Baton A' Feu

By Crusader1307

From the French word “Fire Stick”, The Feu was an early 12th Century  hand-held Bombard type hand-cannon. Developed in Western Europe, the “barrel” of the weapon could weigh up to 10-pounds. Normally equipped with an attached wooden rod at the end for holding and stability, a small vent hole was bored into the bronze or iron barrel. After loading, (between a 2 and 4-pound shot) – a slow match or heated steel stick - was applied. “Aiming” was accomplished by “”line of sight”. They were by no means an accurate weapon and were known to often malfunction. Some versions were as long as 4 feet in length (with others at 2 feet long) – often inclusive of the wooden “stock”.