How popular was the Qing Dynasty’s patented weapon-raising system among generals?

How popular was the Qing Dynasty’s patented weapon-raising system among generals?

Speaking of the poverty and weakness of the Qing Dynasty in modern times, its poor weapons and equipment have always been criticized. In fact, the huge Qing Dynasty also purchased many advanced Western weapons. However, the general's stubborn thinking was the main reason why these weapons were not reused. For example, the Qing Dynasty was most proud of its patented weapon, the gun. In the eyes of the Qing Dynasty generals, the powerful weapon was actually a replica of the Japanese large barrel during the Wanli period. It was actually used by the Qing Dynasty from the Opium War to the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894.

First, let me introduce this unique weapon of the Qing Dynasty to my friends. The reason why lifting a gun is called lifting a gun is because it needs to be lifted. During the use of this gun, one person acts as the gunner at the back, aims and pulls the trigger to shoot, and another person stands in front and carries it on horseback. Historical records record: "The wooden sheath is five feet long, and is more than a foot away from the top of the sheath. A hole is drilled through, and a belt is threaded through it. One person puts the gun on his shoulder, tightens the belt with both hands, and another person holds the tail of the gun and checks the hook hair. ."Why do you do this? Is it training the basic skills and psychological quality of soldiers? I guess my friends are overthinking it. The main reason is that it is too long to carry the gun, and someone needs to be the gun stand, just like a cannon stand. So how long is this gun?

According to records, "the gun is raised in a posture, seven feet and five inches long." In fact, since there was no unified standard during the Qing Dynasty, and various manufacturing bureaus could not achieve precise processing, there was still a certain gap in length. For example, the gun lift produced by Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau is 2.45 meters long and weighs 13.2 kilograms; the gun lift produced by Shanxi Manufacturing Bureau is 2.2 meters long and weighs more than 10 kilograms. Imagine our basketball player Yao Ming, who is only 2.26 meters tall, and you will know how long he is standing in front of you with a gun raised. Let’s take a look at the picture of the gun being raised. Do you think it looks like a Japanese big barrel?

Not only in appearance, but also in terms of structure and principle, the big barrel and the gun are really similar. During the Wanli War to Aid Korea, Datong appeared in the Ming army's field of vision. This large barrel can be regarded as a light artillery or a large matchlock gun, and it basically falls between the two. Just like lifting a gun, the large barrel also requires multiple people to operate, and even the length is similar. Some of the largest large tubes in Japan range from 2 meters to 2.5 meters. Weapons from the Wanli period were still standard weapons of the Qing army during the Taiping Rebellion. However, considering that the blunderbuss, which was also highly praised by Qi Jiguang, was still the main weapon in the Green Camp Army of the Qing Dynasty, we should not be too surprised.

The actual concept of raising a gun is that the longer the barrel, the longer the range, the more gunpowder, and the greater the power. It can shoot up to 500 meters by raising the gun, and can also shoot shotguns. This kind of weapon was quite powerful when facing peasant uprising armies that lacked protection in the early days of the Taiping Rebellion or the Nian Army. Why is it said to be the early days of the Taiping Army? Because after the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom occupied Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the Taiping Army, which had money, also began to purchase foreign guns and cannons in large quantities.

It is qualified to raise a gun to face the domestic peasant uprising army, but it is not enough to face the British and French powers that enjoy the dividends of the Industrial Revolution. How much did Qing officials love carrying guns? In the Sino-French War in 1883, the gun-carrying weapon was still used, and at that time, the gun-carrying weapon still appeared in large numbers in telegrams.

And during the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894, a large number of rifles were even used by the Qing army. You know, after the Taiping Rebellion, the Qing army had been equipped with a large number of new weapons. There are a lot of high-end goods such as Remington in the United States, but only a few armies can equip them. It also came from a closed country, but here it is necessary to boast that Japan, which has always been disgusting, can suddenly become an industrial power.