Wheellock musket

[Matchlock]

Hi 'Nando,

Exactly: we never know.

That's why I embedded my argument in a careful phrase: it's the result of many years of reading and I believe remembering that the statemets are based on opinions by Arne Hoff and John F. Hayward.

Anyway, I'll try and look 'em up but would be equally thankful of any suggestion and criticism from your side.

I know a bit of those things but I am certainly not the pope of the subject. Any decisive uttering on that early and little documented topic is, in my opinion, quite brave.

My dear friend, please do assist my learning and I will be extremely grateful to you as well as to anybody else. Ain't this the most important reason of posting and discussing here anyhow: adding and learning from each other?

Please be patient on me, amigo. The range I've been trying to cover for more than three decades is difficult and consequently demanding enough. I guess I tried to state in one of my first posts after being invited to our forum that most parts of the field I've been trying to plow still are, and in all probability will, sorta 'virgin'.

I would, in each case, be happy to learn about the interpretation you got as a kind of neighboring native speaker!

Thanks a lot and best wishes,
Michl

[Fernando K]

Hello, Cylord

Pardon invoking the translator, but I can not write English.
Regarding what you say is a key (lock) automatic open wheel (self-spanning) from the pan (bread), it is. Missing-cup cover (cover-pan) ("but, What is covered?), The cam (lever) and spring (spring) that kept in open-closed position. The hole in the inside left of the key questions, IMHO, is the screw fixing the key to the box (stock) but you will find a threaded hole for a screw that holds the spring. Similarly, find a threaded hole for the screw of the cam, probably covered by the flange or bridge (bridle). Similarly, if you examine the tree, crank shaft or wheel (spindle), you'll notice is a part intended to push the lever, just beginning to turn the wheel.
Regarding what you say the trigger (trigger) this type of rifles were double trigger or trigger the hair "(hair trigger) with two triggers, one for mounting and one for disassembly, with an adjustment screw in the middle. In the box (stock), enconmtrarás certainly an area dug for the mechanism of double disparador.Respecto the classification of child gun, do not forget that the term "child" refers to a teenager.

Affectionately from Argentina
Fernando KeiltyHola, Cylord

Perdonarás que recurra al traductor, pero no sé escribir inglés.
Respecto a lo que dices que no es una llave (lock) de rueda de apertura automática (self-spanning) de la cazoleta (pan), sí lo es. Falta el cubre-cazoleta (cover-pan) (¿sino, con qué se cubría?), su leva (lever) y el resorte (spring) que la mantenía en pòsición de abierto-cerrado. El agujero de la izquierda del interior de la llave a que te refieres, es el del tornillo de la fijación de la llave a la caja (stock) pero encontrarás un agujero roscado para un tornillo que retiene al resorte. Del mismo modo, encontrarás un agujero roscado para el tornillo de la leva, seguramente cubierto por la brida o puente (bridle). Del mismo modo, si examinas el arbol, eje o cigueñal de la rueda (spindle), verás que tiene una parte destinada a empujar la leva, apenas la rueda comenzaba a girar.
Respecto a lo que dices del disparador (trigger) este tipo de rifles tenían doble disparador o "disparador al pelo" (hair trigger) con 2 disparadores, uno para montarlo y otro para desmontarlo, con un tornillo de regulación en el medio. En la caja (stock), enconmtrarás, seguramente, un espacio cavado para el mecanismo del doble disparador.Respecto a la clasificación de arma de niño, no nos olvidemos que la expresión "niño", se refiere a un adolescente.

Afectuosamente desde Argentina
Ferando Keilty

[fernando]

Hi Michl,

The interpretation i have read about the term is by no means based on an endured experience like yours, but it sounded to me like making some sense as, at least, its ethimology was consensual in the different languages.
Musket, Mosquete in both Castillian and Portuguese, derives from the Italian Moschetto, giving the French Mousquet.
The name originates from Mosca (fly), which initialy designated a type of Sparrow hawk (Sparviero), later attributed to the crossbow throwing bolt then, by 'transference' to firearms, to the proppeled projectile of a (shoulder) gun.
Therefore the idea of flight, as a metaphor of speed.

However i confess that i found another interpretation, which weakens the solidity of the first one, therefore bringing down my previous presumption to a humble status of uncertainty .

There is also an old French legend saying that he name derives from the little beard flock under the inferior lip, called mosca (mouche) typicaly used by the soldiers armed with such gun.

Eventually this beard detail is also called mosca in Portuguese.

So Michl, please consider my aproach on a digestive basis .

'Nando

[Matchlock]

Thank you so much, 'Nando,

Actually I like your copmrehensive approach far better than my humble try. I just tried to gather it together from my memory. Yours sounds much more convincing.

Anyway, the first real muskets according to my definition seem to have come from Spain, their characteristic broad triangular butts soon becoming typical of the whole category, especially soon in the muskets of Hispano-Netherlandish type in the 1560's-80's made immortal by de Gheyn's engravings in 1608.

Best wishes,
Michl

[cylord21]

Michael, your answers are very comprehensively written and documented, a good help to my little knowledge on the subject. Concerning about the inlay been original, no adventure for me, might let you know in decades . The butt trap has no grayish color or stain of any kind, look clean with little use, maybe an indication of later addition.
Fernando and Michael, the mosquito - mosca as probably the musket's name precursor is most interesting, could never imagine it.
Fernando K, will have a look on your observations.

Many thanks
Vicente