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Old 28th April 2012, 09:04 PM   #23
Matchlock
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking
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The next generation of Landsknecht arquebuses, and at the same time the last employing brass barrels, early 1520's, the multiple-staged barrel with long, accentuated muzzle section, the parts of the snap-tinderlock not yet united on a lock plate but separately nailed to the stock. Only the serpentine is shown to be mounted on a small plate; the cocked serpentine against which a long spring acted was mostly triggered by a right-hand side lateral push button. Only one arquebus lying on the ground is shown to feature a long tiller trigger.
Most stocks are depicted plain and undyed but one is represented to be painted red.
The length of typically thick and early match cord was only used to light a small piece of tinder that was placed in a tube at the top of the serpentine and was probably replaced before firing the next shot.

Please note the earliest bandoliers with small tinned-iron powder containers.

From a series of tapestries depicting scenes from the Battle of Pavia, 24 February 1525, preserved in the Museo di Capodimonte, Naples. They were woven in Brussels workshops in the late 1520's, after desings by Bernard van Orley.

Best,
Michael
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Last edited by Matchlock; 29th April 2012 at 12:28 AM.
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