As early as the late Middle Ages, riders tried to use firearms on horseback. Medieval manuscript illustrations occasionally show musketeers shooting on horseback. However, the fire door gun that required one hand gun and the other hand to ignite the fire with a fire rope was obviously not suitable for cavalry. Later arquebusiers, although much more convenient to use than muskets, were still not suitable weapons for cavalry. Because arquebusiers are obviously more suitable for distribution to horseback infantry in dismounted infantry.
At the beginning of the 16th century, there was a new breakthrough in the ignition technology of firearms in Europe. It is said that da Vinci was a genius who invented the reed wheel firing device, but some people believe that this device was invented by the Germans. Since reed wheel guns are more convenient to use than arquebusiers, they can be hidden under clothing and in holsters.
16th century reed wheel firing device
In 1517-1518, the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I promulgated the world's first gun control law. Reed wheel guns are classified as prohibited firearms. But the rulers' bans did not stop the spread of reed guns, and the use of the weapon became popular in Germany in the first half of the 16th century.
At the time, the reed wheel gun was an ideal cavalry firearm. Users do not need to carry a burning rope to shoot anytime, anywhere. Reed wheel pistols in ready-to-fire have no open flames and can be easily tucked into the holster of a saddle or even into a boot. When using a reed wheel pistol, the gunner needs to tighten the spring in the bolt with a key beforehand. When the shooter pulls the trigger, a steel wheel rotates rapidly under the impetus of the spring, rubbing against a piece of pyrite clipped to the nose to produce a white-hot spark to ignite the fine-grained primer in the pot, which then ignites the propellant in the barrel through the firegate.
16th century reed wheel pistol
In the 1540s, a new type of cavalry emerged in North Germany, where the reed gun was first popularized. These cavalrymen, clad in armor, changed their main weapon from mounted guns to reed pistols. German pistol cavalry with strong local characteristics usually carried more than two pistols and one hand-to-hand weapon. They will use pistols during impact or melee.
Reed wheel pistol cavalry of the 16th century
Compared with the later short flintlock pistols, the reed wheel pistols of the 16th-17th centuries were very large. During the Thirty Years' War, the total length of the pistols used by the Shinra cavalry could even reach about 70 centimeters. At that time, cavalry and infantry were still widely armored, and only huge pistols could penetrate heavy armor. In the famous Graz Armory experiment, a reed wheel pistol (caliber 12.3 mm, tube length 480 mm) from the early 17th century reached 917 joules of muzzle kinetic energy, and the bullet fired penetrated a 2 mm thick steel target 30 meters away. Since pistol cavalry usually fire at very close distances, it is difficult for the hit person to be safe unless they are wearing bulletproof armor of astonishing thickness.
A set of cavalry equipment from the late 16th century
At the Battle of Durex in 1562, the German cavalry made its first appearance on the battlefield. These pistol cavalry, employed by the Huguenots, took part in the siege of the Swiss phalanx infantry after defeating some of the Catholic army's gendarmerie. They inflicted heavy casualties on the Swiss with their pistols.
Pistol cavalry became popular throughout Europe, and the traditional heavy cavalry with heavy mounted guns went into decline. Due to the widespread adoption of spear musket tactics pioneered by the Spaniards in European infantry of this period, the risk of heavy cavalry using mounted guns to attack infantry was greatly increased. Compared with the infantry spear of more than five meters, the heavy riding gun of the cavalry has no length advantage, and the lancers are easily stabbed by the infantry when they attack. Cavalrymen with pistols can fire outside the range of the spear, and the penetration of large pistols is better than that of the mounted gun. In the French Wars of Religion, the pistol cavalry also proved with their achievements that they could defeat their opponents who used mounted guns. Moreover, training with reed pistols is easier than training with a riding gun.
Pistol cavalry fighting the Gendarmen at the Battle of Durex
Pistol cavalry quickly became the mainstream of European cavalry within a few decades. When the Thirty Years' War broke out in the 17th century, even the heavily armored cavalry, clad in three-quarters of the armor, replaced their mounted guns with two pistols. Huge mounted guns, beautifully crafted full-body armor, fancy equestrianism and traditional heavily armored knights are a thing of the past. In its place were the new cavalry, clad in roughly made armor and studded with pistols.
At the Battle of Tyrrenhout in 1597, 800 Dutch-British cavalry with pistols, under the leadership of Prince Maurice, destroyed 4,000 infantry and 500 cavalry of the Spaniards. The Dutch pistol cavalry caught up with the retreating Spanish army, first crushing the Spanish cavalry using spears and then attacking the Spanish infantry in disjointed with their own infantry. The hastily arrayed Spanish infantry was defeated by the double blow of the Dutch cavalry's pistol salvo and the white-knife charge, and was finally completely annihilated by the pistol cavalry. These included the elite of the Spanish army, the Neapolitan Phalanx. This is probably the pistol cavalry's most brilliant record.
The Battle of Thyrenhout fired with pistols while charging the Dutch cavalry of the Spanish infantry
But the shortcomings of the reed wheel gun are also obvious. A bolt with a precise structure like a clock, resulting in frequent failures and easy damage to the reed gun. The cavalry, due to their combat on horseback, had no better firearms available other than reed-wheel guns. In the eyes of infantry fighting on foot, the leather reliable arquebus gun was obviously superior to the delicate reed wheel gun. Therefore, the reed wheel gun did not replace the arquebusier, but was eliminated earlier.
The appearance of flint-fired bolts improved the performance of cavalry pistols
In the 1540s, the predecessor of the modern flintlock bolt, the spring-lock bolt, appeared in the German region. This bolt, which used flint to fire, subsequently evolved into an early flint bolt. By the first half of the 17th century, it had developed into a dog lock gun. In the end, it finally became a real flintlock bolt, and the arquebus gun was completely eliminated.
In the 17th century, the reed wheel gun was gradually abandoned by the European cavalry
Although the reed wheel gun had serious flaws, it gave the cavalry the first time that it had a firearm that could be easily used on the horse. Compared with their East Asian counterparts who were forced to ride and shoot with arquebusiers until the 19th century, European cavalrymen who could use reed pistols were indeed much luckier. (End)