Guo Chu San Yan Qiang (國初三眼鎗) and Guo Chu Shuang Tou Qiang (國初雙頭鎗)

Note: The content of this blog post was originally taken from my other articles. However, I decided to write a separate article for cleaner navigation, tidier organization, and easier reading and digestion.

Guo Chu Shuang Tou Qiang (left) and Guo Chu San Yan Qiang (centre), from 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜》)'.

The Guo Chu San Yan Qiang (國初三眼鎗, lit. 'Founding-era three-eyed spear') and the Guo Chu Shuang Tou Qiang (國初雙頭鎗, lit. 'Founding-era double-headed spear') were two elusive firearms mentioned by the mysterious old Daoist priest whom the Ming firearm specialist Zhao Shi Zhen (趙士楨) met in front of the Gongde Temple (功德寺). 

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Zhao Shi Zhen's handgonnes

Note: The content of this blog post was originally taken from my other articles. However, I decided to write a separate article for cleaner navigation, tidier organization, and easier reading and digestion.

Although originally an advocate of universal adoption of matchlock firearms, Ming Dynasty firearm specialist and inventor Zhao Shi Zhen (趙士楨) later reconsidered his views after a chance meeting and and conversation with a mysterious Daoist priest in front of the Gongde Temple (功德寺) while on a fowling trip on Kunming Lake. Thereafter, he adopted a more nuanced position and began to seriously explore various advantages that traditional Chinese handgonnes had to offer, and to refine and improve them.

Ma Shang San Yan Chong (馬上三眼銃, lit. 'Horseback three-eyed gun')

Drawing of a Ma Shang San Yan Chong (highlighted), from 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜》)'.

Known in full as the Xin Gai Ma Bu Xiang Yi San Yan Qiang (新改馬步相宜三眼鎗, lit. 'Newly modified three-eyed spear suitable on foot and on horseback'), this weapon was Zhao Shi Zhen's improved design of the classic San Yan Chong (三眼銃), which he developed just as the classic San Yan Chong began to see widespread adoption by the Ming military.

The biggest improvement made by Zhao Shi Zhen was replacing the original barrel of the San Yan Chong—which was typically made from three cast iron barrels forge-welded/cast together, making it top heavy and prone to overheating—with his own design, which used three separate longer barrels forged in the same way as matchlock gun barrels (i.e., rolled from skelp or iron strips and hammer-welded along a seam for a stronger, more uniform tube, double-layered for better integrity, plus individual screw-in breech plugs), all mounted on a grooved wooden bedding. This arrangement reduced the weapon's overall weight for easier handling, improved balance through the lighter construction, and allowed for easier maintenance and replacement of individual barrels.

Various components of the Xin Gai Ma Bu Xiang Yi San Yan Qiang, from 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜》)'.

Zhao Shi Zhen also mounted a tanged blade and disc guard to the butt of the weapon, transforming the Ma Shang San Yan Chong into a versatile hybrid firearm. The tanged blade allowed the user to wield the weapon as a close-quarters polearm for thrusting and slashing after discharging the barrels, with the barrels themselves serving as a counterweight for better balance. Meanwhile, the heavy clustered barrels themselves could serve as an improvised bludgeon for blunt strikes, providing a fallback option where reloading wasn't feasible.

Furthermore, Zhao Shi Zhen tailored the weapon into two variants to accommodate different combat roles. The infantry version featured a longer overall length of approximately 5 chi 5 cun, while the cavalry version was shorter, measuring around 4 chi 4 cun.

Xian Chong (鍁銃, spade gun) and Jue Chong (镢銃, hoe gun)

Highlighted Xian Chong (above) and Jue Chong (below), from 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜》)'.

Zhao Shi Zhen further adapted the Ma Shang San Yang Chong by replacing its tanged blade with spade- or hoe-shaped heads in specialized variants, known as Xian Chong and Jue Chong respectively. Both variants retained the firearm's volley capability while while serving as practical tools for frontier engineering.

San Shen Tang (三神鎲, lit. 'Three divine Tangpa')

Drawing of a San Shen Tang and its detachable matchlock trigger, from 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜》)'.

The San Shen Tang can be considered to represent Zhao Shi Zhen's further refinement of the Ma Shang San Yan Chong, as it went beyond merely accommodating different combat roles for infantry and cavalry to also adapt to the habits of soldiers from both southern and northern China.

The primary modification made by Zhao Shi Zhen was the incorporation of a detachable matchlock trigger mechanism—likely borrowed from the Xun Lei Chong (迅雷銃)— which enabled the weapon to be braced and aimed like a matchlock gun by soldiers already familiar with such firearms, particularly those from southern China (although its accuracy still fell somewhat short of that of a true matchlock's), while retaining the flexibility to be used like a traditional handgonne by soldiers unfamiliar with matchlocks, particularly those from northern China. A second key modification was the replacement of the tanged blade of Ma Shang San Yan Chong with the head of a pronged Tang Pa (鎲鈀), which was far more versatile on a shorter polearm than a simple spearhead.

Top: A soldier aiming a trigger-attached San Shen Tang. Bottom: A soldier using a Ma Shang San Yan Chong on horseback. From 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜》)'.

In a sense, the San Shen Tang can be considered a simpler and more practical successor of the Xun Lei Chong.

Bu Xia Yi Hu Chong (步下翼虎銃)

Bottom and side view of Bu Xia Yi Hu Chong, from 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜》)'.

The Bu Xia Yi Hu Chong was a very unusual double-barrelled handgonne configured like a tonfa or arm shield.

Click here for more information about this handgonne.

Huo Dan Tong (火彈筒, lit. 'Fire bullet tube')

Drawing of a Huo Dan Tong (highlighted), from 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜》)'

The Huo Dan Tong was a hand-mortar-style flare gun and one of the earliest of its kind in the world, predating the Very pistol by nearly three centuries and being predated only by the flare launcher of the Xun Lei Chong (迅雷銃), which was also designed by Zhao Shi Zhen.

Click here for more information about this flare gun.

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Bu Xia Yi Hu Chong (步下翼虎銃)

Bottom and side view of Bu Xia Yi Hu Chong (highlighted), from 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜》)'.

Among the many ingenious and unconventional firearms crafted by the renowned Ming firearm specialist Zhao Shi Zhen (趙士楨), the Bu Xia Yi Hu Chong (步下翼虎銃, lit. 'Infantry Winged Tiger Gun') stood out as particularly enigmatic and elusive.

Unlike Zhao Shi Zhen's other designs, which he described in detail in his writings, this peculiar weapon survived only through two illustrations in his work, as well as a single brief, off-hand remark—that it was suitable only for use in Southern China—leaving its exact design, function, and mechanism largely unknown, most likely because any fuller written description has been lost to time.

Nevertheless, while any description must remain conjectural due to the absence of Zhao Shi Zhen’s documentation, the two surviving illustrations allow us to make an educated guess on the nature of this weapon.

From the illustrations, the Bu Xia Yi Hu Chong appeared to be a forearm-mounted firearm in a configuration similar to a tonfa. It featured a grip handle with a hand guard near the forward end of the assembly, though it was unclear whether the grip was oriented perpendicular to the barrel (resembling the classic tonfa’s cross-handle) or horizontal (resembling a shield grip). Complementing the grip was an elbow loop that enabled the firearm to be strapped or braced securely along the forearm.

The Bu Xia Yi Hu Chong incorporated two gun barrels aligned side by side and running slightly longer than the length of the forearm, with their muzzles positioned at the rearward end (in the direction of the elbow when braced). These were handgonnes without any mechanical trigger or lock mechanism, relying instead on primitive touch holes—likely located on the underside of the weapon—for ignition, making it, ironically, the only handgonne that Zhao Shizhen deemed suitable for use in Southern China only. Owing to its design, the user probably had to bend his elbow to aim the weapon and gain access to the touch holes before he could fire it—using a posture that might not have been too far removed from the modern sniper cradle position.

A soldier firing Bu Xia Yi Hu Chong, from 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜》)'.

Interestingly, the weapon also incorporated a prominent spike projecting from the rearward end—in the same direction as its muzzles. Its precise purpose remained unclear, as it could scarcely have served for forward thrusting and was most likely intended to aid aiming.

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Jue Chong (钁銃)

Drawing of a Jue Chong, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Jue Chong (钁銃, lit. 'Mattock gun'), also known as Gou Tou Chong (勾頭銃, lit. 'Hooked head gun'), was an odd-looking firearm used for siege defence. It was simply a handgonne fixed perpendicularly to a five chi long wooden pole, designed to allow a gunner to shoot at enemy troops at the base of the wall without exposing himself.

Due to the inherent difficulties in aiming with this weapon, Jue Chong was typically loaded with six to seven lead balls to offset its low accuracy. Its muzzle was also sealed with paper in order to prevent the bullets from falling out of the barrel.

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Zao Hua Xun Huan Pao (造化循環砲)

MINOR UPDATE JANURAY 28, 2024

Two Ming troopers shooting Zao Hua Xun Huan Pao, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Zao Hua Xun Huan Pao (造化循環砲, lit. 'Fortuitous cyclic cannon'. The 'cyclic' in its name refers to fire by rotation tactic employed by its gunners) was a type of heavy handgonne (or rather, a set of four handgonnes) and one of the attempts to improve handgonne design in order to keep up with the firepower, accuracy and rate of fire of matchlock musket. 

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Jiu Long Jian (九龍箭)

Drawing of a Jiu Long Jian, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Jiu Long Jian (九龍箭, lit. 'Nine dragons arrow') was a simple iron handgonne that shot nine poisoned darts. It was possibly related to Jiu Long Tong (九龍筒, lit. 'Nine dragons tube'), an early Ming period rocket launcher or dart gun.

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Jia Ba Chong (夾把銃)

MINOR UPDATE MARCH 06, 2025

The Jia Ba Chong (variously written as 夾把銃, 夾靶銃, 夾欛銃, and 夾耙銃, lit. 'Fastened handle gun'), also known as Jia Ba Qiang (夾把鎗, lit. 'Fastened handle spear'), was a single-barrel handgonne that can be considered a sub-type of the Kuai Qiang (快鎗). 

Although the weapon had been in widespread use during the mid-Ming period, it was only first described by the renowned Ming commander Qi Ji Guang (戚繼光) in his 1571 military treatise Lian Bing Shi Ji (《練兵實紀》), in which the weapon is described as a Kuai Qiang with an iron shaft, so that it could be used as a iron quarterstaff in close combat.

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Wu Lei Shen Ji (五雷神機), San Jie Shen Ji (三捷神機) and Wan Sheng Fo Lang Ji (萬勝佛狼機)

UPDATED MAY 9, 2022

Wu Lei Shen Ji (五雷神機, lit. 'Five thunders divine engine')

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

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Da Zhui Feng Qiang (大追風槍)

UPDATED DECEMBER 19, 2023, minor update NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Da Zhui Feng Qiang (大追風鎗, lit. 'Great wind chasing gun')

Drawing of a Da Zhui Feng Qiang, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Da Zhui Feng Qiang, also known as Zhui Feng Qiang (追風鎗, lit. 'Wind chasing gun') and Zhui Feng Pao (追風砲, lit. 'Wind chasing cannon'), was a late Ming period heavy handgonne that possibly modified back from a matchlock gun to simplify the reloading process. Zhui Feng Qiang had a four chi four cun long gun barrel equipped with front and rear iron sight, a stock similar to that of a matchlock gun, as well as an iron tripod gun rest. It was typically loaded with a six qian five fen (24 g) lead ball, as well as six qian (22 g) of gunpowder, making it far more powerful than a typical arquebus.  

Lacking a matchlock mechanism, Zhui Feng Qiang was ignited directly through its touch hole, and thus required a second operator.

Zi Mu Zhui Feng Qiang (子母追風鎗, lit. 'Mother-and-child wind chasing gun')

Late Ming period Liaodong commander Peng Hao Gu (彭簪古) also devised an upsized Da Zhui Feng Qiang with twice the barrel length. Designed to be mounted on ramparts and battlements, Zi Mu Da Zhui Feng Qiang was more powerful than even a heavy musket, although its tremendous length posed a problem for muzzle reloading, necessitating further modification to allow the weapon to be reloaded from an open breech.

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Yi Hu Pao (翼虎砲)

Drawing of a Yi Hu Pao, from 'Jun Qi Tu Shuo (《軍器圖說》)'.

Yi Hu Pao (翼虎砲, lit. 'Winged tiger cannon') was a late Ming period large handgonne or light cannon. It was said to be more powerful than other cannons (debatable, given the difference in size and bore), very accurate, and fairly portable. It was mounted on a wooden frame that allows its elevation to be adjusted.

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Shen Qiang (神鎗)

Early Ming variant

Drawing of a dart-shooting Shen Qiang, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Shen Qiang (神鎗, lit. 'Divine gun' or 'Divine spear'), also known as Shen Ji Chong (神機銃, lit. 'Divine engine gun') and Shen Ji Huo Qiang (神機火鎗, lit. 'Divine engine fire lance'), was a  handgonne of the early Ming Dynasty. It was primarily designed to shoot a heavy metal-tipped dart made of Ceylon ironwood, said to be powerful enough to punch through two men and a horse at the same time, although it could also shoot lead shots or shrapnel.

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Kuai Qiang (快鎗)

Drawing of a Kuai Qiang, from 'Lian Bing Shi Ji (《練兵實紀》)'.

Kuai Qiang (快鎗, lit. 'Fast gun'), also known as Qiang Bang (鎗棒, lit.'Gun staff'), was a type of single shot iron handgonne mounted on an unusually long (five chi) wooden pole so that it could double as a quarterstaff. It was one of the most widely used handheld firearms among Ming Northern troops during mid to late Ming period, likely surpassing both San Yan Chong (三眼銃) and arquebus in total numbers.

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Bian Chong (邊銃)

Drawing of a Bian Chong, from 'Wu Bei Yao Lue (《武備要略》)'.

Bian Chong (邊銃, lit. 'Border gun' or 'Frontier gun'), also known as Chong Gun (銃棍, lit. 'Staff gun') was a relatively common but very obscure firearm of the Ming army. True to its namesake, it was commonly found in the hands of frontier troops. Bian Chong was essentially a double-ended handgonne that also doubled as quarterstaff. It had one rear sight and two front sights, one on each end of the barrel, to facilitate aiming.

Some Bian Chong had one half of their barrels wrapped in bamboo or rattan to for better grip.

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San Yan Chong (三眼銃)

A typical San Yan Chong.

Perhaps the most iconic handheld firearm of Ming army, San Yan Chong (三眼銃, lit. 'Three-eyed gun') was an iron handgonne that had three short barrels arranged in a triangular layout. It allowed the gunner to discharge three shots in quick succession before needing to reload, thereby compensating for its short range and lack of accuracy somewhat. San Yan Chong was the preferred firearm of Northern cavalry, particularly those from Liaodong Defense Region.

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