I was wondering if there is any sort of agreement as to what materials were used for firearms in China during the 15th-16th centuries?

I have come across a number of barrels that sure look to be european but it is hard to tell, I was wondering if the materials might provide a clue.

Thanks for your thoughts.

This really bad photo gives an idea of what I am talking about.

It looks to be huo chong 火铳 （blunderbuss) used by the Ming army. However, I'm not sure if it was imported from Europe. Can someone clarify it?

What date, more or less, would that be?

Another question concerns what materials were used in China. These are iron. Was that a common material for gunbarrels there?

The earlier guns (those using saltpetre, not just fire-lances) from the Yuan Dynasty (1279 - 1368) were made of bronze, though I think later guns (Ming, 1368 - 1644, and onward) were made of cast iron. Can anyone verify that?

That is an important point. European specialists assume that any gun of the form that I attached must be European if it is iron. I am not so sure. Fact is that the form of Chinese/eastern guns that I have seen is not so very different from european guns of the period prior to 1400.

There is a well known engraving from a Jesuit that I cannot put my hand on at the moment but it shows types very, very similar to what I have posted.

A possible interpretation is that there was a more or less active trade between China and Europe that accounts for the presence of similar objects east and west.

The problem that this illustrates is that often we find that researchers are a bit too isolated in their thinking.

I found the illustration.



Compare figure 5 with gun number 2, above.

Hmm. Good question. I know that from Zhang Xian's verse The Iron Cannon Affair written in 1341 there is an obvious description of iron cannons, while Jiao Yu in the mid 14th century wrote about cast iron cannonball shells.

Eric (En Rui)

Do you know of any archaeological information?

You might want to try researching Joseph Neeham's material on this. He did write extensively on Chinese technology.

Has he written a book?

Man has he! Did a Amazon search for his name here:

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&search...dham&page=1

Only about 213 entries!

chinese did invent gun powder, and they did use fire arms on enemies earlier than europeans used guns, doesnt necessarily have to be guns..but generally fire arms...from han dynasty, they have recorded using gun powder against the huns...i guess chinese have being using fire arms for long theres no doubt they would have some sort of early gun?