Remains of a rifle from Jan van Speijk’s gunboat before 1831

This is a fragment of a rifle, recovered from Jan van Speijk’s gunboat, likely dating to the early 19th century. While we don't know the maker, we can learn a lot from its materials and fabrication. Observe the metal components, forged and assembled with considerable hand work. The wooden stock, now splintered, would have been carved to fit the shooter's shoulder. Now consider the labor embedded in this object. From mining the ore, to smelting, forging, and the work of the stocker, many hands were involved. Rifles like these were among the first truly mass-produced objects. The design reflects military needs and the industrializing world in which it was created. The very damage it incurred speaks to the violence of that era. This isn't just a broken gun; it is a relic of a society in transformation, shaped by technology, labor, and conflict.