Identification of markings on 16th century German arquebus

Matchlock · 18th April 2012, 05:27 PM

An arquebus was a relatively short and light 15th to early-16th c. handgun, of an overall length of usually ca. 70-110 cm, in the earliest period without a lock and later equipped with either a tinderlock or matchlock, a wheellock, or a combination of both mechanisms.

I realize that this terminology is often improperly used, even by eyperts of auction houses and museums.

Attached are four characteristic early-16th c. matchlock arquebuses from my collection, the third from top dated 1539, their overall lengths ranging from 78 to 111 cm.

Best,
m

18th April 2012, 05:27 PM	#6
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	An arquebus was a relatively short and light 15th to early-16th c. handgun, of an overall length of usually ca. 70-110 cm, in the earliest period without a lock and later equipped with either a tinderlock or matchlock, a wheellock, or a combination of both mechanisms. I realize that this terminology is often improperly used, even by eyperts of auction houses and museums. Attached are four characteristic early-16th c. matchlock arquebuses from my collection, the third from top dated 1539, their overall lengths ranging from 78 to 111 cm. Best, m Attached Images