“Choose Your Weapon!

” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen
Common Swords

Gladius

Great Sword

Long Sword

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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen
Common Swords

Cut &Thrust Sword

Rapier
Cutlass

Estoc or Tuck

Smallsword

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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen
Common Swords

1840 Sabre

Sabre Bayonet

Katana

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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen
Hand Cannon
(ca - 1400s)
Chinese hand cannon

A hand cannon was also known as a handegonne.

Advantages
• Allowed standoff against armored enemy
• Made all people on battlefield equal
• Mobile artillery was lighter than other artillery of the time
• Instilled fear in the enemy
Soldier using a hand cannon
• Did not require as much training to use as pole arms or swords

Disadvantages
Touch Hole • Loading was slow
• Required fair weather – wet weather was a problem
• Heavy and cumbersome
• Required much maintenance like cleaning touchhole
• Could explode unexpectedly if embers left in barrel from
previous shot
Ball
Gun Powder

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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen
Matchlock
(ca mid 1400s to 1999)
Last used by Timor Tigers in Indonesia
Burning Wick

Flash Pan Cover

Flash Pan

Advantages
• Required two hands to increase the accuracy and stability
• Superior in armor penetration to the other crude weapons
of that time, such as swords and axes
Match • Much more portable and usable than earlier hand cannons

Disadvantages
• Weight of the rifles required a balancing stick
• Damp weapons were extremely difficult to light
• Reloading took at least 30 seconds
• Reloading powder horns and working around powder stores
was dangerous because of the lit match
Priming Pan Serpentine / Cock

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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen
Wheelock
(ca 1500 – 1600)
Wheel locks used after 1600 as available

Advantages
• Better resistance than match lock to damp conditions
• Absence of a tell-tale glow and smell from slow match
• No integral hazard with proximity to gunpowder
• Allowed sparks in any weather
• Wheel rotates many times, and flint sparks many times,
so stubborn charges would likely touch off
• Priming pan cover was not opened until gun was fired
Flash Pan Cover • Concealing firearms in clothing was now possible
Flash Pan Flint
Disadvantages
• High production cost and complexity hindered adoption
• Skilled gunsmiths were required to build mechanisms
• Could malfunction if not properly maintained
• Early models had unreliable springs

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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen Snaphaunce
(ca 1500 – now, in Middle East & Africa)

Battery Flash Pan

Sear Spring
Flash Pan Battery Arm Pan Cover

Battery Spring Sear

Cock

Main Spring Pan Cover Lever Tumbler

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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen
Flintlock
(ca 1630 – 1860s)

British Pocket Flintlock

ca 1800

Decorative Scottish Flintlock

American Kentucky Pistol French Knife Flintlock

ca early 1800s ca 1700

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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen
Flintlock
(continued)
Edinburgh Derringers
ca 1815
Jaws

Frizzen

Frizzen Spring
Flash Pan

Advantages
• Faster, more positive ignition
• Less expensive to produce
• Simple mechanism
• More easily repaired
Touch hole
Disadvantages
• Affected by dampness
• Carrying flints was required - flints could break or lose edge
• Needed to be cleaned often
• Stray embers were dangerous during reloading
• Lag between tripping trigger and main charge exploding

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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen Caplock
1806 - 1860
Not in wide use until 1830
Pepperbox
ca 1815

Underhammer Percussion Pistol

John Wilkes Booth’s
Deringer

aka buggy or boot pistol

Single Shot Percussion Pistols
ca 1830

Colt’s Walker 1847

Colt’s Navy
ca 1851 Colt’s Patterson Revolver
ca 1836

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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen Caplock
1806 - 1860
Rogers & Spencer
ca 1860

Pettingill Hammerless Revolver

Remington New Model Army ca 1860
ca 1858

Colt Patterson
cylinder
hammer
LeMat Calvary
breach ca 1856
arbor
action cover wedge
hand spring
frame
hand
trigger spring
bolt spring sear

trigger Colt Army

spring relative position of ca 1860
lock springs
breach screw

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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen
Caplock
(continued)

Hammer
Hollow Head
Cap
Percussion
Nipple Revolver Cylinder

Remington 1858 New Model Army

photo shows ease of changing cylinders
Powder Charge

Advantages
• Weather is not a major factor
• Multiple shots without having to reload, for Disadvantages
pepperboxes and revolvers • Many still had to work with loose powder
• Unnecessary to watch knapping of flints • Cylinder or barrel had to be capped
• Fewer parts • Chain fires were possible
• Easier to maintain and use, particularly with • Earlier revolvers were delicate and prone to
paper cartridges breakage
• Reload time reduced, especially with the • If away from supply stores, the weapon was
revolvers, & many folks carried multiple guns practically useless without caps – mountain
to further avoid reloading men like Kit Carson preferred flintlocks

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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen
Glossary
COMMON SWORDS
Gladius: A type of Roman one handed sword with a double edge. It
was used to thrust and hack.
Seax: A type of one handed sword mainly used to hack and chop. It
was relatively easy to manufacture.
Great Sword: A type of two handed sword. It was useful against
armor, and formidable against pike weapons.
Long Sword: It is also called a bastard sword, since it isn’t one handed
or two handed. A long sword is a hand-and-a-half sword.
Arming Sword: This is the weapon most associated with knights. It is a
one handed sword with a double edge.
Estoc or Tuck: This two handed sword has a triangular or square blade
with no edge. It was developed to pierce chain mail and plate armor.
Cut & Thrust Sword: As the name implies, this is made for both
cutting and thrusting. It is a one-handed sword, shorter than a rapier.
Rapier: This double edged blade is used for single handed action. It is
mainly a thrust weapon.
Smallsword: This single handed sword usually has a square or
triangular blade. If it is flat, the blade is typically unsharpened. It is
often confused with the rapier. The smallsword is the sword that led
to fencing.
Cutlass or Hanger: This sword has a short blade for close battles. It has
a thick blade for strength, and is curved for chopping.
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Sabre (Saber): A saber is any sword used by the cavalry. It is a one
handed weapon that can be single or double edged, with a curved or
straight blade.
Scimitar: This is the typical Middle Eastern sword with a curved blade.
It is used one handed for slicing.
Katana: This sword is not effective against metal armor. The katana is a
curved blade made for two hands. It can be used one handed, so the
other hand can wield another weapon.
Bayonet: A steel blade attached to the muzzle of a firearm for use in
close combat. Bayonets have been used as recently as the Gulf War by
British troops.
Sword Bayonet: Created after the invention of firearms, the sword
bayonet can be used as a sword separately, or attached to a rifle as a
bayonet. It fell out of favor at the same time as use of sword in combat.
BLADE COMPONENTS
Back: The unsharpened side of a single edged sword is called the back.
Fuller: This is a grove that runs down the length of the sword. It is also
known as the blood groove.
Grip: The sword’s handle.
Guard: A part of a sword that protects the hand. It can be as simple as
a straight bar, or can be quite elaborate.
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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
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Glossary
Hilt: The portion of the sword below the blade.
Pommel: The weight on the back of the sword.
Ricasso: An unsharpened part of the blade above the hilt, used in some
techniques as a hold for better control of a sword.
Tang: The part of the sword that goes into the hilt.
FIREARMS
Ball: The round lead projectile fired by smoothbore firearms. Today,
this refers to some bullets fired from rifled barrels.
Barrel: The firearm’s metal tube through which the bullet or shot
charge passes when the firearm is fired. The barrel is usually made of
iron or steel.
Black Powder: The gunpowder that allows the projectile to fire. It is a
finely ground mixture of saltpeter (potassium nitrate), charcoal (carbon)
and sulphur.
Bore: Projectiles fire down this tunnel of the firearm’s barrel.
Breech: The rear end of the barrel. Today, this refers to the portion of
the barrel that the cartridge is inserted.
Caliber: This is the diameter of the bore of a rifle. It is measured before
the rifling grooves are cut.
Cap Lock: An early firearm mechanism that replaced the flint lock.
Instead of a flint and priming charge, a percussion cap sends fire into
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the touch hole to ignite the main charge. A hammer ignites the
percussion cap, sending fire into the breech, igniting the main charge.
Cartridge: The case containing the powder charge, the primer, and the
bullet. It is usually made of brass or copper. Before development of the
metallic cartridge, this meant a roll or case of paper containing the
black powder and shot.
Flash in the pan: The condition when the priming charge goes without
setting off the main charge. Today, this is a colloquialism meaning big
show without substance or backing.
Flint: A piece of stone held in the cock of a firearm. The frizzen causes
a sparks to fall into the flash pan and ignite the powder.
Flintlock & Flint Lock: A flintlock refers to the whole firearm, while the
Flint Lock is a lock that uses flint. The same applies to (Caplock & Cap
Lock), and (Wheelock & Wheel Lock).
Flint Lock & Snaphaunce: Early firearm mechanisms. The cock holding
the flint drops and the flint hits a striker, sending sparks into the pan.
There, the priming charge is ignited, shooting flame into the touch hole
and igniting the main charge. On the Snaphaunce, the striker is the
battery. On the flintlock the striker is called the frizzen.
Fulminate of Mercury: A highly sensitive explosive used in a primer.
Load: A projectile, charge of powder, or cartridge. It can also refer to
preparing a gun for firing by inserting ammunition.
Lock: The firing mechanism of a muzzle loading weapon. In breech-
loading firearms, the lock is the breech sealing assembly and firing
mechanism.
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“Choose Your Weapon!” presentation
by Mark Pfeiffer & Jeff McQueen
Glossary
Nipple: A small metal tube going through the breech of a percussion
Lock, Stock, & Barrel: This describes the major component groups of
firearm. The flame passes from the percussion cap to fire the powder
a firearm. Today, this is a colloquialism meaning the whole thing.
charge.
Lock Plate: A metal plate that the firing mechanism is mounted on
Pan: The small dished container on the side or top of a match lock,
percussion and earlier firearms.
wheel lock, or flint lock forearm. It holds the priming powder charge.
Lock Time: The interval of time between the trigger release and the
Patch: A piece of leather or cloth which is greased and placed around a
detonation of the primer. It is also called lock speed.
bullet before pushing it down the barrel of a muzzleloader.
Match: A long cord of hemp, flax or cotton, saturated in saltpeter,
Percussion Cap: A small metal explosive-filled cup that is placed over
that burns slowly without a flame. It was used to ignite powder in
the nipple of a percussion firearm. When the hammer strikes the cup,
early firearms.
it explodes and sends a flame through the flash hole in the nipple to
the main powder charge.
Match Lock: A firearm action which relies upon a serpentine or S-
shaped piece of metal to hold a smoldering match. By pressing the
Prime: To prepare or charge a muzzle loader for firing.
lower end of the serpentine, the upper end holding the burning match
contacts the priming powder in the pan.
Ramrod: A wood or metal rod used to force the wad and bullet down
the barrel of a muzzle-loading firearm.
Misfire: Failure of a round to discharge after the firearm’s firing
pin/hammer has struck the primer/cap/priming load.
Recoil: The backward force of a firearm caused by expansion of
powder gases that shoots the bullet out of the barrel.
Action: The mechanism of a firearm directly behind the barrel, by
which a gun is loaded, locked, fired, unlocked, extracted and ejected.
Rifling: Spiral grooves cut inside a barrel to spin a bullet. The cut-away
portions of rifling are called grooves. The uncut portions are called
Muzzle: The forward end of a barrel.
lands.
Muzzle Flash: The bright flash at the muzzle of a firearm from burning
Smoothbore: A firearm with an unrifled barrel.
of gases.
Trajectory: The path a bullet travels from muzzle to impact.
Muzzleloader: A firearm that is loaded through the muzzle, the
discharging end of the weapon.
Wheel Lock: An early firearm mechanism. The wheel is attached to a
strong spring. It spins against a piece of iron pyrite, sending sparks into
the pan, igniting the charge.

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