Tanegashima (Matchlock Gun)

"Guns- that's what we're calling 'em. With these I can take my rightful place as ruler and you can all come with me, now lets win some battles!" - Shogun Denzurou Matahachi announcing his claim over the empire

Utility

Used in warfare. thus far they have been used almost exclusively in ambushes, with gunmen in bushes or on top of hills. They are significantly deadlier than arrows and can pierce through flesh and bone, (though usually not armour, except at point blank range) in order to kill multiple people with a single shot.

Inventor(s)

Shogun Denzurou Matahchi

Access & Availability

As of the current day they are still very hard to come by, as how they are made is kept as a close secret by the shogun. The only real way one can get a gun is by joining the army of the shogunate and gaining enough ranks to be given one. An estimated 5000 guns exist right now.

Complexity

For the level of technological advancement of the current day matchlock guns are very complex. The materials required are not too ridiculous, just wood for the body, metal for the barrel and firing mechanism, quark for a couple of smaller components, and string for the firing mechanism. The real problem with complexity comes with making the barrel in such a way that the screw can be tightly inserted. Furthermore, the components needed to actually operate add to the complexity. Bullets, gunpowder, and a loading rod are all needed for a single use of the firearm, and all but the rod is consumed upon upon usage, making them somewhat resource inefficient.

Discovery

Shogun Denzurou Matahachi had been funding and contributing to the research of better ranged weaponry for over 50 years before the first prototype was made, and from there development moved fairly quickly .