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Length And Heavy Tanegashima Identification


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Hello

I have found this one

total length 137,5 cm

barrel length 101,5 cm

total weight 4,066 kilogs

caliber 15 mm (5 monme)

this one can not be shot without support (too heavy)

there are no kanji under the barrel (I think perhaps this was erased)

There is only one silver inlay kanji on the top of the barrel but difficult to read (see pic)

What do you think ? Hazama zutstu ?

 

regards

 

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Sadly you might be right about erasure. My guess is that someone has casually used a grinder to remove the rust, and if there was any signature it is now lost. Some of the Shinchu brass has been ground off too. A pity, because there is very little about this gun to pin it down to characterize it.

It is unusual having such a large bore and long barrel at the same time. I remember reading that the moat at Matsumoto Castle was made deliberately wide so that enemy guns could not fire across it effectively. At the same time the castle defenders made long guns of large caliber to be able to pick off attacking soldiers. The guns were designed to be rested on the sills of the 狭間 Sama (Hazama) loop/inlets in the castle walls. Your description of Hazama does seem to fit.

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It’s a darn shame that someone polished this matchlock to an inch of its life. This is a very interesting gun. Several features, to me, points to this gun being quite old. Look at the rather small pan equipped with a deep compartment for the priming powder. Also the overall size, shape and caliber makes me want to place it in or around the Keich-era. It’s very similar indeed with my Kunitomo long gun from the end of the 16th or beginning of the 17th century.

We will never know for sure, but I could be ok with Kunitomo or Hino as its origin.

Apart from the ”polishing” a very interesting matchlock.

 

Jan

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