As used by ordnance departments and armories, an Eprouvette is a one piece, fixed elevation mortar used to test the strength of

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Th ...

. It went out of general use by the middle of the 19th century. In use, a carefully weighed quantity of powder (charge) was placed inside, followed by a standard weight shot. The charge was fired and the distance the shot flew was measured and compared to the expected standard distance. It was first introduced in the middle of the 1600s. Eprouvette pistol

Eprouvettes were also used to test the strength of

small-arms A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...

powder, starting in the second half of the 1500s. These evolved into pistol-size devices which were used until the end of the black powder era, at the close of the 1800s.

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Eprouvette Mortar
Mortars Trial and research firearms {{artillery-stub