Ming Army Firearms

Timeline

1. 1368–1398Nanjing · Jiangsu ProvinceIn the early Ming, an Armaments Bureau was established to manufacture bowl-mouth cannons and other tubular firearms, issuing them to the guards and capital camps; these played an important role in the unification wars and northern frontier defense, laying the foundation of Ming firearms equipment.
2. 1471–1480Datong Garrison · Nine FrontiersDuring the Chenghua period, Mongol Oirat raids on the frontier were frequent; the court strengthened firearms storage and drill along the Nine Frontiers, increasing the numbers of bowl-mouth cannons, hand cannons, and rockets issued to each garrison, while firearms camp and infantry-cavalry coordinated tactics grew increasingly mature.
3. 1522–1567Beijing · Beijing MunicipalityDuring the Jiajing reign, Portuguese falconets were copied and the Shenji Camp expanded, with heavy firearms and light matchlocks clearly divided in role; the Ming firearms system completed its transition from traditional hand cannons to a mixed tubular-artillery armament on the eve of modernization.