Tanegashima (Japanese Matchlock)
Japanese Gunsmiths (generic) · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1543
Also known as: Teppo, Hinawaju, Japanese matchlock, Tanegashima-ju
Overview
The tanegashima, also called hinawaju or teppo, is the Japanese matchlock long gun, copied in 1543 from snap-matchlock arquebuses brought to Tanegashima island by Portuguese traders. Local swordsmiths reverse-engineered the barrel and lock and Japan rapidly produced them en masse, since conscripted ashigaru could be trained to use one in weeks rather than the years needed to master the bow. The weapon reshaped Sengoku-period warfare, most famously at Nagashino in 1575 where massed volley fire devastated cavalry. Smoothbore and muzzle-loaded, it remained in use until the Meiji modernization of the 1870s.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4000 g (141.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1330 mm (52.36") |
| Barrel Length | 1020 mm (40.16") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Matchlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Muzzle Velocity | 300 m/s (984 fps) |
| Effective Range | 80 m (87 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 250 m (273 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 2 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Barrel Material | Iron |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Lacquer |
Calibers
- .50 Caliber Musket Ball · primary — also known as 0.50 in, lead round ball, momme-rated ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Features: Smoothbore Barrel, Octagonal Barrel, Muzzle Loaded, Snap Matchlock, Brass Serpentine, Lacquered Stock, Ramrod
Variants
- Ashigaru-zutsu (light infantry type) — Size
- Samurai-zutsu (longer/heavier type) — Size
- O-zutsu (heavy siege type) — Caliber
Service history
Operators
- Oda clan forces · adopted 1549
- Ashigaru (foot soldiers) · as Teppo
- Japanese expeditionary forces (Korea) · adopted 1592
Conflicts
- Sengoku period (Battle of Nagashino) (1575)
- Japanese invasions of Korea (Imjin War) (1592-1598)
- Shimabara Rebellion (1637-1638)
Production
Production years: 1543-1870
Tens of thousands were fielded in single battles by the late 16th century; total production unknown. Domestic manufacture declined under Edo-period peace and arms control.
Origin
Country of origin: Japan
Discontinued: 1870
Notes
Tanegashima were classified by ball weight in momme rather than caliber; bore ranged from small ashigaru guns around .50 to massive o-zutsu wall guns. Figures here represent a typical infantry-class tanegashima. Velocity is approximate for period smoothbores.
Background
Japan adopted firearms so enthusiastically that by the late 1500s it may have had more guns than any country in the world, yet under the long peace of the Edo shogunate it deliberately wound production down, an episode sometimes cited as a society 'giving up the gun.'