Before the Ball: Clod Shot of 1375 - the Earliest Lead Gun Ammunition!

Marcus den toom · 21st September 2015, 06:53 AM

Hi Batjka,

In my previous post i forgot to mention that eventhough the gun in post 1 has more than one touch hole, this would not always mean that every shot where to be ignited seperately. This would not make sense either because we can clearly see the holes in the clodshot. Combined with the knowledge that early gunpowder was indeed fine dust like powder, it is to be expected that the holes filled up automatically when the next load was put in. This makes a chain reaction from the top possible.

As to how the pieces where inserted, i still believe they had to be hammered in to some extend. Medieval barrels where far from smooth and if such a piece of clodshot would just slide in the gas loss would have been enormous.
And maybe they did use some sort of measurment stick to determine if the powder plus shot was fitting in between the two touch holes.

Within this theory it is possible to shoot 1 or 2 or up to 5 shots (post 1 illustration). I don't know of any gun that has multiple touch holes like this, nor of a loaded gun with more than 1 piece of clodshot. Michl had a tillered hand cannon which held 1 shot and a large load of powder. Other than that there are few examples of surviving loaded hand cannons, at least not known to me

.

Marcus den toom · 15th October 2015, 11:17 AM

Kufstein clodshot

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...558#post190558

Marcus den toom · 31st August 2016, 05:19 PM

Reviving this thread with this 7cm piece of clodshot. Lead with a stone cast together.
Found at the North sea near Northumberland.

Andi · 31st August 2016, 07:49 PM

Cool - is it yours?

Marcus den toom · 31st August 2016, 08:21 PM

Yes it is, just like this 4cm one from the same source.

fernando · 31st August 2016, 10:18 PM

You've got too many of those

.

Marcus den toom · 12th February 2018, 01:51 PM

And even more now

Bought these recently and they are the rare clodshot Michael spoke about. Also a iron core like the one Michael showed us before.

The lead seems to be wrapped around at least one of the balls, but these might just be "scars" in the lead.
The iron cores have been hammered, i think the edges where not broken of but completly hammered this way.

21st September 2015, 06:53 AM	#1
Marcus den toom Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Netherlands Posts: 535	Hi Batjka, In my previous post i forgot to mention that eventhough the gun in post 1 has more than one touch hole, this would not always mean that every shot where to be ignited seperately. This would not make sense either because we can clearly see the holes in the clodshot. Combined with the knowledge that early gunpowder was indeed fine dust like powder, it is to be expected that the holes filled up automatically when the next load was put in. This makes a chain reaction from the top possible. As to how the pieces where inserted, i still believe they had to be hammered in to some extend. Medieval barrels where far from smooth and if such a piece of clodshot would just slide in the gas loss would have been enormous. And maybe they did use some sort of measurment stick to determine if the powder plus shot was fitting in between the two touch holes. Within this theory it is possible to shoot 1 or 2 or up to 5 shots (post 1 illustration). I don't know of any gun that has multiple touch holes like this, nor of a loaded gun with more than 1 piece of clodshot. Michl had a tillered hand cannon which held 1 shot and a large load of powder. Other than that there are few examples of surviving loaded hand cannons, at least not known to me . Last edited by Marcus den toom; 21st September 2015 at 06:35 PM.

31st August 2016, 05:19 PM	#3
Marcus den toom Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Netherlands Posts: 535	Reviving this thread with this 7cm piece of clodshot. Lead with a stone cast together. Found at the North sea near Northumberland. Attached Images

31st August 2016, 08:21 PM	#5
Marcus den toom Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Netherlands Posts: 535	Yes it is, just like this 4cm one from the same source. Attached Images

12th February 2018, 01:51 PM	#7
Marcus den toom Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Netherlands Posts: 535	And even more now Bought these recently and they are the rare clodshot Michael spoke about. Also a iron core like the one Michael showed us before. The lead seems to be wrapped around at least one of the balls, but these might just be "scars" in the lead. The iron cores have been hammered, i think the edges where not broken of but completly hammered this way. Attached Images

15th October 2015, 11:17 AM	#2
Marcus den toom Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Netherlands Posts: 535	Kufstein clodshot http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...558#post190558

31st August 2016, 07:49 PM	#4
Andi Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Halstenbek, Germany Posts: 203	Cool - is it yours?

31st August 2016, 10:18 PM	#6
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	You've got too many of those .