Minin Cannon
Hector, still bearing a trace of worry, leaned closer to Karl and whispered, "Sir, entrusting such an important task of testing a new cannon to a young, unknown newcomer... shouldn't we reconsider? After all, this concerns precious strategic resources and future military strength."
Karl waved his hand, his tone calm. "Hector, I understand your concerns, but some copper and iron materials are not an unbearable cost for us right now. However, if we bury a truly promising talent because of this, that would be the greatest loss."
Then, Karl carefully instructed Elmont: "Elmont, the development of the Eagle Cannon is of great importance and must be kept strictly confidential. I will have Steward Edgar allocate a separate area for you outside the castle or in a secluded spot in the workshop area as a dedicated cannon-making workshop."
He paused, then asked, "Do you have family members in Carnford who need accommodation?"
Elmont quickly shook his head. "No, sir, I came here all alone."
"It's even better that you don't have family to tie you down," Karl nodded. "Once the new cannon-making workshop is completed, you can live there directly. I will assign someone to take care of your food and lodging."
His tone turned serious. "Remember, from this moment on, everything concerning the development of the new cannon is classified as top secret! Not a single word must be revealed to anyone outside the workshop, including your future assistant. I will have Edgar rigorously screen them, understand?"
"Yes, sir! I understand! I would never dare to reveal a single word!" Elmont felt the great trust and responsibility placed upon him by the Lord, and bowed excitedly to accept the order. Only then did he quickly leave to gather his personal tools from his workstation.
After settling things off with Elmont, Karl turned his attention back to Hector.
Compared to the Eagle Cannon, which still requires a long period of exploration, the Crouching Tiger Cannon, which can be mass-produced quickly and formed into combat capability immediately, obviously has a more urgent practical significance.
"Hector, let him try out the Eagle Cannon first. I have a simpler cannon in mind." Karl said, and then explained to Hector again in detail the approximate size, expected weight, main clay casting method, and core tactical purpose of his Crouching Tiger Cannon.
Hector listened to Karl's detailed description of the new Cannon, a concept of an extremely lightweight, weighing only about fifty pounds, short-barreled Cannon that could be carried by a single soldier or quickly deployed, primarily firing grapeshot for close-range suppression of infantry charges.
His thick eyebrows furrowed slightly, revealing a thoughtful expression, and his fingers unconsciously twirled his stubble.
After Karl finished his description, he watched Hector deep in thought and patiently awaited the expert judgment of this experienced workshop master.
He knew that weapon concepts must be based on feasible technological foundations; otherwise, they would be nothing more than castles in the air.
A moment later, Hector's furrowed brows relaxed, replaced by an expression of sudden realization, even a hint of "I see."
He looked up at Karl, his voice rising slightly with excitement. "My Lord, the new Cannon you described... it sounds very similar to a cannon we've seen in our army before, and even used in small numbers!"
He paused, as if recalling the exact name, then said confidently, "That's right, it's the ' Minin Cannon '! Also called the ' Light Field Cannon ' or ' Infantry Support Cannon '."
"Minin Cannon?" Upon hearing this, Karl's heart skipped a beat.
The name was completely unfamiliar to him, but Hector's tone clearly indicated that it was a real, well-established type of Cannon.
"Indeed, my lord." Hector, seeing Karl's puzzled expression, knew that the young Lord might not have been familiar with this relatively "niche" equipment, so he explained in detail.
"The Minin Cannon was also a small muzzle-loading smoothbore cannon. Its barrel was usually cast using a 'clay mold casting method' similar to that used for casting large bells and ordinary iron cannons."
"First, a special clay is mixed with other materials to make a core and outer shell in the shape of a cannon barrel. Then, molten iron is poured in, and after it cools and solidifies, the clay mold is broken, the rough blank is removed, and then necessary grinding, drilling, and finishing are carried out."
As he spoke, he gestured with his hands. "It has certain requirements for the strength of the overall structure, after all, it has to withstand the impact of the gunpowder explosion, and the inner bore also needs to be polished as smoothly as possible to reduce the friction of the shell and the adhesion of gunpowder residue, so as to ensure range and accuracy."
"However, compared to the Eagle Cannon and the Six-pound Cannon, the Minin Cannon was much simpler in its manufacturing process. It did not have a complicated gas-sealing mechanism, nor did it require a breechblock. It was simply a matter of loading gunpowder and a shell from the muzzle, then compacting it with a ramrod, and finally igniting the touch valve to fire."
"The technical requirements for craftsmen are mainly reflected in the success rate of cannon casting, the uniformity of cannon barrel wall thickness, and the internal cavity treatment. These are precisely the capabilities that our workshop has initially acquired through this period of accumulation!"
Karl listened very carefully, and he now realized that he had been wrong all along. When he was conceiving the "Fo-Lang-Ji Cannon" and the "Crouching Tiger Cannon", he had subconsciously used the light Cannon technology of the Ming Dynasty as the main reference and the boundary of his imagination.
However, Hector's description at this moment made him realize that he might have fallen into a cognitive trap.
The Cannon technology of the Ming Dynasty, especially in its middle and later periods, was heavily influenced by the spread of European Cannon technology during the same period.
In other words, the Cannon system of the Ming Dynasty was itself a product of continuous learning, absorption, and integration of European technology.
"I'm like a blacksmith asking an apprentice who hasn't fully graduated forging secrets, ignoring the fact that a true master blacksmith is standing not far away," Karl thought to himself with self-mockery.
We are now at a point in time similar to the 16th or 17th century on Earth, a time of rapid advancement and flourishing of firearms technology in Europe.
The scientific ideas brought about by the Renaissance, the advancements in metallurgical technology, and the demands of frequent wars gave rise to a diverse family of Cannon with distinct functions and capabilities.
Besides the light Infantry Support Cannon like the "Minin Cannon" mentioned by Hector, which may have originated from German or Eastern European systems, there were also various "falcon guns," "snake guns," "Falcon Cannon," and "Demi-Serpentine Cannon" emerging one after another.
These Cannon have undergone countless combat tests, and their design, proportions, chamber structure, and even the accompanying gun carriages, ammunition, and training Drill Manual have formed a relatively mature and optimized system.
More importantly, the technological path of these contemporary European Cannon was likely more advanced than the technology he knew of from the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, and more suitable for large-scale standardized production and field application.
They are more directly aimed at the typical war model of this era, European wars that mainly consist of linear tactics, field battles, and fortress attacks and defenses, which is exactly in line with the large-scale field battle between Carnford and the Sauron!