Weaponised shields of the Ming Dynasty

MINOR UPDATE JANUARY 2, 2024

Throughout the long history of Ming Dynasty, the Chinese had developed all kinds of combination weapons, and shield was no exception. Unlike most other Ming combination weapons which are often gimmicky and impractical, These shields were somewhat more practical and saw limited field use, although they were still far from the most common equipment on the battlefield. 

It should be noted that shields that only have built-in gun loops, such as Wu Di Shen Pai (無敵神牌), as well as firearms that have gun shields, like Xun Lei Chong (迅雷銃), are not covered by this blog post.

Shen Xing Po Zhen Meng Huo Dao Pai (神行破陣猛火刀牌, lit. 'Marvelous travelling, formation breaking, raging fire blade shield')

Drawing of a Shen Xing Po Zhen Meng Huo Dao Pai, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

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Dian Guang Jian (電光劒)

Drawing of a Dian Guang Jian, from 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜》)'.

Dian Guang Jian (電光劒, lit. 'Lightning sword') was an unusual fire lance designed by Zhao Shi Zhen (趙士楨). It was a formidable pole-sword with a broad, double-edged chopping blade mounted on a shaft with a disc guard, and came with two barrels—one handgonne and one Pen Tong (噴筒)—mounted on either flat of the blade.

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Jian Qiang (劍鎗)

UPDATED 10 OCT, 2023

Drawing of a Jian Qiang with its stock, from 'Shi Lv (《師律》)'.

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Lei Huo Bian (雷火鞭)

Drawing of a Lei Huo Bian, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

The Lei Huo Bian (雷火鞭, lit. 'Thunderfire whip') was a relatively straightforward, if obscure, weapon that combined a Tie Bian (鐵鞭) and a handgonne. It could be made of either iron or bronze, and typically had a length of three chi two cun, with the first five cun of the weapon hollowed out and drilled with a touch hole. It was typically loaded with three lead pellets.

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Unique weapon of the Ming Dynasty — Xun Lei Chong (迅雷銃)

MINOR UPDATE FEBRUARY 5, 2026

Drawing of a soldier firing Xun Lei Chong, from 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜》)'.

One of the most complex weapons developed by Ming Dynasty firearm specialist Zhao Shi Zhen (趙士楨),  and his signature work, the Xun Lei Chong (迅雷銃, lit. 'Quick thunder gun') was a self-contained weapon system that incorporated a five-barrelled matchlock gun with a detachable trigger mechanism, a layered leather-and-cotton composite gun shield, an axe that doubled as a musket rest, and a spear with a flare launcher mounted on its butt—allowing adaptation to a variety of combat situations.

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