Falconet (cannon)
Encyclopedia
The falconet or falcon was a light cannon
developed in the late 15th century. During the Middle Ages
guns were decorated with engravings of reptiles, birds or beasts depending on their size. For example, a culverin
would often feature snakes, as the handles on the early cannons were often decorated to resemble serpents. The falconet fired small yet lethal shot of similar weight and size to a bird of prey, and so was decorated with a falcon. Similarly, the musket was associated with the sparrowhawk.
Its barrel was approximately 4 feet (1.2 m) long, had a caliber
of 2 inches (5 cm) and weighed 80 kilograms (176 lb)~200 kilograms (441 lb). The falconet used 0.5 pound (0.226796185 kg) of black powder to fire a 1 pound (0.45359237 kg) round shot approximately 5000 feet (1,524 m). They could also be used to fire grapeshot
.
The falconet resembled an oversized matchlock
musket
with two wheels attached to improve mobility. In 1620s Germany a breechloading version was invented, seeing action in the Thirty Years War.
Many falconets were in use during the English Civil War
as they were lighter and cheaper than the culverin
s, sakers
and minion
s. During times of unrest they were used by the nobility to defend their grand houses.
Though developed for use on land, the falconet gained naval prominence during the 17th century for the defence of light vessels; for example, on small boats for boarding
manoeuvres. They were heavily used in the American Revolutionary War
by both the British and the Colonists.
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
developed in the late 15th century. During the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
guns were decorated with engravings of reptiles, birds or beasts depending on their size. For example, a culverin
Culverin
A culverin was a relatively simple ancestor of the musket, and later a medieval cannon, adapted for use by the French in the 15th century, and later adapted for naval use by the English in the late 16th century. The culverin was used to bombard targets from a distance. The weapon had a...
would often feature snakes, as the handles on the early cannons were often decorated to resemble serpents. The falconet fired small yet lethal shot of similar weight and size to a bird of prey, and so was decorated with a falcon. Similarly, the musket was associated with the sparrowhawk.
Its barrel was approximately 4 feet (1.2 m) long, had a caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
of 2 inches (5 cm) and weighed 80 kilograms (176 lb)~200 kilograms (441 lb). The falconet used 0.5 pound (0.226796185 kg) of black powder to fire a 1 pound (0.45359237 kg) round shot approximately 5000 feet (1,524 m). They could also be used to fire grapeshot
Grapeshot
In artillery, a grapeshot is a type of shot that is not a one solid element, but a mass of small metal balls or slugs packed tightly into a canvas bag. It was used both in land and naval warfare. When assembled, the balls resembled a cluster of grapes, hence the name...
.
The falconet resembled an oversized matchlock
Matchlock
The matchlock was the first mechanism, or "lock" invented to facilitate the firing of a hand-held firearm. This design removed the need to lower by hand a lit match into the weapon's flash pan and made it possible to have both hands free to keep a firm grip on the weapon at the moment of firing,...
musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
with two wheels attached to improve mobility. In 1620s Germany a breechloading version was invented, seeing action in the Thirty Years War.
Many falconets were in use during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
as they were lighter and cheaper than the culverin
Culverin
A culverin was a relatively simple ancestor of the musket, and later a medieval cannon, adapted for use by the French in the 15th century, and later adapted for naval use by the English in the late 16th century. The culverin was used to bombard targets from a distance. The weapon had a...
s, sakers
Saker (cannon)
The saker was a medium cannon slightly smaller than a culverin developed during the early 16th century and often used by the English. It was named after the Saker Falcon, a large falconry bird native to the Middle East....
and minion
Minion (cannon)
The minion was a type of small cannon used during the Tudor period and into the late 17th century. The minion was of a small bore typically 3-inch and fired a 5-pound cannon ball...
s. During times of unrest they were used by the nobility to defend their grand houses.
Though developed for use on land, the falconet gained naval prominence during the 17th century for the defence of light vessels; for example, on small boats for boarding
Boarding (attack)
Boarding, in its simplest sense, refers to the insertion on to a ship's deck of individuals. However, when it is classified as an attack, in most contexts, it refers to the forcible insertion of personnel that are not members of the crew by another party without the consent of the captain or crew...
manoeuvres. They were heavily used in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
by both the British and the Colonists.
