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The 'ribauldequin', also known as a 'rabauld', 'ribault', or 'organ gun', was a medieval-era volley gun with many small-bore caliber iron barrels all set up parallel on a platform; sometimes defined as an early or even as the earliest machine gun.^{[1] [2] [3][4]} When the gun was fired in a volley, it created a shower of rapid iron shot They were employed, specifically, during the early fifteenth century, and continued serving, mostly, as an anti-personnel gun.
The first known ribauldequin was used by the army of Edward III of England in 1339 in France during the Hundred Years War. Edward's ribauldequin carried 144 barrels grouped in batteries of twelve, which fired salvoes of twelve balls.
Also, the late Swiss army employed organ guns. ^[5]

Contents

In popular media

References

See also

External links

In popular media

★ In the Warhammer tabletop wargame, the dwarves have an organ gun that is essentially a large ribauldequin.^[6]

★ In the video game, most European factions can build the ribault, a nine-barreled version.

★ In the Age of Empires III computer game, the Portuguese can build organ guns, which can later be upgraded to "rabaulds". ^{[7] [8]}

References

1. http://inventors.about.com/od/dstartinventors/ig/Inventions-of-Leonardo-DaVinci/Eight-Barrelled-Machine-Gun.htm
2. http://www.museoscienza.org/IdealCity/english/organo.htm
3. http://home.comcast.net/~light123/guns/handmg.htm
4. http://www.rudimentsofwisdom.com/pages/machineguns.htm
5. http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/eyecandy/artillery/art06.html
6. http://www.hillcity-comics.com/role_play/gw/84-11.htm
7. http://aoe3.heavengames.com/php/units/units.php?n=OrganGun
8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOJWdAYwwOc

See also

★ Volley gun

External links

★ Gunpowder Weapons of the Late Fifteenth Century

★ You Tube video demonstrating organ guns in action, through Age of Empires III

★ Mispedia´s article on the Ribaldequin