Toradar Matchlock
Mughal-era Indian Armourers · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1550
Also known as: Toradar, Torador, Indian matchlock, Bandook, Tofak
Overview
The Toradar is a South Asian matchlock musket that was the dominant firearm of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the mid-19th century. Chambering a lead round ball loaded down a long smoothbore barrel, it was ignited by a lit slow-match dropped into a priming pan when the trigger was pressed. Indian armourers copied and adapted the matchlock introduced by the Portuguese, favouring exceptionally long, light barrels of Damascus-pattern crucible steel. Because the slim stock was too small to shoulder, the Toradar was typically braced beneath the arm or against the cheek when fired. Its simple, economical construction kept it in widespread military and hunting use long after the flintlock had supplanted the matchlock in Europe.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4000 g (141.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1626 mm (64.02") |
| Barrel Length | 1156 mm (45.51") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Matchlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 300 m/s (984 fps) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 300 m (328 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Barrel Material | Damascus Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
Calibers
- .50 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as .50 caliber patched round ball, .50 caliber muzzleloader, 12.7mm round ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Features: Smoothbore Barrel, Swamped Muzzle, Swinging Pan Cover, Iron Ramrod, Cord Barrel Bands
Service history
Operators
- Mughal Empire · as Toradar
- Maratha Empire
- Rajput states
Conflicts
- Mughal-Maratha Wars (1680-1707)
- Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767-1799)
Production
Production years: c. 1550-1880
Hand-made in workshops across northern and central India; no centralized production figures exist.
Origin
Country of origin: India
Discontinued: 1880
Notes
Bore diameters vary considerably between surviving examples, ranging from roughly .50 to .65 inches; the .50 caliber ball listed here is representative rather than standardized. Overall length and barrel length are drawn from a typical circa-1750 example (64 in / 45.5 in).
Background
When the Portuguese reached India in 1498 they brought the matchlock with them, but India already had skilled armourers who quickly copied and refined the design. The Toradar remained a preferred firearm across the subcontinent well into the mid-19th century thanks to its simple and inexpensive construction, and richly decorated tiger-hunting examples were prized by Rajput nobility.