A Fine and Highy Unusual Portuguese Double Dog Wheellock Gun, ca. 1580

Matchlock · 26th March 2011, 07:22 PM

No 'Nando,

It's just Michael the matchlock (and wheelllock

) man, who dares say so by humble experience and a few books.

I'm attaching scans of a characteristic Portuguese wheellock illustrated in Arne Hoff, Feuerwaffen I, 1968, p. 95f. I don't think this standard reference work was tranlated into English ... Hoff thinks this one might have been copied in Italy, an opinion from which I differ. For comparison, attached please find a characteristic North Italian combined wheellock and snaplock mechanism of ca. 1580: the outer main spring is similar to the Portuguese locks but the shapes of the dog and shell like wheel ornamentation are clearly variant (also from Hoff's book).

Spanish and especially Portuguese wheellocks range among the greatest rarities.

Rainer's book is not helpful as it covers only matchlocks. I'm pretty sure though he has some Portuguese wheellocks as well.

Best,
Michael

26th March 2011, 07:22 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	No 'Nando, It's just Michael the matchlock (and wheelllock ) man, who dares say so by humble experience and a few books. I'm attaching scans of a characteristic Portuguese wheellock illustrated in Arne Hoff, Feuerwaffen I, 1968, p. 95f. I don't think this standard reference work was tranlated into English ... Hoff thinks this one might have been copied in Italy, an opinion from which I differ. For comparison, attached please find a characteristic North Italian combined wheellock and snaplock mechanism of ca. 1580: the outer main spring is similar to the Portuguese locks but the shapes of the dog and shell like wheel ornamentation are clearly variant (also from Hoff's book). Spanish and especially Portuguese wheellocks range among the greatest rarities. Rainer's book is not helpful as it covers only matchlocks. I'm pretty sure though he has some Portuguese wheellocks as well. Best, Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 26th March 2011 at 07:53 PM.