Category: Historical Guns

Analysing the Online Arms Trade in Opposition-controlled Syria: June 2021 update

Jack Shanley & Mick F. Introduction The conflict in Syria fuels a diverse trade in arms and munitions. Many transactions are performed online, providing an opportunity for remote analysis. This article is the fifth in a series of monthly updates to ARES Research Note 11: Analysing the Online Arms Trade in Opposition-controlled Syria. Readers should

Continue Reading

Ordnance Society announces National Artillery Survey

The Ordnance Society has recently announced an exciting new project to identify and track extant breech-loading and quick-firing artillery in the United Kingdom. This ‘National Artillery Survey’ aims to establish and maintain a database of these guns in museums, private collections, or on public display. At present, no such national summary of such guns exists.

Continue Reading

Military use of Ballistic Shields: Part 1, ca. 1500–1918

Patrick Senft Editor’s note: This is the first instalment of a two-part series from ARES Research Assistant Patrick Senft, examining the history of ballistic shields in warfare. The second part of Mr. Senft’s research will be published in the near future, and will bring the story from the interbellum period up to present day, as

Continue Reading

The “Faule Magd” bombard of Dresden

Thorsten Peger The “Faule Magd” (Lazy Maid) of Dresden is one of only a few dozen still extant medieval bombards, and one of the most notable due to its well-preserved wooden carriage. At the time of writing, in July 2018, it is on exhibition in the Militärhistorisches Museum der Bundeswehr in Dresden, Germany. The barrel

Continue Reading