Dated flintlock mechanism

Marcus den toom · 28th February 2014, 01:04 PM

A beautiful flintlock mechanism from G B L Burgunon and a possible date of 1636?
The 3 is mirrored, which confuses me. The overall style of the lock is that of around 1640's so i doubt the possibility of the date beeing 1686. Also, there is no evidence of the lock beeing cleaned or rubbed. The numbering is as crisp as all the other engravings/lettering.

The sear is missing and some screws are marred, other than this the lock is in very good condition. The pancover has been repaired in the old fashion. After so many shots, the pancover would be worn away at the striking point of the flint.

The lock is 15,5 cm overall

Marcus den toom · 28th February 2014, 01:05 PM

Some more details

Matchlock · 28th February 2014, 01:56 PM

As the maker is apparently unrecorded we can but speculate.

My first guess concerning the date of manufacture would have been 'not before 1645', so why not read the date as 1656? This is more reasonble and would make your lock mechanism contemporary with my Schloss Dyck musket signed by Chiese, St. Etienne.

m

Marcus den toom · 28th February 2014, 03:18 PM

Hi Michael,

Thank you for this comparison

. I was thinking about this possibility as well, but the line beneath the half circle is going askew to the left

I also believe that the schloss Dyck lock is more recent than the Burgunon one. The hammer does have the same duck beak shape, but the burgunon one is more massive in the "head" section of the hammer, also the base is not rounded and larger than the schloss Dyck one
As far as i can tell from the books i got, the hammer slowly evolved to the swan neck? The schloss Dyck lock seems to be further down this line than the burgunon one?

Sadly, there is no forum member called Flintlock... seeing as Michael provided a very good overview of the matchlocks (matchlock chronicle).

Matchlock · 28th February 2014, 04:35 PM

Thank you, and you are right indeed, Marcus,

But the ultimate work on flintlock weapons still is Dr. Torsten Lenk's Flintl°aset, dess uppkomst och utveckling from 1939. Sadly, the photos in the English edition The Flintlock - its Origin and Development in one volume are much worse than in the German 2-volume edition Steinschloss-Feuerwaffen, 1969.

Lenk pictures some firearms with locks almost identical to your instance and assigns them to the 1640's for Paris (!), as I did at first.

I once owned a heavy flintlock wallgun employing a very similar mechanism of ca. 1645:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...5+schloss+dyck

m

Marcus den toom · 28th February 2014, 04:48 PM

Could you scan a view of these pictures from Lenk's book please

?

I must admit, i am very thrilled with the idea of this lock beeing dated, so i might get carried away (the auction i bought it from didn't mention this and the picture did not show it either).

Thank you as always for your imput

28th February 2014, 01:04 PM	#1
Marcus den toom Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Netherlands Posts: 506	Dated flintlock mechanism A beautiful flintlock mechanism from G B L Burgunon and a possible date of 1636? The 3 is mirrored, which confuses me. The overall style of the lock is that of around 1640's so i doubt the possibility of the date beeing 1686. Also, there is no evidence of the lock beeing cleaned or rubbed. The numbering is as crisp as all the other engravings/lettering. The sear is missing and some screws are marred, other than this the lock is in very good condition. The pancover has been repaired in the old fashion. After so many shots, the pancover would be worn away at the striking point of the flint. The lock is 15,5 cm overall

28th February 2014, 01:56 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	As the maker is apparently unrecorded we can but speculate. My first guess concerning the date of manufacture would have been 'not before 1645', so why not read the date as 1656? This is more reasonble and would make your lock mechanism contemporary with my Schloss Dyck musket signed by Chiese, St. Etienne. m Attached Images

28th February 2014, 03:18 PM	#4
Marcus den toom Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Netherlands Posts: 506	Hi Michael, Thank you for this comparison . I was thinking about this possibility as well, but the line beneath the half circle is going askew to the left I also believe that the schloss Dyck lock is more recent than the Burgunon one. The hammer does have the same duck beak shape, but the burgunon one is more massive in the "head" section of the hammer, also the base is not rounded and larger than the schloss Dyck one As far as i can tell from the books i got, the hammer slowly evolved to the swan neck? The schloss Dyck lock seems to be further down this line than the burgunon one? Sadly, there is no forum member called Flintlock... seeing as Michael provided a very good overview of the matchlocks (matchlock chronicle). Last edited by Marcus den toom; 28th February 2014 at 03:56 PM.

28th February 2014, 04:35 PM	#5
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Thank you, and you are right indeed, Marcus, But the ultimate work on flintlock weapons still is Dr. Torsten Lenk's Flintl°aset, dess uppkomst och utveckling from 1939. Sadly, the photos in the English edition The Flintlock - its Origin and Development in one volume are much worse than in the German 2-volume edition Steinschloss-Feuerwaffen, 1969. Lenk pictures some firearms with locks almost identical to your instance and assigns them to the 1640's for Paris (!), as I did at first. I once owned a heavy flintlock wallgun employing a very similar mechanism of ca. 1645: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...5+schloss+dyck m Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 28th February 2014 at 06:39 PM.

28th February 2014, 01:05 PM	#2
Marcus den toom Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Netherlands Posts: 506	Some more details

28th February 2014, 04:48 PM	#6
Marcus den toom Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Netherlands Posts: 506	Could you scan a view of these pictures from Lenk's book please ? I must admit, i am very thrilled with the idea of this lock beeing dated, so i might get carried away (the auction i bought it from didn't mention this and the picture did not show it either). Thank you as always for your imput