Abstract
The metallurgical macro- and micro-structure, and the residualstress of the Japanese matchlock gun, fabricated at the late Edo period, have been investigated with an optical microscope, an SEM, an EPMA and an X-ray residual stress meter for estimating the fabricating process and their materials. This gun was fabricated by Udonbari (in Japanese) process, which is similar to that of the Russell's method, tubes was created by the joining together opposite edges of a flat iron strip with an iron core bar. The joining line was wavy. Their residual stress was mainly compressive and the values were from 180 to 280 MPa in the longitudinal direction and from 240 to 380 MPa at the transverse direction.
The gun was made of low carbon steel with equiaxed ferrite grains; their grain size was mainly 10 μm partly with 100 μm and exceptionally more than 1000 μm grains. Moreover, we find the special banded structure, consisted of fine ferrite grains bands and large ferrite grains bands.
The firing part was fabricated by the joining of five parts for getting the L-shape hole. The female screw was made by forging; therefore the shape was tapered screw and the male screw was cut from a low grade steel bar, confirmed by their macro-structure.
