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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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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Qi Ji Guang's Yuan Yang Zhen (鴛鴦陣) — Part 5

Heavily armoured Sha Shou Dui, from 'Lian Bing Za Ji (《練兵雜紀》)'.

Reunion with the old army

Even after the conception of new Mandarin Duck Formation and the formation of Bu Ying (步營), Qi Ji Guang (戚繼光) was still unsatisfied with the performance of the soldiers of Northern frontiers. He requested for the transfer of Southern troops from Zhejiang province—troops he personally raised, trained, and fought together with—to Northern frontier almost as soon as he took charge in Ji Defence Region (薊鎮). The request was granted. At first three thousand Southern troops were sent, but this number gradually expanded to about twenty thousand.

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