Early Alarum Gun. Probably English. Probably 16th/17th century.

Small (but probably very  effective) alarm gun, which I have been working on lately, with assistance of Grand daughter Lucy who has been staying over the last few days. I wanted to mount the gun on a wall without marking the metal, and Luce (who has the gift of seeing the easy way of  doing things (if or when there is an easy way) spotted the one we used here immediately. which was tying the barrel to the wall with a leather thong or bootlace - very simple and easy , and with  a certain amount of 'give' to it. Works well and demonstrates that the simple way of doing a thing is usually the best.

The barrel is three inches long, with a one and a half inch bore. I think  it would have been fired with  match- cord, or a red hot iron.