Flintlock hand mortars were use for signaling, launching fireworks, and hurling grenades.
They would be operated by two men. One who would insert a lit grenade then duck. The first man ducking would signal to the second man, the shooter, the mortar was ready to fire.
In the event of the mortar not firing when a lit grenade was inserted the operator would throw the device and reel it in by an attached strap.
Ian’s Video: [5:48] https://youtu.be/kf9URQ7X0YA?si=
InRangeTV Video: [7:01] https://youtu.be/mAzdYxa6kHA?si=
NoncredibleDefense would love this, especially the part where you reel the gun back in with the strap provided for this purpose.
Is there even anything to reel back at that point?
The idea is you throw as soon as pulling the trigger doesn’t set off the charge , then you yank it back so the grenade in the tube falls out, and you just duck and hope for the best.
So you better have a long enough fuse on that grenade/firework to give you OH SHIT time.
I’ll crosspost it over there for them.
I don’t wanna be that guy, but wouldn’t it be 18th century if it was produced in 1760?
This particular example pictured is from ~1760 to 1770s but from what I read they came on the scene in the 1600s. But I probably should edit that for clarity.
don’t you mean “scene”?
Yes I did, batting zero for two today.
it doesn’t matter… i was just being pedantic for funsies
No problem, I’d rather be corrected than wrong.
a typo isn’t really “wrong”…
