Wheellock Info

Blackdog · Aug 28, 2024

A little while l back I went to a rather "interesting" estate sale. The items I walked out with included the 3 wheellock mechanisms pictured here. Now I've been shooting/collecting muzzleloaders for 40+ years, but wheellocks, well they just don't show up in my neck of the woods very often. I knew enough to recognize what they were, but that's about it. I've been doing a bit of on-line research since then, but don't really have access to detailed resource material. So, I'm here hoping those "in the know" might provide some info. They are as found (dirty) and I don't see any markings on them except the small dagger (?) mark on this inside of the smaller lock. The two larger ones are a bit rough, and one does appear to be missing at least one internal part. So, can anyone provide insights as to whether these are early/late, where they were made, were they likely made for pistol or rifle, etc.? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Flint62Smoothie · Aug 28, 2024

Nice pickup! With the makers mark, I almost want to say this one could be Dutch or from that region. It doesn’t look as finally made as original Italian wheellock locks that I have.

I took the liberty of brightening up and resizing your photos, perhaps to show more details to others. @TobJohn is our resident early arms reseacher and maybe he’s assembled some notes on the ‘different’ styles.

Those include, but are not limited to, size of the lock plate (the larger, the typically the earlier) the shape of the lock plate, note where later or more elegant ones (or for pistols) omitted the lock plate where the dog spring goes, like the last 2 you have.

Here’s the first one …

Maybe Brian Anderson or Rudyard will see these and comment. Sadly - or good for me - depending on how you look at it, but I shoot them more than I research them, LOL!

Flint62Smoothie · Aug 28, 2024

BTW, definitely ‘older’ IMHO by the shape of the hand-made threaded bolts, but these confuse me for origin for 2 reasons.

(1) They appear much more crude than the original Italian, Brescian, Germanic and Dutch locks I own and/or have handled. And (2) That large projection on the dog arm throws me …

BTW, defintely ‘older’ by the shape of the hamd-made machine threaded bolts, but rhese confuse me for origin for 2 reasons.

1) They appear much more crude than original Italian, Brescian, Germanic and Dutch locks I have. And (2) That large projection on the dog arm throws me …

Sam squanch · Aug 28, 2024

May be later copies.

Blackdog · Aug 28, 2024

Flint62Smoothie, thanks much for the help with the pics! Really helps with showing details. And, yeah, to me, the two bigger locks do seem pretty crude compared to most pictures I've found on-line. Adding to that, they also appear very well used (aka "beat"). They could all benefit from a bit of gentle cleaning as well, but, as I'm out of my element here, I am moving with caution and leaving them alone for now. Thanks again.

Blackdog · Aug 28, 2024

I did ponder whether these might be later copies that have been '"aged" a bit to make them appear older than they are. I'm pretty good at spotting repos/fakes, but in this instance, I just don't have the expertise to tell. They do, however, strike me as being rather old. Interestingly, there was an armored leather gauntlet that came along with them that is also in pretty rough shape. I'm not sure on it either, but my initial impression (based on two tags affixed inside written in the old Germanic alphabet) is that it is likely a well-aged Victorian reproduction.

Flint62Smoothie · Aug 28, 2024

Do they function?

Also, PM me … as I know someone who might be able to fix the one with the missing part …

Blackdog · Aug 28, 2024

Flint62Smoothie said:
Do they function?

Don't know. I haven't tried to do anything with them (don't want to break anything).

Flint62Smoothie · Aug 28, 2024

You have a spanner … you should at least be able to try to wind them sloooowly (clockwise only when looking at the lock from the outside, with the pan open!) and see if they even ‘clock’ (sear nose drops into the ‘trap’ hole in the wheel to ‘lock’ it cocked) while holding the spanner firm in your hand. If needed, trip the sear whilst holding the spanner sms slooooooowly unwind the wheel.

Any questions and I can check them out for you, only co$ts you the postage both ways. My work is free, $0. I have done that for many here on Wheellock locks …

It needed, I can even send it along to Brian, as I can do that too. And have done that, like when new springs are needed. (Brian is an absolute MASTER on gunsprings!)

But I have made and fixed wheellocks for about 3 members here so far, making either replacement sear levers or sears.

Blackdog · Aug 28, 2024

Flint62Smoothie said:
You have a spanner … you should at least be able to try to wind them sloooowly (clockwise only when looking at the lock from the outside, with the pan open!) and see if they even ‘clock’ (sear nose drops into the ‘trap’ hole in the wheel to ‘lock’ it cocked) while holding the spanner firm in your hand. If needed, trip the sear whilst holding the spanner sms slooooooowly unwind the wheel.

Any questions and I can check them out for you, only co$ts you the postage both ways. My work is free, $0. I have done that for many here on Wheellock locks …

It needed, I can even send it along to Brian, as I can do that too. And have done that, like when new springs are needed. (Brian is an absolute MASTER on gunsprings!)

But I have made and fixed wheellocks for about 3 members here so far, making either replacement sear levers or sears.

PM sent.

Rudyard · Aug 29, 2024

Sam squanch said:
May be later copies.

Whatever the origin there is too much clever work in them to be Victorian or fakes which leads me to consider them right .The screw heads big and crude looking seem right enough, unless I missed it I only saw two locks nice find what ever origin .Nice dog too.
Rudyard's observation

TobJohn · Aug 29, 2024

Flint62Smoothie said:
Nice pickup! With the makers mark, I almost want to say this one could be Dutch or from that region. It doesn’t look as finally made as original Italian wheellock locks that I have.

I took the liberty of brightening up and resizing your photos, perhaps to show more details to others. @TobJohn is our resident early arms reseacher and maybe he’s assembled some notes on the ‘different’ styles.

Those include, but are not limited to, size of the lock plate (the larger, the typically the earlier) the shape of the lock plate, note where later or more elegant ones (or for pistols) omitted the lock plate where the dog spring goes, like the last 2 you have.

Here’s the first one …

View attachment 345328

View attachment 345329

View attachment 345330

Maybe Brian Anderson or Rudyard will see these and comment. Sadly - or good for me - depending on how you look at it, but I shoot them more than I research them, LOL!

I concur that is Dutch or German. Very typical of the 30 years war wheellocks from those regions. A Swedish museum has musket with a similar lock that they claim is Swedish, but I find that unlikely.

CB054501-6C66-4632-9D56-F81FFF9BD1CE (1).jpeg

A German example:

The other ones look like Germanic wheellocks from the second half of the 16th century. They have the same plate shape, size, and the flat decoration on the dog, but the lack of a safety and the long tail on the dog are unusual.

The top lock with the cross bar retainer has decoration and unnecessary shaping on the springs, which is very authentic, while the other two suspiciously lack anything similar, particularly for earlier style locks.

Blackdog · Aug 29, 2024

Thanks all for the information so far. After reading the comments and taking a harder look at the larger locks, I'm wondering if their lack of embelishment might be the result of heavy use and/or over cleaning. The front spring (pardon my ignorance on terminology) of at least one of them looks like it had some engraving at one point that has mostly worn away.

Thanks again for all the replys/info.

Sam squanch · Aug 29, 2024

I would send them to an expert for disassembly and closer evaluation. You may have something worth big bucks there!

Blackdog · Aug 29, 2024

Dont't know about that, but whatever they may be worth it will probably be a heck of a lot more than I have in em...

rickystl · Aug 30, 2024

Rudyard said:
Whatever the origin there is too much clever work in them to be Victorian or fakes which leads me to consider them right .The screw heads big and crude looking seem right enough, unless I missed it I only saw two locks nice find what ever origin .Nice dog too.
Rudyard's observation

Much agree with Rudyard here. In certain cases I've seen with Victorian copies of guns using a wheellock, much of the internal parts were stripped out to make it easier to mount to the stock. The Victorian copies of course just made for display.
Bot WOW !!! Nice find.

Rick

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