Landsknecht-Company, handgunners in action

Loading and firing, Europe, early 16th century.
Before the piles clashed or cavalry attacked, there was a longer or shorter gun battle. The riflemen operated in front of the front or on the flanks of their own bunch, which covered them. The rate of fire and accuracy were low, but an enemy pile was a target that could be hit with hooked rifles.
The term originally comes from the spike or hook that could be hooked behind a wall, for example, to absorb the recoil. It was ignited with a fuse that was clamped smouldering in the "serpentina", a snake-like metal frame. By pulling the trigger, the fuse was brought to the ignition hole. This simple mechanism allowed better aiming than the predecessors of this weapon, the "aiming at wang". In addition to hooked rifles, crossbows also remained in use for a long time, and were even superior to bullets in terms of accuracy and penetrating power.
Sometimes the armies also operated with a "shooting wing" consisting of riflemen and a "shock pile", which was intended to overrun the enemy worn down by gunfire.

Our series shows Landsknechte with Bidenhändern and with spears, charging and firing riflemen with hooked rifles, plus pipers and drummers, flag, ensign captain and lieutenant.

Series list for 100/25/201
No. 100-748 a (4x) Landsknecht with spike/halberd
No. 100-787 a (1x) Lieutenant with iron helmet and biped placed on the ground
No. 100-749 a (4x) Landsknecht with spike/halberd
No. 100-788 a (1x) Landsknecht drummer, playing
No. 100-750 a (6x) Landsknecht with spike/halberd
No. 100-789 a (1x) Landsknecht, shooting with hook rifle
No. 100-879 a (1x) Landsknecht rifleman, filling powder into rifle
No. 100-751 a (8x) Landsknecht with spike/halberd
No. 100-790 a (1x) Landsknecht, loading hook rifle (ramrod thrusting into barrel)
No. 100-880 a (1x) Landsknecht rifleman, loading rifle
No. 100-752 a (8x) Landsknecht with spike/halberd
No. 100-867 a (1x) Rifleman, shooting
No. 100-881 a (1x) Landsknecht rifleman, pouring powder onto pan
No. 100-760 a (1x) Lieutenant, shouldered bipod
No. 100-877 a (1x) Landsknecht rifleman, loading rifle, stick in barrel
No. 100-766 a (1x) Landsknecht standard bearer with iron helmet, flag shouldered
No. 100-878 a (1x) Landsknecht rifleman
No. 100-769 a (1x) Ensign captain with long spear
No. 100-745 a (6x) Landsknecht with iron helmet, spike/halberd
No. 100-779 a (1x) Landsknecht whistler, playing