Espingole

The title of this article is ambiguous. For the multi-shot weapon of the same name see Espingole (multi-shot weapon) , for the destroyer see Espingole (destroyer) .

Espingole, France about 1760

Trabuco, Spain

Espingol pistol from the Mexican-American War, 1847

The espingole [ ɛspɛ̃ˈgɔl ] (also called spinole, blunderbuss, blunderbuss or (French) tromblon ) was a short shotgun with a funnel-shaped widened muzzle . These weapons were used from the early 17th to the 19th century.

To ignite one was flintlock used. Compared to the muskets of that time , the espingole was shorter. Heavy espingolas could also be attached to the railing as a rotating base . But there were also espingolas in the shape of a pistol d. H. without the butt stock as a shoulder rest. The espingolas were loaded with shot or several large-caliber bullets, roughly chopped lead or the like. Thus the weapon did not have to be aimed precisely and could eliminate several opponents.

The influence of the funnel-shaped mouth on the dispersion of the projectiles is controversial. In 2007, a systematic investigation of various mouth shapes showed a noticeably increased spread. Another advantage of the mouth shape is that it makes loading easier. Gunpowder and projectiles are less likely to spill, especially if the shooter was on a swaying ship's deck, a moving carriage, or a horse. The barrel and fittings were usually made of brass, the shaft of walnut. The espingolas were weapons for close combat; some were also equipped with folding bayonets .

Espingoles were widely used on English and Danish warships . Coachmen used them to protect the stagecoaches from muggers. They were also used by Mamluks of the French Imperial Guard and around 1760 by Austrian cuirassiers .

literature

• David Harding, Weapons Encyclopedia. Stuttgart, 2008, Troblon: Pages 118 and 344, ISBN 978-3-613-02894-4 .
• Encyclopædia Britannica , Volume 4, 1911,
  

  Wikisource: 1911 Encyclopédia Britannica / Blunderbuss  - sources and full texts (English)
• Peter Francis: A History of Guns, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform , 2014, ISBN 978-1496155474 , Google Books.
• Jeff Kinard: Pistols: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. ABC-CLIO Verlag , 2004, ISBN 9781851094707 , p. 36, Google Books.
• Pierer's Universal Lexikon , Volume 5, Altenburg 1858, p. 898, online: Entry: Espingole.

Web links

Commons : Blunderbuss  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Exhibits in The British Postal Museum & Archive : [1] , [2]
• http://www.gunclassics.com/pirateblunder.html
• http://www.lewis-clark.org/article/2360?ArticleID=2360
• Exhibits in the NRA National Firearms Museum : [3] , [4] , [5]
• 360 ° view of a Tromblon pistol with flintlock (Virtual State Museum Mecklenburg)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} NRA National Firearms Museum via Blunderbuss
2. ↑ Carl Parcher Russell: Guns on the Early Frontiers: A History of Firearms from Colonial Times Through the Years of the Western Fur Trade. Berkeley, 1957, University of California Press , ISBN 9780803289031 , p. 70, Google Books.
3. ↑ Firearms, Pabel-Moewig Verlag , 1991, ISBN 9783811885639 , p. 47.
4. ↑ Kinard: Pistols, 2004, p. 36.
5. ↑ Melvin Flanagan: Myths of the Blunderbuss , 2007, American Society of Arms Collectors Bulletin No. 96, pp. 59-66, online version
6. ↑ Firearms, Pabel-Moewig Verlag , 1991, ISBN 9783811885639 , p. 47.
7. ↑ Kinard: Pistols, 2004, p. 36.
8. ^ Meyers Konversations-Lexikon , 4th edition, 1888, Volume 5, pp. 85, 3, jpg.