ANOTHER MATCHLOCK RESTORED
 

Originally posted here as #2 http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=19810
Here is the cleaned and restored Matchlock. Pics show before and after.
Stu

Hi Stu.
SUPER NICE JOB!!! Assume you received my direct email correspondence.
My favorite feature with this gun is the decorative iron plate on the bottom of the stock near the trigger area. This is also the first one I've seen with the iron strap over the breech area of the barrel. Most interesting. And thanks for posting.
Rick.

Hi Rick,
Thanks for the kind comments. I will post pics of the trigger plate when I get a moment. Your comment about the iron strap is noted. The other matchlock I have also has this feature. Perhaps not so clear in the "restored" pics but it is clearly shown here.
Stu

Thanks Stu.
Can you tell what the purpose of the iron straps would be?
Rick

The top part of the stock, where the "hammer" comes thru, is a separate piece of wood. The strap hold this in place, but the size of it seems a bit of overkill to me. Maybe there is something here that we are not seeing.......Perhaps just decorative?

Hi Stu.
OK. That answers it. I don't know why I didn't notice that it was two pieces. Getting old I guess. :(
A closer look at mine also shows two pieces. but it is spliced in with a flat brass plate between the two pieces of wood, with two brass pins inserted from the top holding the two pieces together. Fortunately, the trigger and serpentine relationship work perfectly on mine. So I don't have to dis-assemble that area.
Thanks, Rick.

#2 of mine also has pins which are visible on the top view of the restored item. See above