Ying Chuan (鷹船)

Note: This blog post was originally part of my Sha Chuan (沙船) article. However, after updating that article with additional information, I decided to separate this content into its own article.

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

The Ying Chuan (鹰船, lit. 'Eagle ship') was an unusual riverine warship that emerged from the shipyards around the estuary of the Yangtze River. Converted from a type of civilian ship known as Shuang Ta Chuan (雙塔船, lit. 'Double tower ship', Shuang Ta was the old name of Shangtazhen), differing in that Shuang Ta Chuan used yuloh whereas Ying Chuan used oars, it rose to prominence during Jia Jing Da Wo Kou (嘉靖大倭寇) period due to its utility in defending inland waterways against Wokou vessels that slipped pass larger naval warships like Fu Chuan (福船), with its use quickly spreading to Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang

Read more

Lian Zhu Pao (連珠砲) and Yu Gu Pao (漁皷砲)

Drawing of a Lian Zhu Pao (right) and Yu Gu Pao (left), from 'Wu Bei Ji Yao (《武備集要》)'.

Lian Zhu Pao (連珠砲, lit. 'Rapid bead cannon') and Yu Gu Pao (漁皷砲, lit. 'Fisherman's drum cannon') were two types of lightweight cannons commonly used by Ming border armies of the strategically important San Bian (三邊, lit. 'Three borders') of Shaanxi Province, namely Gansu Defence Region (甘肅鎮), Yansui Defence Region (延綏鎮), Ningxia Defence Region (寧夏鎮), as well as the main headquarters, Guyuan Defence Region (固原鎮).

The two cannons were more or less identical, except for the lack of reinforcing hoops in Yu Gu Pao. Both cannons were around three chi in length, six fen in barrel thickness, and had a bore diameter of around one cun one fen (1.4 in / 35.2 mm). Designed to be carriable by just one person, these cannons could either launch a single one cun diameter lead cannonball at considerable distance using five to six liang of gunpowder, or loaded with additional lead or iron pellets for close range scatter shot.

Read more

Hu Wei Chong (虎尾銃)

Drawing of two Hu Wei Chong mounted on a double-ended stand, from 'Wu Bei Ji Yao (《武備集要》)'.

Read more

Du Huo Fei Pao (毒火飛砲)

Drawing of a paper fuse (top right), paper sealing tube (middle right), wooden fuse (top bottom), shell casing (top left) and bombard (bottom left), from 'Wu Bei Ji Yao (《武備集要》)'.

Du Huo Fei Pao (毒火飛砲, lit. 'Poisonous fire flying cannon') was a bombard-launched explosive shell designed to be launched from Wan Kou Pao (碗口砲, lit. 'Bowl-muzzle cannon'), an ordinary stone-throwing bronze bombard already in widespread use since the founding of Ming Dynasty.

First appeared in late 15th/early 16th century and entered mass production by 1544 at the latest, Du Huo Fei Pao was a spherical cast iron shell filled with black powder and up to five liang of sulfur, arsenic and other poisonous substance/irritants (hence the name "poisonous fire"), and was equipped with a fuse known as Mu Xin (木信, lit. 'Wooden fuse'), which consisted of burning fuse(s) winded around a screw-threaded wooden rod and sealed inside a thick paper tube to prevent premature contact between the fuse and bursting charge inside the shell. A cleverly designed ignition device, Mu Xin allowed for easy adjustment of time-delay before detonation through increasing or decreasing the number of threads on the wooden rod (and thus the length of the burning fuse).

Despite its ingenuity, Mu Xin did have some drawbacks, namely It was a fairly complicated device assembled from three different components (burning fuse, wooden rod and paper tube), not to mention hand-carving screw threads onto a wooden rod took considerable amount of skill and time. Fortunately, an alternative that offered similar level of consistency whilst being far easier to made was later discovered. Known as Zhi Xin (紙信, lit. 'Paper fuse'), this alternative fuse was simply the motor part of a Chinese rocket being adapted into a fuse.

EXTRA: Bigyeok Jincheonroe (비격진천뢰 or 飛擊震天雷)

Drawing of a large Bigyeok Jincheonroe, from 'Yungwon pilbi (《융원필비》 or 《戎垣必備》)'.

Bigyeok Jincheonroe was a cast iron shrapnel shell invented in Joseon Dynasty Korea by weapon engineer Yi Jangson (이장손 or 李長孫) in 1591, and proved instrumental in the liberation of Gyeongju city from Japanese invaders during Imjin War that broke out one year after its invention.

Named after another Chinese weapon, Bigyeok Jincheonroe bore a striking resemblance to Du Huo Fei Pao even down to design of the fuse based on screw-threaded wooden rod, which suggests that its invention may be inspired by Du Huo Fei Pao. Nevertheless, there were some notable differences between the two as well, chief among them material of the sealing tube—the Koreans used a bamboo tube whereas the Chinese used a paper tube—which likely influenced the design of the fuse hole as well. Specifically, Bigyeok Jincheonroe had a large rectangular fuse hole with a matching iron lid, but this was not found on Du Huo Fei Pao (which had a normal round fuse hole). This was due to the fact that bamboo is relatively rigid and smooth-surfaced, which may cause the fuse to slip out of the hole if it is not pinned in place by the iron lid. In contrast, paper is supple and coarse and serves as natural wadding, allowing the fuse to fit snugly into the hole like a stopper.

Bamboo sealing tube (left), iron lid (middle), and bomb casing of a Bigyeok Jincheonroe with a squarish fuse hole (right).

Interestingly, the Koreans also never appeared to adopt the more convenient Zhi Xin fuse.

Read more

Di Lei Lian Pao (地雷連砲) and Xun Lei Pao (迅雷砲)

Di Lei Lian Pao (地雷連砲, lit. 'Ground thunder rapid cannon')

Drawing of three soldiers firing three Di Lei Lian Pao, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Di Lei Lian Pao was a small volley gun that consisted of 10 small cannons brazed to a solid iron stock in a fan shape. Originated from Shaanxi (陝西) region of Northwest China, Di Lei Lian Pao was a very lightweight weapon weighing only twenty jin (11.8 kg or 26 lbs) which allowed the weapon to be easily deployed and transported without a wheeled gun carriage—an important feature allowing the weapon to be used more effectively against fast-paced Mongol horsemen. Despite being a volley gun that fired its shots in a spread, Di Lei Lian Pao was still fitted with an iron sight.

To prevent the huge recoil generated by all ten barrels firing simultaneously from throwing off such a light weapon, potentially even hurting its user, the iron stock of Di Lei Lian Pao had an integrated ring that allowed the weapon to be staked to the ground during use.

Drawing of one soldier firing multiple Di Lei Lian Pao, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Di Lei Lian Pao was originally a tripwire gun that uses Gang Lun Fa Huo (鋼輪發火) as its triggering mechanism (hence 'Di Lei [地雷]' in its name), although this was later changed to having a gunner to manually fire the volley gun, as this was found to be much more convenient and responsive.

Di Lei Lian Pao utilised a two-stage fuse, which consisted of a very short section of normal fuse (i.e. Chinese paper fuse), known as Zou Xian (走線, lit. 'Walking thread'), connecting to a much longer section of flat quickmatch fuse, known as Bian Xian (扁線, lit. 'Flat thread') that extended all the way to the touch hole of the volley gun. The use of long fuse to ignite Di Lei Lian Pao allowed the gunner to stand at a safe distance from the weapon, as well as for a single gunner to operate multiple guns by himself.

Xun Lei Pao (迅雷砲, lit. 'Quick thunder cannon')

Drawing of a Xun Lei Pao, from 'Li Qi Jie (《利器解》)'.

Xun Lei Pao was basically a larger, lighter, more powerful, but single shot version of Di Lei Lian Pao. It was a small iron cannon weighing only 10 jin (6 kg or 13 lbs) and came with a slightly flared muzzle, front and back iron sight, as well as an extended solid portion behind the cannon breach with a hole punched through it to allow the cannon to be staked to the ground during use much like its multi-shot counterpart.

Xun Lei Pao should not to be confused with Xun Lei Chong (迅雷銃), a weapon with similar name.

Read more

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.

Read more

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. 

Read more

Huo Zhuan (火磚)

Drawing of a Huo Zhuan and its content, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Huo Zhuan (火磚, lit. 'Fire brick') was a type of brick-shaped hand grenade used by the Ming navy. It was a small box made of thin wooden plantes and filled with one jin and four liang of gunpowder charge, twenty paper firecrackers, twenty Fei Yan (飛燕) and thirty iron caltrops. The grenade was waterproofed by wrapping it in four to five layers of oil paper, and was ignited by means of a burning fuse.

Read more

Huo Tong (火桶)

Cutaway drawing of a Huo Tong, from 'Wu Bei Zhi (《武備志》)'.

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more