Dutch target arquebuse dated 1630

[Raf]

My idea is the barrel had a screw on powderpan.

It's a reasonable idea especially since the front drilling is offset avoid drilling into the bore . Otherwise what are these holes for ? For clarification is the hair / set trigger arrangement part of the trigger assembly as in the x ray image in your previous post?

[Marcus den toom]

Originally Posted by Raf

For clarification is the hair / set trigger arrangement part of the trigger assembly as in the x ray image in your previous post?

Yes the trigger assembly is one part with a set trigger system.
I have asked the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam for pictures of the inside of the rectangular locks. These internal pictutes would complete the puzzle.

[Marcus den toom]

Sofar i have been unable to find any other locks belonging to this type of gun.
My best guess is as follows (see picture):
A rectangular lock plate with an early tumbler and sear mechanism as seen on flintlocks. The black parts are the springs, the red part is the tinder holder.
A similar mechanism can be seen on a 1530-40s snap tinder lock.
Will keep looking, any help in finding more of these guns is appreciated

[Marcus den toom]

A chaperon from the "Schutterij", a city guard comprised of citizen soldiers, of the city Dordrecht. In this instance it belonged to the "kloveniers gilde" a Dutch interpretation of the French word couleuvrine, a short musket.

The Chaperon is embroided with a royal tree (emblem of Prince Maurits), crossed with two target guns very similar to the one in post 17. There is also a date of 1622, which is another great example of how these guns seem to have been around mostly during the first half of the 17th century coinciding with the golden age of the Netherlands.

It is very difficult to decern but it looks like the guns have a diopter visor on the front.

[Marcus den toom]

Another one without any further information. Found in the book Schutters in Holland, page 224.
Among this example are also all the target guns currently in the Rijksmuseum, this one did not make it to the collection and is for now at unknown wereabouts.

[Marcus den toom]

Some extra source material:

• the first beeing a door panel from the "schutterij gilde" with two target guns and a striking iron.
• the second a facing brick from the tower of the Amsterdam "kloveniers tower". Dateable to the second half of the 16th century, showing a heavy arquebuse with smaller foot rest than the later 17th century pieces. Dificult to tell for sure if this is a evolutionary step within the design or just an exception. The corners are both flanked by bird claws on a ball, the city sign of the "Amsterdam kloverniers".
• the third picture is a rare insight in the shooting hall of the "Amsterdam kloveniers" as it would have been in the late 17th century (print by Jacob Appel.
• The fourth is a Penning, a type of currency or commemorative coin. In this case from the Middelburg shooting guild (the Confrerie van de edele Busse > The guild of the noble guns). Dated 1623, similar to the one in post 30 though very hard to see due to the small details imprinted on this coin. On a side note, these type of coins were also awarded to the members of the guild and could be exchanged for a pint of wine. Other examples have the Guild mark pon one side and a funerary bier on the other side.

[Marcus den toom]

This lock showes two matchlock/tinder lock mechanism on one lockplate. The left one is a standard trigger bar activated lock, the right one a snap tinder lock with a primive tumbler (red) with a spring for the counter clockwise action of the tinder holder. The tumbler is held in place with the dual acting sear. How this would work puzzles me a bit, the picture is of too low quality to decern the mechanics around the tumbler and sear. My guess it rest against the sear (yellow) as a square surface?
This lock does give some insight in how the missing lock on my gun could have looked like. The idea of a tumbler seems for now the best option.