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? asked in Arts & HumanitiesHistory · 10 years ago

What kind of cannon did Hernan Cortes use when conquering Mexico?

Please be specific. Try to give the name, metal, diameter and range.

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  • 10 years ago
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    Early artillery was expensive and,because of its weight,was difficult to move.Further,even smaller pieces required specialist crews,in particular a master gunner.The artillery used by Cortes was therefore probably limited to one or more of the following pieces:

    Esmeril or robinette - weight 200 lbs, shot weight about 5oz, bore 1 inch, barrel length 2' 6" effective range 200 yards.

    Serpentine - weight 400 lbs, shot weight about half a pound, bore 1.5 inches, barrel length 3' effective range 250 yards.

    Both cannon and shot would have been made of cast iron.

    I don't see that Cortes would have been able to employ anything heavier;even a robinette required 3 to 5 horses to move,separate ammunition carts were needed and,as mentioned above,specialist crews to operate the guns.

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