As long as one kept a clear head, and started the ignition at the correct end, it should be ok!...but these very interesting guns appear to have had little usage. (Maybe even then, the prospective firers may have had enough imagination to see if things went wrong it could be rather bad!)
Still, the same principle can be seen applied to flint, and even percussion, so it must work.
Thankfully, the rarity of such pieces has kept them intact, to show us the inventive spirit of the times!
Many thanks for the pictures, Michael.
BTW, I find the revolving matchlocks most fascinating!. The ones I have seen even look elegant, and would be very interesting to examine.
Richard.
|