So, in OTL, there have been bows, spears, guns, missiles, and the like. We've had things that were thrown, flung, and launched. My question to you is-are there any alternatives? Could we have seen some other projectile weapons in early modern history or earlier that weren't thought of or widely used OTL?
Alternative projectile weapons
- Thread starter Shtudmuffin
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RamscoopRaider
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Blowguns, maybe, of course their is the issue that they are weak, short ranged and inaccurate
The way you have that question phrased is rather difficult, there are only so many ways to get something moving, you can change the projectile but it still has to be got into motion
The way you have that question phrased is rather difficult, there are only so many ways to get something moving, you can change the projectile but it still has to be got into motion
blowguns aren't necessarily weak, but they would be ineffective against armored and, potentially, even just clothed soldiers
there's a story about a conquistador who was walking through the jungles of Latin America with a group of his countrymen when he felt a prick on his neck. he removed a dart there, and laughed at the seemingly insignificant attack, only to drop dead moments later
there's a story about a conquistador who was walking through the jungles of Latin America with a group of his countrymen when he felt a prick on his neck. he removed a dart there, and laughed at the seemingly insignificant attack, only to drop dead moments later
But that speaks more about the effectiveness of poison as a weapon than blow guns as a weapon.
Atlatls are underrated. I think their use disappeared completely in Eurasia well before classical times. We know them more from their prevalent use by Meso-American cultures and their use by some Inuit and Australasians.
They were more effective than slings and arrows at short ranges and longer ranged than thrown spears. It sounds as though these could of had a place in the Classical era and even beyond in say, the Mediterranean region.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlatl
I love that there are Atlatl hunting seasons in some U.S. states, today.
They were more effective than slings and arrows at short ranges and longer ranged than thrown spears. It sounds as though these could of had a place in the Classical era and even beyond in say, the Mediterranean region.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlatl
I love that there are Atlatl hunting seasons in some U.S. states, today.
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with blowguns being the method of delivery for said poison
Oh sure.
But my point is, you could do that with an arrow, too.Lack of power compared to regular crossbows and harder to make if memory serves from the last thread they were mentioned in.
If memory serves in the late 18th century the Austrians built an air rifle that had performance equivalent to a modern .45 caliber pistol. It wasn't a success because it was to intricate to be practical on the battlefield but it seems like an idea with potential.
The wikipedia page for the gun I'm talking about
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girandoni_Air_Rifle
The wikipedia page for the gun I'm talking about
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girandoni_Air_Rifle
Delvestius
Banned
Speaking of atl atls, the response to this comment here is the most liked on a demonstration video:
"this guys an idiot probably never had a physics lesson in his life, first of all the added weight is going to slow down the acceleration of the thrower. Second the bending of the dart isn't what accelerates the dart its actually wasted energy. The stiffer the dart is the more forward propulsion you will have instead of some forward propulsion and some lateral movement of the dart, this is why they started making carbon fiber arrows for archery."
Funny thing; the first archaeologists to experiment with these thought the same thing and could only get 40-50 yards out of them with rigid spears. Range went to 200 yards plus when they switched to the flexible darts of the originators. Maybe you haven't made it that far in your book yet, but the real power is made through harmonic oscillation(requiring flexibility). As it turns out you dont know shit about physics and are literally dumber than a fuckin caveman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VlOpwsj09c
The end quip made me lol.
"this guys an idiot probably never had a physics lesson in his life, first of all the added weight is going to slow down the acceleration of the thrower. Second the bending of the dart isn't what accelerates the dart its actually wasted energy. The stiffer the dart is the more forward propulsion you will have instead of some forward propulsion and some lateral movement of the dart, this is why they started making carbon fiber arrows for archery."
Funny thing; the first archaeologists to experiment with these thought the same thing and could only get 40-50 yards out of them with rigid spears. Range went to 200 yards plus when they switched to the flexible darts of the originators. Maybe you haven't made it that far in your book yet, but the real power is made through harmonic oscillation(requiring flexibility). As it turns out you dont know shit about physics and are literally dumber than a fuckin caveman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VlOpwsj09c
The end quip made me lol.
Strange coincidence, I was thinking of perhaps making a thread, or searching for a thread asking a question about one classic projectile weapons who felt in obscurity...
The sling.
In the antiquity, slingers - a real, serious and dangerous weapon - were a commodity of armies (Hannibal surely hired some along, Rome used a lot the baleare slingers...), and the tale of young King David shown us so. But somewhere along perhaps the fall of rome, the barbariansl it felt in disuse...
What where the reasons, actually? Simple cultural shift? The great bows of middle age vastly outpowered it, for a somewhat easier use? Why so, is there theories?
The sling.
In the antiquity, slingers - a real, serious and dangerous weapon - were a commodity of armies (Hannibal surely hired some along, Rome used a lot the baleare slingers...), and the tale of young King David shown us so. But somewhere along perhaps the fall of rome, the barbariansl it felt in disuse...
What where the reasons, actually? Simple cultural shift? The great bows of middle age vastly outpowered it, for a somewhat easier use? Why so, is there theories?
The reason I was always given for the decline of the sling was lack of penetrating power; can't go through as much armor as a good armor-piercing arrowhead. Accuracy seems like it would be a factor as well.
Not my area, though - someone more knowledgeable care to comment?
Not my area, though - someone more knowledgeable care to comment?
Slings can be impressively accurate, and with the right kind of projective (lead bullets, frex) they can hit armour hard enough to damage the flesh underneath. The main problem is that acquiring that level of competence with a sling requires immense amounts of training. You get almost no stored energy, it's all in your own body, the strength to control a sling with a large projectile is such that the forearm bones of slingers can be osteologically identified, and hitting anything requires a great dealö of coordination. It's like bow vs. firearm, only at an earlier level.
There is of course the Air Rifle. Pre charged pnuematics have a number of advantages over the humble musket. Relitively quiet, no cloud of smoke giving away your position, high rate of fire while the presure in the tank lasts and no need to carry an explosive powder on your hip. They also work in the rain. Disadvantages are it's cost and dificulty of manufacture. It also takes a long time to pump up the tank. If you can work out how to make decent coil springs then the last disadvantage goes away at the cost of louder shots and restricting your self to loading one round at a time.
Also, can you use a form of shield or such with a Sling, or you need both hands free?