The Dragon-Gun: Japanese Flintlock  SBC-FL-DRAGONGUN   $58  Expedited Shipping Available! E-mail service@strongblade.com or call 866-7SWORDS In Stock - Ships in 1-3 days    Japanese Dragon-Gun Flintlock Japan had a love-hate relationship with firearms for many, many years. They detested the impersonal and skill-less way that guns killed, but they were kinda hip to the gun’s ability to kill lots of people and win wars (and, they rarely admitted this, but they thought the loud bang of the guns was kinda cool too). To the Japanese, honor was more important than life itself, and many saw the gun as a dishonorable weapon. Because of this, there were great divisions between the Japanese people about these new weapons. One camp saw the inevitability of guns in warfare, and thought it best to adopt the new weapons to avoid falling behind other nations or rebels. The other camp thought guns were for ninnies and would lead to the destruction of the Japanese way of life, and shunned guns of any sort. In fact, Emperor Tokugawa Ieyasu was so disgusted by guns, that he banned their use shortly after he took power in 1600. This prohibition lasted for many years, and though it preserved the Samurai way of life in Japan, it also helped put Japan far behind the rest of the world in war technology. Guns crafted in Japan in later years were often elaborately gilded with mythical and spiritual figures. This particular weapon has a barrel carved to look like a dragon’s mouth, and would have been quite a prize for any westerner to find, if only for its uniqueness and aesthetic qualities. It would be no surprise if the gun was copied by British gunmakers once it was seen in the West. Flintlocks The flintlock pistol was the greatest advance in pirating since the wooden leg. Developed in the 1600s, these pistols revolutionized ship-to-ship combat (and on-land raiding). The concept was fairly simple: gunpowder was stuffed into the barrel. A lead ball, usually wrapped in some sort of fabric, was stuffed in. A metal rod (normally embedded in the bottom of the gun's barrel) was removed and used to jam the ball and powder as far back as possible, and as close as possible. A hammer (sometimes called a cock [insert giggles here]) was then pulled back half-way and left that way until the gun was ready to fire. The pistol technically was not meant to fire in this position, although sometimes they were known to go off half-cocked (and yes, that is the origin of that expression). When the gun was ready to be fired, the hammer (or cock, hehehehe) was pulled back all the way and the trigger was squeezed. A the top of the hammer, a piece of flint was held in place by a vice. When the trigger was squeezed, the hammer was released and the flint struck a metal plate known as a frizzen. A spark would be created, which would light the powder in the barrel, which in turn would make a satisfying "boom" sound. A by-product of this "boom" was the ejection of the lead ball from the barrel at a high rate of speed. Flintlock owners had to be careful that the barrel was not facing anyone when they created their "boom" sound or injury or death could result. Moisture or water was one of the greatest threats to flintlock pistols. Wet powder would not light when sparked, so the flintlock owner would neither get the satisfying "boom" nor the lethal projectile flying from their barrel. Instead, this would often mean that they, themselves, would be the target of an opponent's satisfying boom and resultant projectile. That, or a sword through the esophagus.

Did you know that Strongblade sells tempered swords and non-tempered swords? The tempered swords are heat treated to have a harder surface yet retain a more elastic inner core than non-tempered swords. This means they hold a better edge when sharpened and are less likely to permanently deform or bend.

Keywords: flintlock, percussion, powder, reproduction, pistol, pirate, gun, fintlock, dragon, japanese, japan, dragon