Brief Description:  A pierrier à boîte is a small, breech-loading, and often swivel-mounted cannon developed in the early 15th century. It functioned as an early anti-personnel and defensive weapon, typically loaded by inserting a mug-shaped chamber filled with gunpowder and projectiles into the rear of the barrel. A breakdown of how this medieval and early-Renaissance weapon was designed and used.

Key Design Characteristics:

The "Boîte" (Box/Chamber): The defining feature was its removable powder chamber (the boîte). Shaped somewhat like a large beer mug, this chamber was pre-filled with gunpowder and stones or grapeshot.

Breech-Loading: Instead of ramming charges down the muzzle, the operator dropped the pre-loaded boîte into the rear of the main barrel and wedged it tightly into place.

Mounting & Rotation: These were frequently mounted on a swivel (pivot). This allowed the gunner to easily rotate, pivot, and aim the weapon quickly in any direction.

Materials & Size: Constructed primarily of wrought iron. A typical 15th-century specimen measures roughly 70 to 100 centimeters in length and weighs about 40 kilograms, with a caliber of about 38 mm.