Esmeril is an artillery piece a little bigger than the falconet. Basicaly a bronze breech loader, its class name, in english emery (grinder) might be metaphoric ... or not. Remember that, in the beginning of artillery, in view of lacking typology standardized classification, names of beasts, birds and other were used to defined their dimension/caliber. When you talk 'actual' cannons, the esmeril is small stuff. In action during the XVI century, it is rather problematic to admit that esmeris were still in use during the Alamo saga, let alone a COME AND TAKE IT symbol.
Here are two versions, one (less usual) stocked and the other entire, the first 6 foot long and the other 5 foot. Calibers 3 cms. (just over 1") and 4,6 cms. (less than 2")
(Courtesy Armaria do Palacio dos Duques de Bragança)
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