Craftin a matchlocke

[Zorg]

Awright lads, Ive a bit of a project, an if any of you have any expertise in this, I'd love ta hear it.

In reenactin, I play an early character, one from the mid 1500's, and am desirous of makin a pistol (functional) to wear on me baldrick. I'm thinking, given the early date, that a matchlock would be appropros.

So what Im cogitatin on be this: Could I invade, say, Dixie Gun Works or such what for a barrel and flashpan for a flintlock, and then fabricate the lock and match for a period bangstick.

Thoughts?

The beloved

Zorg the unsnottered

and yes, red mawia, tis me

[Red Maria]

And about time too!

[Hawkyns]

Hoo boy, ambitious, aint'cha?

First, matchlock pistols are surpassing rare in Europe. I've seen more Japanese pistols than ever I've seen western ones. Most 16th c pistols are wheelocks, damn tricky, and of questionable value. Gets better at the end of the century when the snaphaunce shows up and when the metallurgy for making springs starts to catch up with the designs. There are some matchlock petronels that are a sort of long pistol/carbine. Everything I've seen at museums around Europe that could be construed as a pistol, i.e barrel length less than 14 inches, has been a wheelock. I'll check my references tonight when i can get to my library and see if there are any specific examples I can point you to.

If you are of a mind to do it though, there are a couple of things. The pan on a matchlock is attached to the barrel, on a flintlock its part of the lock. Dixie used to have a matchlock pan in their catalogue, just a rough casting that takes a fair amount of finishing and then needs to be soldered to the barrel. Due to the mechanism on a matchlock, the early pieces lend themselves to a sear bar rather than a trigger. That would also be a bit difficult in a belt/baldric mount. There are only a couple of moving parts, sear bar, sear, serpent and spring, so a compentant machinist or even a good blacksmith should be able to make the lock. Soldering the pan to the barrel would be tricky as to get the pan attached without destroying the temper. (apologies if you are a gunsmith and already know this).

All that said, a matchlock is going to be considerably cheaper than a wheelock. Wheelock kits, if you can still get them, run about $500, but I think I got one of the last of those. Snaphaunce pistols run about a grand, and the only person I currently know making them is Dale Shinn out of CA. Parts for a matchlock pistol should be less than $100.

Hawkyns

[Zorg]

Ambitious? Ooooh, I yam indeed.

Good master Hawkins, have ye any suggestions as a source for a barrel and stock for such a beastie? I can do the smithwork, but I find boring out a...well...bore a bit on the dauntin side.

[Coastie04]

I found something you might be interested in.

Building Matchlock Video

Coastie

[Zorg]

I thank ye, Coastie.

I snagged it.

Z :)

[Hawkyns]

OK, as promised, here is more info on matchlock pistols. A number of online searches came up dry. Plenty of stuff on D&D pistols, and Indian and Japanese pieces, but no solid evidence of a european matchlock pistol. In the library, neither Blackmore or Peterson mentions them. Wilkinson only mentions them to say that they were impractical and extremely rare.

You mentioned the Pistol Shield of Henry VIII's Royal Guard. Yes, they exist, I've seen one at the Tower Armouries. Remember 2 things, though. First, they were for a Royal Guard, and supposed to be special. Second, Henry VIII was fascinated with firearms and had a number of one of a kind pieces. He even had a six shot revolving carbine, but it would be 3 centuries before the technology caught up with the concept to make one practical.

I've also seen pictures of the battle axe with an attached matchlock pistol on the steel helve. Some people think this may be a Victorian item from the medieval revival period, and therefore not a real piece. There is also a boarding axe with attached pistol attributed to Sweden, but I don't have much info on that. Even so, the existence of two specialty pieces does not make them common or useable.

Now, on to practical concerns. A matchlock pistol would be a questionably useful item. You can't load it, set the match and put it in your belt or baldric. The match will either set you on fire, go out when it hits the serpent, or blow you up when the burning end hits your powder supply. For a musket, cocking the match is the last step prior to aiming. Otherwise, you keep the match in your left hand. Doing that and setting the match prior to firing a pistol would sort of negate the concept of having a ready use firearm. They are also susceptible to damp, and the nautical environment is nothing if not damp. Stealth is not a reason either. At night you can see the match, during the day you can see the smoke, and you can smell it at all times.

In the final analysis, there are 2 questions. Did they exist? More than likely, but in what quantity? They are cheap and relatively easy to make, so in backward or poor areas, they could be locally made. Were they useful? When you consider that there are few if any surviving examples, and little or no primary documentation, it would seem unlikely.

Hope this helps. If you do make one, I'd love to see pics. If you've got other questions, I'll be happy to try to answer them.

Hawkyns

[Zorg]

I does thank ye, goodmaster Hawkins.

I shall endeavour to put one of these questionable and unquestionably risky beasts together over the next few months or so, and see what I comes up with or if I wind up hoist by me own petard.

Z

[capnwilliam]

Aye, Zorq; I'm never (I hope) one to discourage a worthwhile project; but as Hawkyns points out, if the matchlock pistol is of dubious historicity, and dubious utility, maybe a matchlock musket or petronel would be a better project piece to work on?

Capt. William

[Zorg]

Point taken, Capt William. Actually, as early a character as I portray, the point of transition betwixt the petronel and pistol is a bit blurry as tis.

Its somewheres in that transition Im shootin (so ta speak ) for.

[Red Maria]

I just came across this in the book I mentioned in another topic ""Artifacts of the Spanish Colonies of the Florida & the Caribbean, 1500-1800 v. 2 Personal Artifacts" pg.270

"The matchlock, the earilest form of firearm was already in use in Europe at the time of Columbus's first voyage to the Americas. By 1550 matchlocks had outstripped the crossbow as the primary military weapon in the New World"

There are some illustrations and photos of 16th c. matchlock triggers etc.

[Rumba Rue]

Me companion Boats, got a kit from Dixie Gun Works and put his gun tagether hisself. He finally got ta shoot the thing at the San Quan Capistrano Raid back in Oct.

He's pretty please with himself fer doin' the thing hisself. He even stained it a nice mahogany color.

Buildin' one yerself makes it that more special.

Rumba Rue

**Friends help friends move, real friends help ye move the bodies**

[Black Deacon]

You might be able to get parts from these guys Tattershall Arms or Albion

[Zorg]

You might be able to get parts from these guys Tattershall Arms or Albion

The Albion folks especially seem to have some good prices on locks, though their finished pieces seem pricey.