BY BRETT FLETCHER

Gunpowder has carved fascinating niches in various fantasy universes. In Warhammer: The Old World, Dwarves are credited with discovering black powder and sharing its secrets with humans. While this hasn’t led to massed ranks of musketeers, handgunners and cannon batteries feature prominently in the lore—especially in the city of Nuln, famed throughout the Empire for its formidable artillery. These units have long appeared in tabletop armies, solidifying their place in the setting’s gritty, gun-smoked aesthetic.

In a more whimsical vein, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series also toys with gunpowder, albeit in a limited form. The 1993 novel Men at Arms introduces the mysterious ‘Gonne’, a kind of multi-chambered flintlock pistol. The weapon is deemed too dangerous, its existence shrouded in moral quandary. Eventually, the characters hide the Gonne away to prevent further bloodshed, and no other black powder weapons are seen in the series—a deliberate narrative choice that keeps the setting grounded in satire and steel rather than smoke and shot.

This begs the question: why, in the deep and ancient world of Middle-earth, do we see no real embrace of black powder weaponry? Where are the regiments of musket-wielding hobbits, the matchlock-clutching orcs, Gondorian artillery units, or Rohan knights armed with pistols?

Black powder does exist—Gandalf’s fireworks are powered by it, and Saruman’s forces use explosive devices during the siege of Helm’s Deep (638). However, beyond these, there’s a curious absence of its martial application. Is this due to practical limitations in crafting gunpowder itself? Or does it stem from the technical challenge of producing musket barrels and firing mechanisms?

Let’s examine what would be needed.

Gunpowder comprises three basic ingredients: saltpetre, charcoal, and sulphur. All could plausibly exist in Middle-earth:

  • Saltpetre: Can be produced using urine-soaked earth, manure, and lime—substances easily sourced across the land.
  • Charcoal: Simply made by heating wood in low-oxygen environments.
  • Sulphur: Naturally occurs in volcanic regions, which the Dwarves are well equipped to mine.

Once the powder is made, the next hurdle is metallurgy. Musket barrels must withstand high pressure, requiring refined iron or steel and precision forging. Given the presence of massive forges and skilled blacksmiths—especially among the Dwarves—creating a serviceable barrel wouldn’t be out of reach.

Then there’s the firing mechanism. Whether matchlock or flintlock, constructing a reliable action is complex. Middle-earth has clocks, timepieces, and intricately crafted jewellery, indicating that the technical skill exists. In reality, it took centuries to standardize flintlock mechanisms, culminating in reliable weapons like Britain’s famed Brown Bess, which served over 150 years.

Mass production is another matter. The industrial facilities seen in Isengard aren’t widespread, yet we still witness fully-armoured armies bearing iron-forged weapons. If the will and knowledge were there, scaling up weapon production might not pose an insurmountable challenge.

So what if a race did pursue firearms? Let’s imagine the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain pioneering flintlocks and equipping a regiment.

The defence of Erebor against the rampaging Smaug in the story of The Hobbit would have unfolded quite differently with more advanced weaponry. Regiments of hand gunners firing as the dragon descended upon the great gates might have inflicted considerable damage. Likewise, artillery batteries could have significantly altered the defenders’ tactics as Smaug attempted to breach the main entrance. While the ultimate outcome may have remained unchanged, a fierce bombardment might have shattered more of the dragon’s protective scales and made for an easier shot for Bard (the Bowman) later in the story. Having said all that, I imagine Dragon fire and gunpowder wouldn’t be a happy combination should a barrel ignite in the middle of the Lonely Mountain. 

In this instance, would gunpowder have made a significant change to the story? It’s very doubtful as Smaug was a mighty dragon and I don’t think an aimed volley of musket fire would’ve stopped his rampage.

Would a musketeer regiment of any race make much of a difference during the War of the Ring? Again, doubtful as the forces of Evil had access to many varied and powerful monstrous creatures. Once again, the story would’ve remained mostly unchanged. Equipping Fordo or Sam with a firearm would have had no impact on the ring of powder being destroyed. However, it would’ve been a much more traumatic scene for Merry and Pippin should Boromir have had his head blown off at Amon Hen by an Uruk-Hai wielding a shotgun.

Let us now now address the various Pros and Cons of gunpowder in Middle-earth.

Pros:

  • Gunpowder weapons would devastate traditional armour; lead balls can punch through steel.
  • Muskets require far less training than longbows—a soldier can learn the basics in hours and fire one or two shots per minute.

Cons:

  • Reloading is slow and cumbersome.
  • Accuracy is poor unless barrels are rifled.
  • Black powder fouls the barrel after repeated use, slowing reload times further.
  • Misfires are common.
  • Once ammunition is spent, the weapon becomes dead weight unless resupplied.
  • Musketeers must still engage in hand-to-hand combat if enemies close the distance—and without bayonets, they’re at a clear disadvantage.

All things considered, perhaps it’s best that Middle-earth retains its classic arsenal of longbows, swords, crossbows, and axes. Introducing revolvers or pepperbox pistols might tilt the balance too far. After all, Sam blasting Shelob to bits with a six-shooter? That’s less “epic quest” and more “Tombstone meets giant arachnid.” Some fantasy boundaries are best left uncrossed.

Works Cited

Warhammer: The Old World. Cubicle 7, 2024.

Pratchett, Terry. Men at Arms. Victor Gollancz, 1993.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit, or There and Back Again. George Allen & Unwin, 1937.

—. The Lord of the Rings. Houghton Mifflin, 2004.

Tombstone. Directed by George P. Cosmatos. Hollywood Pictures and Cinergi Pictures, 1993.

Editor’s Note

For more resources on gunpowder and unexpected modern technology in Middle-earth, read the following works:

Fimi, Dimitra. Tolkien, Race, and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits. Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.

Schenk, Gabriel. “A Jumble of Unrelated Mythologies?:  Cohesion and Consistency in The Lion,  the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Hobbit,” in The Songs of the Spheres: Lewis, Tolkien and the Overlapping Realms of their Imaginations edited by Łukasz Neubauer and Guglielmo Spirito, Walking Tree, 2024, 201–220.

Worthen, Shana. “Technology in Middle-earth,” in The J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment edited by Michael D.C. Drought, Routledge, 2007, 637–638.