Brief Description:  The fauconneau (also known as a falconet) was a small, semi-portable swivel gun popular in the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Weighing roughly 25 kg (55 lbs) and measuring about 1 meter long, it served primarily as an anti-personnel and defensive weapon mounted on fixed fortifications or war wagons.

Design & Construction:

The Swivel Mount: Unlike heavy bombards, the fauconneau was equipped with an attached swivel fork. This integrated metal pivot pin was mounted onto a ship's rail, a wall, or a fortified wagon (such as those used by the Hussites).

360-Degree Traversal: The swivel design allowed the gunner to easily rotate the barrel and adjust the angle of elevation, making it a highly maneuverable and reactive weapon against fast-moving infantry or cavalry.

Material & Build: Cast from bronze or forged from iron, these early artillery pieces featured thick reinforced walls to withstand the explosive pressures of early black powder.

Anti-Personnel: Rather than destroying thick castle walls, the fauconneau was used to sweep decks in naval combat or repel scaling ladders and troop formations during land sieges.

Breech-Loading Capabilities: While many were muzzle-loaders, many versions were breech-loading, allowing for a faster rate of fire. Gunners would load pre-packed powder and shot into separate, replaceable metal chambers, which were dropped into the open breech and wedged tight with a metal block before firing.