Tanegashima Matchlock
The Samurai had almost a classic obsession for legendary firearms after the country went into production overdrive of the weapons in the mid 1500's.
From its humble beginings as an import from the Portugese, to its eventual copying and production....
The classic Tanegashima Matchlock pistol and rifle formats had taken an approximate period
of 2 -5 years to dominate the battlefields of Japan and had solidified themselves
both as favourable and almost a necessity for victory in combat.
By the end of the 16th century it was reported that Japan was the largest producer of firearms in the world, with over 300,000 produced within the first 10 years of its introduction.