Just because lack of money pressed me to sell it - I guess all avid collectors know what I mean: there are times when you feel that you just need to have a certain item, and you got to lay your money down immediately. So when you know someone special who has been offering you fair money for an item from your collection, you sell it. Today, I guess I would not deaccession it.
On the other hand, I guess I still own the finest collection of earliest handgonnes I can imagine
. You are no doubt the only mate around to judge this because you were in my collection!
I do remember it was tiny, about 30 cm in all, the bore being about 12-14 mm.
Anyway, I know where it went and will try and get the data. Please allow some time.
Just one more thought: as the only handgonnes I have ever noticed to have pierced tangs/tillers intended for attaching grips doubtlessly dated from the early 16th c. there is a chance that the tang on the barrel in question was added later during its working life.
For a better understanding, I attach images of several early 16th century tiller haquebuts with long and flat tangs obviously intended to be originally mounted with grips - just like the Landsknecht
messers of the same period. As is evident in one close-up, some of them even retained their original grip nails!
Author's photos, taken in the Bayerisches Armeemuseum Ingolstadt some 30 years ago.
Please note that the date of 'ca. 1480' for the Ingolstadt haquebut in the bottom image given by a friend of mine actually should read 'ca. 1515-20'.
Best,
Michael