Couleuvrine

The couleuvrine , which indicates in the beginning a gun with hand ancestor of the mousquet, is a small piece of artillery to long gun of the end of the Middle Ages and Rebirth which draws from the balls (of stone or metal). The projectiles are drawn with a high speed initial, which confers a lengthened trajectory and an appreciable range to them.

The gun with hand

In the first quarter of the 14th century, the gun with hand is developed: a simple iron tube with unrifled bore, closed at an end except for an opening called light, and inserted in a round piece of wood to be able to be held under the arm. The tube is charged with lead balls and Poudre; one draws while inserting a heated wire in the light. The more advanced models have a depression in the shape of spoon, called a Bassinet, at the end of the light: a small load of Poudre is placed there in the small basin and firing by applying a small wick to it to slow combustion. This one, consistent in an end of cord soaked in a potassium nitrate solution and then dried, burns without taking fire and does not die out. The powder load in the small basin, difficult to light, is frequently affected by the mould in the atmosphere and requires a handing-over of fire right before drawing to avoid all missing

The field gun

The couleuvrine, appeared in France in XVe century, is at the origin of the nickname of Cussétois, the " dogs verts" ; the legend wants that Charles VII indicated the guns with his/her son, the future Louis XI, by saying to him that they were his faithful green dogs… since bronze makes green with time.

The reform of French artillery of Jean d' Estrées under Henri II defines three types of couleuvrine:

large couleuvrine;
couleuvrine bastard;
couleuvrine average.

The English made couleuvrine a weapon embarked on the ships at the end of XVIe century, to bombard the besieged places. They distinguished them also several ranges from couleuvrines:

the extraordinary couleuvrine, of a gauge of 5 inches 1/2 (140 mm), a length of 32 gauges (that is to say 13 feet, or 3,96 m), and of a weight of 4800 pounds (2 175 kg). The load was of 12 pounds powder, which made it possible to draw a ball from 5 inches 1/4 of diameter (135 mm) and a weight of 20 books (9 kg).
the ordinary, of a gauge of 5 inches 1/2 also and long couleuvrine of 12 feet (3,70 m), weighed 4500 pounds (2 tons) and drew a ball from 17 pounds 5 ounces (7,9 kg).
small the couleuvrine had a gauge more reduced, of 5 inches (127 mm). Long of 12 feet, it weighed all the same 4000 pounds (1,8 T), and drew from the balls of 3 inches 1/4 of diameter, weighing 6,700 kg.
the bastard couleuvrine of a gauge of 102 mm, tie of the balls of 7 books (3,175 kg).
the average couleuvrine, or half-couleuvrine, of a gauge of 115 mm, tie of balls of 4,54 kg.

Compared with the balista, the couleuvrine, as a piece of artillery of countryside, carried out shootings with more stable trajectory, the iron balls being heavier. Moreover, the propulsion with powder increased the range of the weapon. One measured, on an extraordinary reconstitution of couleuvrine, an initial speed of 408 m/s, and, under rise minimum, a range of 450 Mr.

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