14th-15th C. French Hand Forged Cast Iron Hand Culverin W/2" Triple Barrel & Wooden Handle - This stunning piece of history is a hand forged, cast iron hand culverin circa 14th-15th century France. The culverin was the medieval ancestor of the musket, which fired solid round shot projectiles (cannonballs). Culverins were adapted for use by the French in the 14th-15th century, and later by the English in the 16th century. The piece is made of a cast iron smoothbore tube, or gun barrel without rifling, and is finished with a wooden handle used to hold the gun under the arm. This piece has three barrels, a design similar to the modern day double barrel shotgun. The tubes are closed at one end, and have a small hole in each one to allow the ignition of the gunpowder. The tubes were loaded with gunpowder and lead bullets, and fired by inserting a burning slow match into the hole. This is an incredible and rare piece of history that you are not likely to come across again. The piece is in excellent condition, and truly belongs in a museum. The culverin measures 14" long and the triple barrel measures 2" wide. Each of the barrel openings measure 0.5" in diameter. The piece is affixed to a wooden handle (as it would have been in the 15th century), which measures 14" long. Please note: we do not believe the handle is original to the piece, but it is fixed to the piece in the same way the original would have been.