MEDIEVAL RUSSIAN ARMOR

Ruchnitsa - Early types of pistol. Was also called "ruchnayha pishchal'. It had an iron barrel, that was strapped to a carved wooden stick, which also served as the handle. Early models had the barrel extended forward, mostly without support. Later models had the barrel nestled into a channel cut in the wood. As time went on skilled armorers would decorate these weapons with metal plates on the sides of the wooden handle. These could be quite elaborate, with filagree and nielo work designs.