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List of medieval and early modern gunpowder artillery

A wide variety of gunpowder artillery weapons were created in the medieval and early modern period.

01List

Name Image Notes
Base
A long, narrow 15th-16th century cannon
Bombard
First recorded use in 1326, made of brass.
Culverin
A long-range cannon, first mentioned in 1410
Curtall cannon
A type of cannon with a short barrel.
Demi-culverin
A medium cannon, smaller than a culverin
Drake
A 3-pounder cannon; alternatively, an adjective to describe a lighter variant of another cannon.
Falconet
A light cannon
Minion
A small cannon used in the 16th and 17th centuries
Portpiece
A large naval cannon
Saker
A medium cannon firing a 5 to 8 lb shot
Serpentine
A cannon similar to a culverin
Sling
A long, narrow 17th century cannon

02General and cited references

  • Henry, Chris (2005). English Civil War Artillery 1642-51. Oxford: Osprey.
  • Kinard, Jeff. Artillery: An Illustrated History of Its Impact.
  • Needham, Joseph. Science and Civilisation in China: Military Technology: The Gunpowder Epic.
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Sources and credits

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