Dating Earliest Barrels: the Importance of the Position of the Touch Hole

Matchlock · 24th January 2014, 10:20 AM

The hexagonal barrel with top flat, not sighted, the breech reinforced, the muzzle with large plate-shaped reinforcement, the surfaces not polished, retaining traces of red lead minium coating; small, rectangular hook at about one third of the overall length; the touch hole at the rear of the top flat. Original long and faceted, slightly downcurved, pointed oval tiller stock, possibly beechwood, put into the socket of the barrel.
Overall length 168 cm (ganzer Haken), bore 21 mm, 11.5 kg.
Exhibited in the Fortress of Coburg, Northern Bavaria, inv.-no IV.D.1.

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Matchlock · 24th January 2014, 11:28 AM

At the Fortress Coburg in Northern Bavaria, you can study heavy wall pieces from the mid-15th to the early 18th century, most of them re-using Gothic barrels.

1. For the one on top cf. previous post.

2. Cast-bronze barrel, ca. 1500-10, first decade 16th c., bearing the Gothic minuscule p mark of Sebald II Pehaim, red-copper founder (Rotgießer) in Nuremberg; five-staged barrel with three sided and two round forward sections, including a raided, short and round muzzle section with integrally cast full-length foresight, the block rear sight and right-hand side pan on the barrel base section. Stepped, rectagular hook.
Beechwood full stock and matchlock of ca. 1640-45, high time of the Thirty Years War.
Overall length 150 cm, bore 22 mm, 16 kg (Doppelhaken).

3. Overall made in ca. 1620, Early Thirty Years War, in Suhl/Thuringia, the wrought-iron, sighted barrel octagonal to round, with round, reinforced muzzle and rectangular hook serrated at the rear, trunnions; combined wheellock and snap-matchlock ignition, beechwood full stock.
This heavy piece (Doppelhaken-Bockbüchse) was mounted on a wheeled carriage (Bocklafette), as shown below.
The close-ups are from the exact firing replica made by Armin König.
Overall length 228 cm, bore 27 mm, 19 kg.

4. Wrought-iron three-staged, sighted barrel, ca. 1500-10, octagonal throughout changing flats at about the rear fourth of its length, and back at almost mid-section; short, swamped, octagonal muzzle, long rectangular hook. Beechwood full stock and flintlock with rounded banana-shaped lock plate, all ca. 1700-30.
Overall length 175.5 cm, bore 25 mm, 23 kg.

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Matchlock · 24th January 2014, 12:06 PM

Octagonal barrel with rear socket, retaining much of its original red lead minium paint, large funnel-shaped touch hole on top ridge, short, heavily swamped muzzle section, no sights. The slightly downcurved, blackened tiller stock ca. 2nd half to late 15th c., widening towards its rear end, painted in white with an illegible sign, the Gothic miniscule h and a cross.
Barrel length 89 cm, bore 24 mm.
In the reserve collection of the Berlin Arsenal (Zeughaus) in the Deutsches Historisches Museum.

24th January 2014, 10:20 AM	#1
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	A Very Rare And Early Wrought-iron Haquebut Retaining its Tiller Stock, ca. 1440-50 The hexagonal barrel with top flat, not sighted, the breech reinforced, the muzzle with large plate-shaped reinforcement, the surfaces not polished, retaining traces of red lead minium coating; small, rectangular hook at about one third of the overall length; the touch hole at the rear of the top flat. Original long and faceted, slightly downcurved, pointed oval tiller stock, possibly beechwood, put into the socket of the barrel. Overall length 168 cm (ganzer Haken), bore 21 mm, 11.5 kg. Exhibited in the Fortress of Coburg, Northern Bavaria, inv.-no IV.D.1. m Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 24th January 2014 at 12:11 PM.

24th January 2014, 11:28 AM	#2
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	An Outline of Haquebut Wall Guns Through Three Centuries At the Fortress Coburg in Northern Bavaria, you can study heavy wall pieces from the mid-15th to the early 18th century, most of them re-using Gothic barrels. 1. For the one on top cf. previous post. 2. Cast-bronze barrel, ca. 1500-10, first decade 16th c., bearing the Gothic minuscule p mark of Sebald II Pehaim, red-copper founder (Rotgießer) in Nuremberg; five-staged barrel with three sided and two round forward sections, including a raided, short and round muzzle section with integrally cast full-length foresight, the block rear sight and right-hand side pan on the barrel base section. Stepped, rectagular hook. Beechwood full stock and matchlock of ca. 1640-45, high time of the Thirty Years War. Overall length 150 cm, bore 22 mm, 16 kg (Doppelhaken). 3. Overall made in ca. 1620, Early Thirty Years War, in Suhl/Thuringia, the wrought-iron, sighted barrel octagonal to round, with round, reinforced muzzle and rectangular hook serrated at the rear, trunnions; combined wheellock and snap-matchlock ignition, beechwood full stock. This heavy piece (Doppelhaken-Bockbüchse) was mounted on a wheeled carriage (Bocklafette), as shown below. The close-ups are from the exact firing replica made by Armin König. Overall length 228 cm, bore 27 mm, 19 kg. 4. Wrought-iron three-staged, sighted barrel, ca. 1500-10, octagonal throughout changing flats at about the rear fourth of its length, and back at almost mid-section; short, swamped, octagonal muzzle, long rectangular hook. Beechwood full stock and flintlock with rounded banana-shaped lock plate, all ca. 1700-30. Overall length 175.5 cm, bore 25 mm, 23 kg. m Attached Images

24th January 2014, 12:06 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	A Fine Wrought-iron Tiller Haquebut, ca. 1450, in the Berlin Museum Octagonal barrel with rear socket, retaining much of its original red lead minium paint, large funnel-shaped touch hole on top ridge, short, heavily swamped muzzle section, no sights. The slightly downcurved, blackened tiller stock ca. 2nd half to late 15th c., widening towards its rear end, painted in white with an illegible sign, the Gothic miniscule h and a cross. Barrel length 89 cm, bore 24 mm. In the reserve collection of the Berlin Arsenal (Zeughaus) in the Deutsches Historisches Museum. Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 25th January 2014 at 10:34 AM.