Wheellock pocket pistol in Turkish style, Germany, ~1570 AD

https://art.thewalters.org/object/51.548/

Wheellock pocket pistol in Turkish style, Germany, ~1570 AD

https://art.thewalters.org/object/51.548/

Ornate double-barreled wheellock pistol of Emperor Charles V, Germany, ~1540 AD

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/22387

Ornate double-barreled wheellock pistol of Emperor Charles V, Germany, ~1540 AD

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/22387

Jonathan Ferguson at the Royal Armouries, Leeds, points out something that we both know but many enthusiasts do not. European crossbows and early firearms were often not braced against the body at all, just rested against the cheek or held in front of the face like someone shooting a hangun two-handed today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkDcN6JxRMA #armsAndArmour #blackPowder