The majority of the guns were small iron guns with short range that could be aimed and fired by a single person. The two most common are the "bases", breech-loading swivel guns, most likely placed in the castles, and "hailshot pieces", small muzzle-loaders with rectangular bores and fin-like protrusions that were used to support the guns against the railing and allow the ship structure to take the force of the recoil. Though the design is unknown, there were two "top pieces" in a 1546 inventory (finished after the sinking) which were probably similar to a base, but placed in one or more of the fighting tops.