Rotating bass
A Drehbasse (from English swivel and buss , rotary and rifle), also rotary bream , is a light rotating gun with a short range with a caliber of up to about 5 cm, which is usually movably mounted on the ship's rail on a pivot .
Swivel guns were carried on war and merchant ships and were primarily used against the crew of enemy ships. They were usually not loaded with the full bullets used for heavier cannons , but with coarse shot (also known as hail ) (chopped lead, iron or nails) or later with grapes (shot wrapped in a paper sleeve).
Turning basses were initially made with iron rod ring tubes assembled from individual parts as a rear loader with interchangeable chambers. Later they were cast in one piece from bronze as a muzzle loader, which improved the durability and safety of the weapons, and cast iron was also used for price reasons.
The carronades that appeared towards the end of the 18th century were larger and fired the same ammunition. In contrast to the rotating legs, they had no trunnions but were mounted on a pivot carriage.
