Rare 15th and 16th Century Ball Molds

[Matchlock]

Another Ottoman multishot cast-brass mold with promitively wrought iron handles, 19th c.

[ChrisPer]

Excellent posts thank you Michael and Shakethetrees.

I would mention that the hooked back handle on tongs was an easy thing for a smith making his own tools, and very appropriate to tools handling items in and out of forges for smithing with necessarily long handles.

That feature survives in 'modern' tools in the jewellers' drawplate tongs, which pull axially with a lot of force.

[Matchlock]

From:
Kriegs- u. Feuerwerkbuch des Ludwig Eyb vom Hartenstein, Franken ~1500; Ms H2/MS.B 26, University Library Erlangen.

[Matchlock]

.

[Matchlock]

With five years having pased since the author started this thread it is time to add the scan of an original watercolor of the illustrated source attached to post #1.
This is the earliest known representation of a ball mold.
It is deliberately oversized in terms of relation to the arquebuses because the artist intended to draw special attention to this small item of accouterment. Almost certainly, this ball mold was regarded as an important innovation in the techiques of warfare.
It consists of two hemispheric halves, most probably of cast brass, and two plain iron handles.

Please note that the arquebuses feature snap tinderlocks, with all mechanical parts united on a common lock plate nailed to the right side of the gun at breech level, its shape reflecting the Late Gothic style - which is remarkable considering the early stage of mechanic evolution at the end of the 15th century.
There is not yet a wing nut for tightening the jaws of the serpentine holding a piece of glowing tinder; a simple rectangular clamp moved upwards fulfilled that task.
This representation of an arquebus with a lock plate and a clamp to the relatively straight shaped tinderholder is very similar to the one known from Martin Merz's manuscript Kunst aus Büchsen zu schießen started in Amberg, Northern Bavaria, in 1473 or 1480. Martin Merz only died in 1501, which allows for a relatively late date of that illustration being added - an assumption the author of this thread strongly pleads for. It was very common with medieval manuscripts that, for some reason or another, the author, in between text and illustrations, left a number of pages empty. Most of them are still preserved empty today.

Another notable fact: there is an iron finial to either end of the wooden ramrod. We may safely assume that at least one of those tubular finials was threaded, for cleaning tools such as a worm or a scourer. Iron finials to both ends of the ramrod are a characterically early feature of pre-mid 16th century; see an arquebus from ca. 1525-35 in The Michael Trömner Collection:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ebus+snap+1525


The latest ball mold recorded to have been made on this earliest scheme, and still featuring brass halves for founding, obviously belonged to a Thirty Years War falconet as it casts balls with a diameter/caliber of about 5-6 cm; it is dated 1621, which may be considered almost anachronic; in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nürnberg.

The watercolor is from
Philipp Mönch: Kriegsbuch, dated 1496 (which marks the year of its beginning!), UB Heidelberg, Cod.pal.germ. 126, fol. 28v.

Re-attached are images of a ball mold of earliest type in the author's collection, one half of the head struck with a founder's mark in the Late Gothic style, ca. 1500-30, heavily worn all over and repaired in places; cf. post #13.
That 500 year-old South German type of mold was copied and kept unchanged in countries like Hungary, Albania and Turkey over four centuries. Sometimes it gets hard to define how old a certain item actually is - see posts #23ff.

I also wish to recall, and re-attach, the interesting mold that Ward brought to our knowledge in post #6, because the iron doubtlessly shows ornaments characteristic of the South German style from ca. 1500 to 1550.

Ward, could you, by any chance, please trace back the source you saved that image from, and how the description read?


Best,
Michael

All photos copyrighted by the author, except for three.

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by ChrisPer

Excellent posts thank you Michael and Shakethetrees.

I would mention that the hooked back handle on tongs was an easy thing for a smith making his own tools, and very appropriate to tools handling items in and out of forges for smithing with necessarily long handles.

That feature survives in 'modern' tools in the jewellers' drawplate tongs, which pull axially with a lot of force.

Hi ChrisPer,

Please forgive an old man for not replying any earlier.
I much appreciate your adding those facts which help shedding light on a small matter of style from the aspect of practical experience.

Best,
Michael

[fernando]

A 'modern' simple example, similar to some shown in this tread and also in Neumann's work "American Revolution".
Most probably from the end XVIII century, with the number 19 engraved, hence for a ball of 19 bore caliber ... i would say.
It must have had intense use, judging by the worn sprue nipper.

.

[Matchlock]

Hi Nando,


Thank you for showing us this specimen.

I think it is notable for contrasting to the earlier stuff on the one hand, and at the same time closely connected with the U.S. ball molds posted above.
Yes, it sure bears witness of heavy use, and I especially like its charming rich patina.

Please allow me to add that the two sharpened scissors right beneath the head were for chopping off the founding nozzle from the ball; this is a remarkable fact because balls keeping that nozzle made binding them to paper cartridges easier.
I reckon that the only kind of fireams which balls retaining their founding neck could not be used with were revolvers.

In the catalog of the latest auction by San Giorgio, Genua, 21 Sept. 2014, I found another mold featuring those scissors.


Attached are images of a rare chest contintaing original paper cartridges for 19th c. U.S. revolvers.


Best,
Michl

[bkp747]

Great pics. As a shooter, and hand-loader, this adds wonderful insight into the history and traditions of ammunition, and firearms, and... My education continues... Thank you so much

[Matchlock]

Hi B.,

Since my early childhood days, I have always been a shooter myself. Until about 10 years ago, I used to fire some of my original 400 year-old matchlocks and wheellocks, plus many thousands of rounds from my monstrous heavy .44 cap and ball Colt Walker, my Winchester rifle and my mighty roaring and kicking hard .357 Magnum Colt Single Action Army (SAA) Buntline, with its 16 inch barrel!
Of course, I hand loaded all my muzzleloaders, and I sure made them digest the heaviest loads possible - which they all did.
And, of course, I never harmed any kind of living being.
Against a background of self-experience like this, allow an old "shootist" to just say "Thanks" for appreciating his pictures.

Best,
Michael