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Home Home » Asia » Hand cannon (1923.85.32)
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Hand cannon (1923.85.32)
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Hand cannon (1923.85.32) 

This hand cannon was acquired from the Kuki people of north-east India and Burma (Myanmar) in the early 20th century, although it is likely that weapons like this had been made for centuries. It was created by rolling a length of animal hide into a tube and was loaded with shot instead of cannon ball. A lit match would be inserted into the small protruding tube near the breech to ignite the gunpowder.