Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms, Volume 8: Utensils and Instruments

Bird-Beak Gun

original: "Niaozui Chong." This refers to the matchlock musket, named for the way the curved serpentine (the part holding the burning match) resembles the beak of a bird.

Detailed Design of the Bird-Beak Gun

original: "Bangui." In Ming Dynasty engineering, a "ghost" refers to a hidden or internal mechanical part, specifically the sear or linkage that releases the firing mechanism.

This is an iron rod bent back upon itself

This is slightly separated from the "dragon tail"
original: "Longwei." The "dragon tail" is the long, curved trigger lever common in early Chinese matchlocks.

This iron piece extends above the long "dragon tail." The bent strip covers it so that it does not snag on the support post.

The diagrams illustrate the delicate mechanical relationship between the internal sear and the external trigger lever. The "dragon tail" lever was pulled toward the stock, which moved the internal "ghost" to drop the serpentine—the "dragon head"—into the flash pan.