Great Ming Military

Qian Dan Yi Wo Feng (鉛彈一窩蜂) Drawing of Qian Dan Yi Wo Feng in shoulder bag for transportation (top right), and the same cannon when deployed...

UPDATED MAY 5, 2022 One of the major hurdles that prevented matchlock guns from being adopted on a large scale in North China was the comp...

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 i...

UPDATED MARCH 30, 2022 Zhen Die Chong (震疊銃, lit. 'Terror gun') Drawing of a Zhen Die Chong, from 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜》)'....

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 w...

UPDATED JANUARY 7, 2022, minor update MAY 14, 2023 One of the major weaknesses of early black powder firearms was the abysmal firing rate. C...

UPDATED MAY 4, 2022, minor update NOVEMBER 10, 2023 A Ming Dynasty matchlock arquebus found in Xuzhou.

UPDATED APRIL 29, 2022 Drawing of a Huo Jian Liu and its rack-and-pinion matchlock mechanism (highlighted), from 'Shen Qi Pu (《神器譜...