Firearms played an important role in the military development of the Ming Dynasty, but there has been controversy about their advancement. On the one hand, the Ming Dynasty did achieve significant accomplishments in the manufacture and use of firearms; on the other hand, there are also viewpoints that the descriptions of Ming Dynasty firearms have been overstated. So, what is the real level of Ming Dynasty firearms?

Firstly, from the perspective of historical materials, the development of Ming Dynasty firearms did have a certain degree of advancement at that time. For example, during the Jingnan Campaign, when Emperor Chengzu Zhu Di overthrew the emperor and took power, a large number of firearms were used, which played an important role on the battlefield. In addition, some important firearms treatises appeared in the Ming Dynasty, such as "The Array of the Fire Dragon and the Divine Weapon", which detailed the manufacturing techniques and usage methods of firearms, reflecting the maturity of Ming Dynasty firearms technology.

However, despite the technological progress of Ming Dynasty firearms, there was still a significant gap compared to later generations, especially modern firearms. For example, most of the firearms in the Ming Dynasty were made of copper, with limited range and power. Moreover, due to the unstable quality of gunpowder, there were also reliability issues with firearms. Therefore, calling Ming Dynasty firearms "advanced" needs to be discounted to some extent.

In addition, there is also a certain degree of exaggeration in the records of Ming Dynasty firearms. In some literature, to highlight the strength of the Ming Dynasty, the power and effectiveness of firearms may be overstated. Although this practice can enhance national pride, it is not conducive to objectively evaluating the real performance of Ming Dynasty firearms.

In summary, Ming Dynasty firearms did have a certain degree of advancement to some extent, especially in the context of their times. However, compared to modern firearms, the gap between Ming Dynasty firearms is still obvious. At the same time, we also need to maintain a certain critical thinking about the records of Ming Dynasty firearms to avoid overstating their performance. Only through objective and comprehensive evaluation can we better understand the status and value of Ming Dynasty firearms in the military history of China.

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