Falconet 1.9-inch Field Gun

This wrought-iron 1.9-inch SBML (smoothbore muzzle-loading) field gun dates from the early 17th century. Our catalogue lists it as French due to the fleur-de-lis decoration on the carriage. However, the decoration at the muzzle of the gun, which is in the form of the jaws of an animal, is thought more typical of a German design. It is mounted on a 17th century carriage which was repaired by the Royal Carriage Department in Woolwich in 1862.  

This type of gun was seen throughout Europe and is typical of the light field guns used during the English Civil War of 1642-1651. 17th century light cannon like this were commonly known as ‘Falconets’ because the round they fired was about the weight of a falcon (it was roughly the size of a golf ball). These were small, manoeuvrable guns, and the barrel length and bore size suggest it would have been used in a sniping role. It would have had a recoil of around ten to fifteen yards and required at least six men to move it onto the battlefield and manoeuvre it back into position once fired.