Hand Cannons and Early Arquebuses

Timeline

1. c. 1410–1460Central Europe and Iberia · EuropeEarly hand cannons were mostly short-barreled bronze or iron touch-hole guns, requiring a rest or shoulder support to fire, used mainly in siege and defence; slow to load and inaccurate, but capable of penetrating plate armour, prompting armies to begin experimenting with incorporating gunpowder weapons into infantry formations.
2. 1471–1480Burgundian and Swiss battlefields · SwitzerlandIn the 1470s, Burgundian, Swiss, and Holy Roman Empire forces fielded small numbers of hand cannons and early arquebuses in battles, usually placed behind or on the flanks of squares, mixed with crossbowmen; records of the Battle of Nancy and others document firearms in field battles, but in numbers far below pikes and crossbows, not yet sufficient to decide an engagement alone.
3. 1480–1550Spain and the Low Countries · SpainFrom the late 15th to early 16th century, improvements to the serpentine matchlock and stock made individual firearms easier to operate; Spanish and German armies began establishing dedicated musketeer formations, laying the foundation for the 16th-century pike-and-shot mixed squares and gradually weakening the dominance of crossbows and longbows in the field.