5:51 p.m. PST |
Illustrations I've found of them show them in a yellow sheen – are they brass or bronze? I always assumed they would be iron. Or were they iron coated in brass? And would the furniture be iron or yellowed? Thanks in advance. |
bsrlee | 25 Sep 2015 8:58 p.m. PST |
Usually referred to as 'latten' – sort of shorthand for 'bronze or brass but we are not going to drill holes in it just to satisfy our curiosity'. Both copper alloys had reasonable corrosion resistance and black powder residues are very corrosive. Low tin bronze would be the superior metal for firearms, it was still used for the receiver of some 19th Century breech loaders. Iron was used, it just does not look so pretty after several centuries so not so photogenic – most museum photos look much the same in colour or B&W, a kind of lumpy black mass. Iron was not the homogenous material we enjoy today and making the gun tube involved fusion welding in a fire both along the tube and in some guns to close the breech end, all of which could result in explosive failure in use – another reason for the popularity of bronze for artillery barrels. Furniture where present seems to have been iron, which could be painted whatever colour the owner liked, as could the wooden parts – there is a manuscript with illustrations of HRE Maximillian's arsenal and the guns are all sorts of colours, black and red being very popular (and cheap). |
Green Tiger | 26 Sep 2015 11:27 a.m. PST |
I'm pretty sure that the bits they found at Towton are iron… |
MajorB | 26 Sep 2015 2:43 p.m. PST |
I'm pretty sure that the bits they found at Towton are iron… I've seen them and yes they are iron. |
Sundance | 26 Sep 2015 5:17 p.m. PST |
Well I'm doing WotR so if that's what's being dug up I should probably run with it…eh? |
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