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Old 28th May 2014, 09:29 PM   #17
Raf
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Sorry to muddy the water on this one. Yes , the pan certainly looks Indian and the distressing / stamp on the hook is obviously spurious and recently added. But are we absolutely certain that their isn't a precedent for early Indian matchlocks (with or without hooks ) following directly of European patterns of the late 15 / 16 century ? The use of matchlocks in India is well recorded from C 1480 and by 1550 standards had been introduced regarding the manufacture and proof firing of matchlocks.

The reason for re raising this issue is that I posted the barrel from a faked up European style matchlock with a barrel which probably was Indian but with what I thought was an unusual termination to the breech . That is a large lug on the rear of the breech secured presumably to a stock by a transverse pin , not unlike it appears , the example above. Although I cant think of a precedent for it you could argue it might be a rational transition between the earlier spike or socket and the lug under the breech found on early European matchlocks , which survives in a smaller form on later Indian matchlocks.

My point being that once something is outside of the supposedly established European chronology we simply haven't a clue .
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