A ''Pierrier à boîte'' was an early type of small

wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a wood-like "grain" ...

cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

developed in the early 15th century, and a type of breech-loading swivel gun. It was part of the

artillery of France in the Middle Ages Artillery began to be used in France in the 14th century. The first depiction of a cannon in Europe appeared in Walter de Milemete's 1326 ''De nobilitatibus, sapientiis, et prudentiis regum''. Small rudimentary weapons such as the pot-de-fer or ...

, and the artillery of the Middle Ages in general. Perrier is the historical term in English for such weapons, literally a stone thrower. The pierrier was a breech-loading weapon, using a powder chamber similar to a

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

mug for loading of individual shots, without having to load from the front or lose time ramming charges in. The pierrier allowed for extremely fast loading and firing, as it expended charges prepared in advance. On the downside, it leaked easily, leading to loss of power and safety issues for the gunners. The pierrier was often used with a

swivel A swivel is a connection that allows the connected object, such as a gun, chair, swivel caster, or an anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal , used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft ...

. It was a weapon of choice on

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster ...

s for intense and close encounters. It remained in use until the 19th century. Note: it should not be confused with the 18th-century ''pierrier'' as described in the ''

Encyclopédie ''Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers'' (English: ''Encyclopedia, or a Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Crafts''), better known as ''Encyclopédie'', was a general encyclopedia publis ...

'' of Diderot, which was a thin-walled wide-mouthed stone-throwing mortar (see the lower image in his Pl. X).

Gallery

File:Perrier_a_boite_cal_72mm_length_140cm_weight_110kg_seized_in_Constantine_in_1837.jpg, Pierrier à boîte, cal 72 mm, length 140 cm, weight 110 kg, seized in Constantine in 1837.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pierrier a boite Artillery of France Medieval artillery

Gallery

See also

Notes