Champlain's arquebus was a gun which he supported on a tripod. It was of a general type of gun called a "matchlock," because a match was used to ignite it.

The arquebus was fired by lowering an S-shaped piece of metal, which held a slow-burning match (hemp or cotton rope soaked in saltpetre), into a pan containing a charge of powder to fire the gun.

Although primitive by the standards of later weapons, the arquebus gave Champlain a great advantage in confrontations with the First Nations armed only with the bow and arrow. The soldier could use both hands to hold the gun and take aim by placing the gun's stock against his chest or shoulder and looking down the barrel.

The arquebus could be dangerous to the one who fired it. In one battle Champlain's arquebus blew up in his hands.