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| Drawing of a Lei Huo Bian, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'. |
Lei Huo Bian (雷火鞭, lit. 'Thunderfire whip') was a relatively straightforward, if uncommon, weapon that combined a
Tie Bian (鐵鞭) and a handgonne. Lei Huo Bian could be made of either iron or bronze. It had a length of three
chi two
cun, the first five
cun of the weapon was hollowed out and drilled with a touch hole. It was typically loaded with three lead pellets.
Lei Huo Bian was quite heavy for a one-handed weapon (as it was basically a one metre long solid metal rod). It could only be used by exceptionally strong warrior.
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| A Lei Huo Bian with its touch hole and hollowed part visible. Private collection. |
Although not mentioned in Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》), Some Lei Huo Bian were made to resemble a
Tie Chi (鐵尺).
So this is a pistol in the shape of a sword (like a permanently attached bayonet)?
ReplyDeleteSorry I just realized it doesn't have a cutting edge.
DeleteAny info on how it was fired? Presumably there's some sort of touch hole near the hilt. Did it fire all three balls at once or could they be fired consecutively? I realise there may be no clear information on this.
ReplyDelete@Clibinarium
ReplyDeleteSorry I should clarify. It is fired by means of touch hole. Lacking complex mechanism, it fires all three balls at once.
Edited my post.
@Jayson
ReplyDeleteI mistakenly call it a "fire lance", it is actually a handgonne that can be used to bludgeon people.