A Myth: Early 16th C. European Matchlock 'Pistols'

[Matchlock]

And the remaining three.

For stylistic comparison, especially of the butt toe, two photo of a characteristic contemporary Nuremberg wheellock holster pistol, ca. 1540, in the Musée de l'Armée Paris (author's photos).

m

[Matchlock]

We actually have records of two highly unusually construed fishtail-butted multi-barrel 'organ' pistols: the first ca. 1600, eight-barreled, and ignited by a wheellock mechanism that lit a slow-smoldering piece matchcord in a tubular conduit along the touch holes to ignite the other barrels in turn, and the other once dated 1607 (a former small bone plaque with that date now missing from the stock!!!), on the Roman candle principle, with no mechanism at all but ignited by a hand-held length of matchcord, is preserved at the Hugarian National Museum in Budapest. A third one, ca. 1650, featuring a wheellock mechanism and also built on that Roman candle superimposed-load system, was sold from the Hohenzollern museum collection at Schloss Signmaringen, and is now preserved at the Military Museum Rastatt, Baden, Germany.

The first was sold at Christie's London, from the Schloss Dyck museum sale part I, on April 15, 1992, lot 546, where a German dealer bought it for his private collection.


Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

No post.

[Marcus den toom]

Hi Michael,

I came across ths question on a facebook page as well some time ago.
I found that there are lots of matchlock pistols, but only as toys!!.

first one was found in Essex, England now at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, England. It is stated to be 17th century.


also one or more at the Vam (victoria and Albert museum in England).
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O9...k-gun-unknown/

And this detached matchlock revolver barrel and cilinder, it is very short (31cm barrel) but no evidence it belonged to a pistol excists (eventhough the auction states otherwise). It is now mounted on a carriage. (thomas del mar sale 4th december 2013, lot 389).

[Matchlock]

Right, Marcus,


Matchlocks did exist as tiny copper-alloy cast pistols and muskets with fishtail butts in early 17th c. Great Britain. Interestingly enough, the pistols all are shaped like ball- or lemon-butted wheellock 'puffers' but the (mostly missing) mechanism is a matchholder (this the first sample I see to have a spring attached).
They were used with real powder, as some samples with blown barrels prove, their bore being ca. 2-3 mm.

I photographed an impressive number of them in the reserve collection of the Museum of London, where most of them were excavated.

What I do like a lot is that finely made revolving cylinder and barrel now mounted on a carriage. I am convinced that it originally was part of a wheellock or snaphaunce revolver shaped like the 8-shot 'puffer' attached; it bears the mark of Hans Stopler of Nuremberg and the date 1597 - does anybody happen to know in what museum it is?
Btw, this is definitely not 'the world's oldest revolver', as the text states; revolving cylinder systems were known since at least the 1580's. When Samuel Colt undertook a vacation, he employed the idea from 16th c. weapons he saw in old collections, and from Elisha Collier et al.


Best,
Michael

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

... Btw, this is definitely not 'the world's oldest revolver', as the text states; revolving cylinder systems were known since at least the 1580's. ..

Generally people tends to claim that 'this or that' is the world's oldest, forgetting to add the term known. One wonders whether the percentage of unknown specimens is greater than that of known ones.
...And among the unkown ones, one wonders how many are lost, earthed or destroyed and, on the other hand, how many are kept secret, unpublished or simply ignored by their owners.
How's that for an approach ?

[Marcus den toom]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

Right, Marcus,


Matchlocks did exist as tiny copper-alloy cast pistols and muskets with fishtail butts in early 17th c. Great Britain. Interestingly enough, the pistols all are shaped like ball- or lemon-butted wheellock 'puffers' but the (mostly missing) mechanism is a matchholder (no springs attached).
They were used with real powder, as some samples with blown barrels prove, their bore being ca. 2-3 mm.

I photographed an impressive number of them in the reserve collection of the Museum of London, where most of them were excavated.

What I do like a lot is that finely made revolving cylinder and barrel now mounted on a carriage. I am convinced that it originally was part of a wheellock or snaphaunce revolver shaped like the 8-shot 'puffer' attached; it bears the mark of Hans Stopler of Nuremberg and the date 1597 - does anybody happen to know in what museum it is?
Btw, this is definitely not 'the world's oldest revolver', as the text states; revolving cylinder systems were known since at least the 1580's. When Samuel Colt undertook a vacation, he employed the idea from 16th c. weapons he saw in old collections, and from Elisha Collier et al.


Best,
Michael

I am very happy to finaly be able to answer one of your questions the pistol is kept in the Norwegian museum in Maihaugen ( http://www.maihaugen.no/en/Top-menu/...s-collections/ )
http://www.primusweb.no/things/revol...&count=1&pos=0

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

... revolving cylinder systems were known since at least the 1580's...

Are you referring to this nice Drehling, Michl ?

.

[Matchlock]

No, 'Nando,

Actually I'm looking for earlier samples in the Hermitage Museum St. Petersburg. The one you posted is in the GNM Nuremberg and should be dated to ca. 1620, and I guess it was me who took the image.

Best,
Michl

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

No, 'Nando,

Actually I'm looking for earlier samples in the Hermitage Museum St. Petersburg. The one you posted is in the GNM Nuremberg and should be dated to ca. 1620, and I guess it was me who took the image.

Best,
Michl