A Pierrier à boîte was an early type of small wrought iron

Wrought iron

thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...

 cannon

Cannon

A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...

 developed in the early 15th century, and a type of breech-loading swivel gun

Breech-loading swivel gun

A breech-loading swivel gun was a particular type of swivel gun and a small breech-loading cannon invented in the 14th century. It was equipped with a swivel for easy rotation and was loaded by inserting a mug-shaped device called a chamber, pre-filled with gunpowder and projectiles...

. It was part of the artillery of France in the Middle Ages

Artillery of France in the Middle Ages

The artillery of France in the Middle Ages begins only with the fourteenth century, a century in which appears for the first time in Europe a depiction of a cannon, in Walter de Milemete's 1326 De Nobilitatibus sapientii et prudentiis regum, and in which start to appear small rudimentary weapons...

, and the artillery of the Middle Ages

Cannon in the Middle Ages

Artillery in the Middle Ages primarily consisted of the introduction of the cannon, large tubular firearms designed to fire a heavy projectile over a long distance. They were used in China, Europe and the Middle East during the period....

 in general.

The pierrier was a breech-loading weapon, using a powder chamber similar to a beer

Beer

Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...

 mug for loading of individual shots, without having to load from the front or lose time ramming charges in.

The pierrier allowed for extremely fast loading and firing, as it expanded charges prepared in advance. On the downside, it leaked easily, leading to loss of power and safety issues for the gunners.

The pierrier was often used with a swivel

Swivel

A swivel is a connection that allows the connected object, such as a gun or chair, to rotate horizontally and/or vertically. A common design for a swivel is a cylindrical rod that can turn freely within a support structure. The rod is usually prevented from slipping out by a nut, washer or...

. It was a weapon of choice on warship

Warship

A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...

s for intense and close encounters.

It remained in use until the 19th century.

See also

• Artillery of France in the Middle Ages
  Artillery of France in the Middle Ages
  The artillery of France in the Middle Ages begins only with the fourteenth century, a century in which appears for the first time in Europe a depiction of a cannon, in Walter de Milemete's 1326 De Nobilitatibus sapientii et prudentiis regum, and in which start to appear small rudimentary weapons...
  
  
• Veuglaire
  Veuglaire
  The Veuglaire was a wrought iron cannon, and part of the artillery of France in the Middle Ages...