Ōdzutsu

The odzutsu, meaning big cylinder, was a Japanese hand cannon used during the Sengoku and early Edo periods. Forged from iron rather than cast bronze, it was valued for its greater power and lower risk of barrel explosion than bronze alternatives, and it was employed chiefly in naval and siege warfare against large structures. Typical projectiles weighed around 75 grams, though larger variants firing 50-mace projectiles could reach ranges of up to 1.6 kilometers, and the weapon was fired by matchlock or slow match ignition while mounted on rings or wooden frames. A well known example, the Shibatsuji Gun, is preserved at the Yushukan museum at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, and the weapon saw extensive use by the Izu Suigun naval forces.