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Military

How long is a medieval longsword?

A medieval longsword is about 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) long.

What is measured: Two-handed European sword, overall length

Medieval Longsword (1.2 m) drawn to scale beside a bowling pin (38.1 cm) and an adult person (1.7 m)
Drawn to scale, from left to right: Bowling pin (38.1 cm), Medieval Longsword (1.2 m) and Adult person (1.7 m).

Compare

How big is that, really?

  • About 71% of the height of an adult person
  • About 5 would fit end to end along a 20-foot shipping container
  • About 60% of the height of a doorway
  • About 3.1× the height of a bowling pin
  • As long as about 14 credit cards end to end

Learn

Facts about Medieval Longsword

The longsword's extended grip allowed two-handed use, giving knights extra reach and striking power in melee combat.

Source: Wallace Collection: European Swords

Military

NameSizeCompared with Medieval Longsword
Katana Sword1 m (3 ft 3 in)0.83×
M16A2 Rifle1 m (3 ft 3 in)0.83×
Panzerfaust1.05 m (3 ft 5 in)0.88×
Maxim Machine Gun1.07 m (3 ft 6 in)0.89×
Javelin Anti-Tank Missile1.1 m (3 ft 7 in)0.92×
M1 Garand Rifle1.1 m (3 ft 7 in)0.92×
Roman Scutum Shield1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)same size
Medieval Longsword1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)this page
Mosin-Nagant Rifle1.23 m (4 ft)1×
M240 Machine Gun1.24 m (4 ft 1 in)1×

Test your sense of scale

Which is bigger: Medieval Longsword or Katana Sword?

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