About a week ago I had decided that I wanted a 14th or 15th century gonne for the 2007 reenactment season. My only issue was that I am on a tight budget and realistically wouldnt be able to purchase one. Thats why I spent some time researching them and came up with a design loosely based on some pieces I had seen in some books although it's a later design than I originally wanted. The attached photo is my progress so far.

The stock is cherry polished smooth down to 500 grit paper with a "red mahogany" stain. The barrel is hex and has been blued. The notch on the bottom (where one would set the gonne on a shield, of when behind cover) has blued steel to protect the wood.

The only thing that I need to do is route a 3 sided trough for the barrel to sit in and make the 2 retaining straps as simulated in the picture.

Mike

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Thats very nice Mike, great work!

Thats a pretty sweet gonne,
-James

VEry, very nice. I like the looks of the wood. The color is very beautiful.

RPM

Could you share a picture of the orginal

Michael;

Looks good for the very early 14th century ones and maybe early to mid 15th although I'm not sure when these were basically replaces by true archebuse i.e. the duration of overlap were these were still used as well the the pole mounted ones and the very early hackbutts ?

Well, actually with a shelf to hook over a wall or in the notches of a pavise type shield I guess it's a for of hackbutt.

It does look like a small bore version though ? Some of these early one could be the size of very small artillery pieces with a
2.5 cm to maybe 5 cm or more bore or close to half to one pounders in shot weight.

Smaller pistol calibre ones are as credible for a reproduction but I wonder how you choose the calibre.

In any case even with a simple and period " crude style " stock a well figured wood nicely polished with a linseed oil finish is something I have a soft spot for.

Bottom line: Questions aside ( curiosity not criticism ) it's really cool. :cool:

I think this type of firearm remained in use most of the 15th century. There are MS illustrations with ones similar from after 1450 That come to mind.

RPM

Mike,

Is that the wagner book?

RPM

It is apparently Drobna's "Medieval Costume, Armour and Weapons" A Czech book from the 50's

The pages can be found at http://www.handgonnes.com/id75.html


Mike