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| Hand Mortar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Firearm |
| Production history | |
| Designer | John Tinker
Menno Van Coehoorn Others |
| Specifications | |
| Shell | Incendiary, Explosive |
| Action | flintlock, matchlock, or wheellock |
The hand mortar is a firearm and early predecessor of modern grenade launchers[1] that was used in the late 17th century and 18th century to throw fused grenades. The action was similar to a flintlock, matchlock, or wheellock firearm (depending on the date of production), but the barrel was short, usually 2 inches (5.1 cm) to 4 inches (10 cm) long (though some are reported to have barrels up to 13 inches (33 cm) long), and had a large bore to accommodate the grenade; usually between 2 and 2.5 inches (5.1 and 6.4 centimetres).[2]
- ^ "Hand mortars: An early grenade launchers used from the 1500s through the early 1800s". 29 October 2016.
- ^ Claude Blair, Pollards History of Firearms Ed. 1983, pp 56–58, 92