A Highly Interesting Regensburg Matchlock Wallgun of ca. 1640, the Barrel ca. 1490

Matchlock · 18th July 2009, 04:55 PM

The rest.

Matchlock · 18th July 2009, 05:00 PM

The piece in the Bavarian Army Museum Ingolstadt, A 210, in its unaltered appearance of ca. 1490 (see text above).

I owe the first assembly of images together with the printed text to Robert Brooker jr., whom I am presently assisting setting up and publishing the BAM inventory.

m

Spiridonov · 18th July 2009, 05:26 PM

OOO! Amazing! Thank you!

Matchlock · 18th July 2009, 05:43 PM

Thank you, Spiridonov,

It's a pleasure.

Michael

Spiridonov · 18th July 2009, 08:27 PM

I have some questions about wallgun in the bottom photo. What mark on a wood? Is the wood painted? Than the tree is impregnated? Whether there is a tree date corresponds to wood date?

Spiridonov · 20th July 2009, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spiridonov

Whether there is a tree date corresponds to wood date?

Whether there is a BARREL date corresponds to wood date?

Matchlock · 21st July 2009, 07:36 PM

Hi Spirodonov,

Reply to your first question:

I, too, noticed on Robert's images that there was a coat of arms painted on the left side of the stock of the Ingolstadt haquebut/wallgun, almost certainly city arsenal or owner's arms. I will try to get a detailed image and do some research, so please be patient.

As I wrote the oak wood is stained black; it does no seem like paint to me. The staining was certainly a sort of impregnation of the wood, especially as the grounding was probably a water solution of chalk.

You are perfectly right, there is such a thing called the chronology of South German oak wood. As far as I know it has been set up for oak only. If the museum would consent to having a portion sawn off the stock (!) the cutting date of the oak tree in the second half of the 15th century could be determined by a synopsis of the annual rings as closely as plus/minus 15 years - not actually very helpful indeed ...

Reply to your second question:

As I wrote both the barrel and the stock of the Ingolstadt wallgun are contemporary, i.e. both were made in ca. 1490, the barrel almost certainly at a Nuremberg workshop.

Best,
Michael

18th July 2009, 04:55 PM	#1
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	The rest. Attached Images

18th July 2009, 05:00 PM	#2
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	The piece in the Bavarian Army Museum Ingolstadt, A 210, in its unaltered appearance of ca. 1490 (see text above). I owe the first assembly of images together with the printed text to Robert Brooker jr., whom I am presently assisting setting up and publishing the BAM inventory. m Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 18th July 2009 at 07:25 PM.

18th July 2009, 05:26 PM	#3
Spiridonov Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Russia, Leningrad Posts: 355	OOO! Amazing! Thank you!

18th July 2009, 05:43 PM	#4
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Thank you, Spiridonov, It's a pleasure. Michael

18th July 2009, 08:27 PM	#5
Spiridonov Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Russia, Leningrad Posts: 355	I have some questions about wallgun in the bottom photo. What mark on a wood? Is the wood painted? Than the tree is impregnated? Whether there is a tree date corresponds to wood date?

21st July 2009, 07:36 PM	#7
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi Spirodonov, Reply to your first question: I, too, noticed on Robert's images that there was a coat of arms painted on the left side of the stock of the Ingolstadt haquebut/wallgun, almost certainly city arsenal or owner's arms. I will try to get a detailed image and do some research, so please be patient. As I wrote the oak wood is stained black; it does no seem like paint to me. The staining was certainly a sort of impregnation of the wood, especially as the grounding was probably a water solution of chalk. You are perfectly right, there is such a thing called the chronology of South German oak wood. As far as I know it has been set up for oak only. If the museum would consent to having a portion sawn off the stock (!) the cutting date of the oak tree in the second half of the 15th century could be determined by a synopsis of the annual rings as closely as plus/minus 15 years - not actually very helpful indeed ... Reply to your second question: As I wrote both the barrel and the stock of the Ingolstadt wallgun are contemporary, i.e. both were made in ca. 1490, the barrel almost certainly at a Nuremberg workshop. Best, Michael