Brief Description:  A hand cannon (or handgonne) is the earliest known handheld firearm. Originating in 13th-century China and spreading across Eurasia in the 1300s, it consists simply of a metal barrel (cast bronze or wrought iron) attached to a wooden tiller or stock. It has no trigger mechanism.

Core Characteristics and Anatomy:

Barrel: Usually 8 to 40 inches long, often smooth-bore, and made of cast bronze, brass, or forged iron.

Touch Hole: Instead of a firing pin or lock, there is a small hole (the touch hole) drilled directly into the top or side of the barrel.

The Stock/Tiller: Early versions featured a simple wooden pole (tiller) or a heavy wooden plank used as a handle. Some were hooked or spiked, allowing the gunner to rest the weapon on a tree or castle battlement to absorb the intense recoil.