Ssangja Chongtong Gun

The Ssangja Chongtong Gun is a type of small personal firearm used during the mid-Joseon period. It is a matchlock-type gun, loaded with gunpowder and shot through the muzzle and fired by igniting a fuse. Its barrel is doubled, allowing three rounds to be loaded and fired simultaneously from each barrel, giving it the advantage of concentrating six rounds on a target from both barrels together. However, it could hardly be used in rain, snow or wind, and its short barrels made it unsuitable for long-range firing. It gradually disappeared after the introduction of the longer-barrelled, semi-automatic firearm known as the jochong during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598). This gun, 52.2 cm long, with a bore of 1.7 cm and a handle 6 cm long, has two bamboo-joint-style ridges near the muzzle, while the handle is treated simply, giving it a refined look. An inscription on the barrel records that it was made in 1583, the seventeenth year of King Seonjo, and also describes how to use it. According to this inscription, two bullets could be loaded at a time, making it a rare example capable of firing a total of twelve rounds.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Seo-gu, Busan

Designation

Treasure · 보물