佐野翔平 official blog: What is Matchlock? (the Construction and the Mechanism)

Japanese

In Sengoku era (civil war era), Japanese soldier, samurai, fought with katana (sword), yari (spear) and yumi (arrow).

Out of these weapons, yumi was really appreciated because of its lethal potential.

Although, the nonpareil position of yumi is rocked by a new weapon.

It is said that matchlock was introduced to Tanegashima Island, Kagoshima in 1543 (Tenmon 12).

Therefor matchlock was initially called “Tanegashima-gun” or just “Tanegashima”.

To begin with, let me explain what a matchlock is.

It is a type of firearm firing with black gunpowder.

It is “muzzleloader” which set its bullet from the choke.

It is a smooth-bore gun, so it doesn’t have rifling in the body.

It is ignited by hinawa (match/ fuse).

Generally, we call guns with these features above hinawa-ju (matchlocks), smaller ones, teppou (guns) and bigger ones, odutsu (cannons).

The Firing Mechanism

The mechanism is simple

Put the fuse in the hibasami (火ばさみ) and pull the trigger to fire.

Then, the mechanism works and the fuse will fall into the pan (火皿) and ignites the koyaku (口薬) on the pan. The fire goes through the tamagusuri (玉薬), which is a kind of gunpowder, and it explodes, and its impact will launch a bullet.

The Construction

筒(銃身)・・・鉄等の金属製。

　　　　　　　火縄銃全体の八割以上の重量を占めている。

Tsutsu (Jushin) – Body. Made of iron. It weighs more than 80% of the matchlock.

前目当(照門)、先目当(照星)・・・標的を狙う際の目安として使う。

Maemeate (Shomon)/ Sakimeate (Shousei) – This is for aiming onto a target

台木(銃床)、台カブ(床尾)・・・木製。樫、胡桃等堅い木で作られていることが多い。

Daigi (Jusho)/ Daikabu(Shobi) – Made of hard wood such as oak or walnut

カルカ(槊杖・さくじょう)・・・弾を薬室(銃身の底)まで詰める為の道具。

Karuka (Ramrod) – A tool for stuffing a bullet to the bottom of the matchlock

目釘穴(めくぎあな)・・・銃身と銃床を固定する為の穴。竹などを加工したものを通す。

Mekugiana – A hole to fix the body and daimoku by putting a stick made of bamboo

火皿・・・口薬を置く場所。

Hizara – The place for koyaku

仕掛け部分(カラクリ)・・・火ばさみ、弾き金(毛抜き金)、地板、押え金、用心金、引金のこと。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　主に真鍮(しんちゅう)製。

Shikakebubun (Karakuri) – Hibasami, hajiki-gane (kenukikin), jiita, osae-gane, yojin-gane, trigger. Made of brass.

火蓋・・・火皿に不本意に火が落ちた時、暴発しないための安全装置。開け閉めができる。

　　　　　火蓋を開けることを「火蓋を切る」という。

Hibuta – Safety equipment to prevent explosions when unexpected ignitions happene. You can open and close it. People say “hibuta wo kiru” when one opens the hibuta, which means “cut hibuta”.

火ばさみ・・・火のついた縄、いわゆる火縄を挟む部品。

Hibasami – The part to put the fuse

弾き金(毛抜き金)・・・火ばさみを動作させる部品。

Hajiki-gane – An equipment to make hibasami work

地板・・・押え金(台カブ内部の仕掛け)と弾き金、火ばさみの間にある部品。

Jiita – A plate between osaegane (an equipment inside of daikabu) and trigger

引金・・・押え金を動作させる部品。引金を引くことにより火ばさみが動作する。

　　　　　引金→押え金→弾き金→火ばさみの順で動作する。

Trigger – An equipment to activate osaegane. By pulling the trigger, hibasami will work.

The mechanism works in the following order. Trigger-osaegane-hajikigane-hibasami

用心金・・・引金が不本意に動作しないための保護具。

Yojingane – A protector to prevent unexpected firing

Trivia : Samurai didn’t start fighting all of a sudden. First, they did “yaawase” which is a distance attack by arrow, throwing stones and used matchlock.