Pumhart von Steyr | |
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The Pumhart von Steyr in the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum at Vienna
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Type | Cannon |
Place of origin | Liezen, Styria, Holy Roman Empire |
Service history | |
Used by | Habsburg |
Production history | |
Designed | Early 15th century |
Specifications | |
Weight | ~ 8 t |
Length | 259 cm |
Barrel length | 144 cm |
Diameter | 76–88 cm (conical muzzle) |
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Shell weight | 690 kg |
Caliber | 80 cm (ball diameter) |
Maximum firing range | ca. 600 m |
The Pumhart von Steyr is a medieval supergun from Styria, Austria, and the largest known wrought-iron bombard by caliber. It weighs around 8 tons and has a length of more than 2.5 meters. It was produced in the early 15th century and could fire, according to modern calculations, an 80 cm stone ball weighing 690 kg to a distance of roughly 600 m after being loaded with 15 kg of gunpowder and set at an elevation of 10°.
The bombard is today on display in one of the artillery halls of the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum at Vienna.
Besides the Pumhart von Steyr, a number of 15th-century European superguns are known to have been employed primarily in siege warfare, including the wrought-iron Mons Meg and Dulle Griet as well as the cast-bronze Faule Mette, Faule Grete and Grose Bochse.