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If I am not mistaken, the story is as follows: Some Portuguese sailors shipwrecked on the Japanese island of Tanegashima. The local lord allowed them materials and provisions to repair their ships to go home, but in exchange, he got some of their matchlock rifles. The design was copied and quickly spread throughout the country in the span of a decade or so. Ergo, this is why Japanese matchlocks are called Tanegashima.

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2 hours ago, ChrisW said:

If I am not mistaken, the story is as follows: Some Portuguese sailors shipwrecked on the Japanese island of Tanegashima. The local lord allowed them materials and provisions to repair their ships to go home, but in exchange, he got some of their matchlock rifles. The design was copied and quickly spread throughout the country in the span of a decade or so. Ergo, this is why Japanese matchlocks are called Tanegashima.

 

Ah, very good! 

 

"Istinggar is a type of matchlock firearm built by the various ethnic groups of the Malay Archipelago. The firearm is a result of Portuguese influence on local weaponry, particularly after the capture of Malacca (1511)"

"China is credited with inventing both gunpowder and firearms but the matchlock was introduced to China by the Portuguese. Europeans refined the hand cannons used in China and in the 15th century the matchlock mechanism was developed."  

 

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Jean, loved those, many thanks.

 

The first is Yonezawa, about which Jan has written THE definitive book. An opus, chock full of information and a fascinating read, in my opinion.

‘The Yonezawa Matchlock

Mighty Gun of the Uesugi Samurai’

By Jan Pettersson

 

The second is their very local (and bitter?) rival the Uesugi group.

Their stances and language are somewhat different up in that part of Japan, following a distinct branch of evolution from the *smoothbore Japanese matchlock’s roots in that coming ashore in Tanegashima descrbed by Chris above.

*(No rifling, so not strictly a ‘rifle’ per se.)

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Hi!

Piers, the Yonezawa at the top is 10 monme. Under There is a 50 monme Seki. Then there are two ten monme Seki were one is converted to percussion. That one is made in Kunetomo and returned there for the percussion upgrade. The one at the bottom is kind of a hybride. It’s a six monme bajozutsu. The stock and lock is all Seki but the barrel is maybe nanban and pegs are holding the barrel, not the brass or cupper bands you normaly see on both schools. The 50 monme Seki has both the original cupper and brass band as well as a set in silver with chrysantemum decorations.

 

Anthony

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