The first guns and rifles of Ancient Russia: trophies and production

The question of when the first guns and guns of Ancient Rus appeared was far from as simple as it seems. The defense capacity of any country directly depends on the quality and modernization of weapons suitable for the defense of the state and for the expansion of its borders. The history of the spread of a new type of weapons is inextricably linked with the history of our state as a whole.

The first guns and guns

Ancient Rus at the turn of the millennium was quite enough for throwing cars, arrows and spears. After the crushing of Ancient Rus, the production of weapons came to naught. The revival of arms business was at the end of the XIV century. According to the Chronicles of the Tver Chronicle, the first guns and rifles of Ancient Rus were used by Moscow citizens at the siege of the city by the Khan Tokhtamysh. However, these researchers do not take into account the fact that the Tatars still took the city, which would have been impossible with the use of the firearm arsenal by the defenders. In addition, the first weapon of the gun type was most likely trophy, which means that there were no people who could use the new arsenal.

The Iron Argument

A more reasoned answer to the question of when the first guns appeared was the Tver version of the appearance of firearms. In 1408 Emir Adygei besieged Moscow, but knowing about the presence of guns and guns in Tver sent his representative there. This small story shows that at the beginning of the 15th century, the production of firearms already existed in Tver. From there it quickly spread over the Russian lands. The masters decorated their implements with their own brand - the name of the armourer and his native city were glorified in other territories. The first cannons and rifles of Ancient Rus were iron, forged from wide bands of metal about 10 mm thick. The firearm arsenal consisted of peeples, cannons and so-called mattresses, had no targeting equipment and guidance system. But even such an imperfect arsenal has become a major help in the liberation of Russia from the Horde and in the creation of a new state.