Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Philip · 15th July 2018, 07:00 PM

Dana, I can sense that you were reluctant to pack and send this one off!

Bernal Calafell is listed in Der Neue Stöckel as being active ca. 1692-1703. His career coincided with the point at which noticeable stylistic changes were taking place in the universe of Spanish gunmaking, and this pistol has an interesting mix of old and new.

The stock design and deco are rooted in the 17th cent. The profile and grip and pommel are very similar to a pair of Ripoll belt pistols dated ca. 1680 in the W. Keith Neal Collection, illus in his book Spanish Guns and Pistols pl 78.
Note that on the pistol which is the subject of this post, the forestock is carved with longitudinal channeling. This feature, along with the umbrella-shaped pommels and the triangular-format openwork stock decoration on each side, are reflective of the "golden age" of Brescian gunmaking in the 17th cent. These features went out of fashion in later production.

Eduardo Graells, in his article "A Primer of Ripoll Gunlocks" (in The Arms and Armor Annual, vol. 1, ed. Robert Held, 1979), explores the "italianate flavor" of earlier Ripoll guns and the link to Brescia, illustrated by three further examples. It is interesting to note that all of these comparable examples have barrels pin-fastened to the forestock rather than with a capucine or barrel band, as were the Brescian originals.

The pistol under discussion does use a barrel band, which points to the stylistic sea-change mentioned above. It has a characteristic Spanish form with multiple ornamental slots on its lower half; it appears as early as 1660 on a Spanish miquelet pistol of provincial manufacture, ex-Dineley Collection and published in James D. Lavin, A History of Spanish Firearms fig. 22.

The move to barrel bands was largely prompted by the reluctance by Spanish barrel-makers (who often carried the decorative effects on the top flats around to the bottom as well) to mar the pristine symmetry of their creations with dovetailed lugs to retain barrel pins!

Lavin also mentions that the earliest Ripoll guns (wheellocks) had a peculiar barrel tang attachment consisting of the tang screw being integral with the head of the trigger guard, such that the guard was turned round to tighten the screw when finally, as it aligned with the butt, a wood screw fastened it on its tail end. (see History... fig 24)

Dana, can you tell us if the pistol you had also has this type of tang screw, or is it the conventional separate screw that works on its own, to secure the barrel tang only?

15th July 2018, 07:00 PM	#16
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	A beaut with interesting transitional features Dana, I can sense that you were reluctant to pack and send this one off! Bernal Calafell is listed in Der Neue Stöckel as being active ca. 1692-1703. His career coincided with the point at which noticeable stylistic changes were taking place in the universe of Spanish gunmaking, and this pistol has an interesting mix of old and new. The stock design and deco are rooted in the 17th cent. The profile and grip and pommel are very similar to a pair of Ripoll belt pistols dated ca. 1680 in the W. Keith Neal Collection, illus in his book Spanish Guns and Pistols pl 78. Note that on the pistol which is the subject of this post, the forestock is carved with longitudinal channeling. This feature, along with the umbrella-shaped pommels and the triangular-format openwork stock decoration on each side, are reflective of the "golden age" of Brescian gunmaking in the 17th cent. These features went out of fashion in later production. Eduardo Graells, in his article "A Primer of Ripoll Gunlocks" (in The Arms and Armor Annual, vol. 1, ed. Robert Held, 1979), explores the "italianate flavor" of earlier Ripoll guns and the link to Brescia, illustrated by three further examples. It is interesting to note that all of these comparable examples have barrels pin-fastened to the forestock rather than with a capucine or barrel band, as were the Brescian originals. The pistol under discussion does use a barrel band, which points to the stylistic sea-change mentioned above. It has a characteristic Spanish form with multiple ornamental slots on its lower half; it appears as early as 1660 on a Spanish miquelet pistol of provincial manufacture, ex-Dineley Collection and published in James D. Lavin, A History of Spanish Firearms fig. 22. The move to barrel bands was largely prompted by the reluctance by Spanish barrel-makers (who often carried the decorative effects on the top flats around to the bottom as well) to mar the pristine symmetry of their creations with dovetailed lugs to retain barrel pins! Lavin also mentions that the earliest Ripoll guns (wheellocks) had a peculiar barrel tang attachment consisting of the tang screw being integral with the head of the trigger guard, such that the guard was turned round to tighten the screw when finally, as it aligned with the butt, a wood screw fastened it on its tail end. (see History... fig 24) Dana, can you tell us if the pistol you had also has this type of tang screw, or is it the conventional separate screw that works on its own, to secure the barrel tang only?