Early Ming Firearms System

Timeline

1. 1368–1380Nanjing · ChinaEarly Ming received hand guns, bowl-mouth guns, and siege cannons left by Yuan forces and the Red Turban armies, set up the Directorate of the Inner Court and others to supervise production, tested firearms in pacifying rebellions and northern campaigns, and gradually incorporated them into guard equipment.
2. 1381–1390China · ChinaIn mid-to-late Hongwu, regulations were set for firearms manufacture, storage, and drills; guards were equipped with hand guns and bowl-mouth guns, fortresses and frontier passes with cannons; combined firearms-infantry-cavalry tactics were battle-tested in northern garrison duty and suppressing rebellions.
3. 1409–1644Beijing · North ChinaIn Yongle 7 the Shenji Camp was established to specialize in firearms drills and combat, becoming the Ming court's directly controlled elite firearms force; thereafter firearms types and numbers kept growing, and by the Jiajing reign foreign weapons such as falconets and matchlocks were adopted.