Otepää Gonne clip

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

This link was posted on another forum I visit, and I thought many of you, especially Gary, would be interested in this.  It's a 30 min. clip on the Otepää Gonne:

In 1955, Estonian archaeologist Osvald Saadre found in Otepää Fortress a room containing pieces of bronze. These pieces were parts of the oldest Estonian firearm, dating back to the late 14th Century. This documentary follows the course of an experimental archaeology project, as archaeologist Jaak Mäll works to reconstruct a functional copy of the Otepää gonne (gun), remaining as faithful as possible to the gunsmithing techniques of the period and to conducting test-firings using gunpowder made in accordance with the formulas and methods of the time.

http://www.archeologychannel.org/

[dan610324]

thats an very interesting video , thanks for shareing

[Cannoneer]

That's an entertaining video, but I think that its maybe a bit too much conjecture on the part of the academician concerning the ignition apparatus, and the projectile that he thinks was originally meant to be fired out of that small barrel.

[gulfcoastblackpowder]

I agree with you.  I think it's more likely they would have just used fire iron/hot poker to ignite a primed gun, and if it shot an "arrow," it would likely have been more of a bolt, and would have probably fit the bore a bit better.  Hard to say for sure without an account from that culture or any more artifacts.  Still, I have seen the serpentine style ignition system on handgonne, though usually on later ones, and I do know that around that time, there were incendiary arrows shot out of guns.