1770-83 American Revolutionary War Era. Cast iron hand cannon / powder tester. This authentic Revolutionary War Era cast iron hand cannon is in very solid condition. These were used for Salute Cannons and/or as a powder tester. A hand cannon is an early form of firearm. It is possibly the oldest type of portable firearm, as well as the simplest type of early firearm, as most examples require direct manual external ignition through a touch hole without any form of firing mechanism. It may also be considered a forerunner of the handgun. 4.8" tall x 3" wide. It is a solid iron that is very heavy (about 8 lbs). It is round in design and is ignited by a small touch hole near the base. There is a plugged touch hole to the right and above the actual hole. The plugged hole was probably too high to reliably ignite the powder. This example has an overall even natural rich metal patina. A rarely encountered, original Revolutionary War Era Hand-Cannon. Octagonal body, broad slender barrel, petit flash pan which doubles as a wick point, and a broad base.
PERIOD: 18th Century
ORIGIN: Unknown, Continental
SIZE: 4.8" tall x 3" wide