1770 Spanish escopeta miquelet lock musket

[Mcat]

I got this musket at an online auction in Ontario several weeks ago. It was delivered by the auction house yesterday in person since Canada Post is enduring a lengthy strike.

The description from the auction site is as follows

Description

Spanish. Last quarter 18th century. The part-octagon part-round barrel is 37.75" long, swamped at the muzzle to approximately .70 calibre. The barrel is stamped with a maker's mark and shows a decorative silver inlay around the foresight. The tang, lock and side plate are engraved or chiselled. The name on the lock appears to be ERNARO. This type of firearm was in common use in the Spanish colonial areas of North America. Stamped, in 4 places near the stock on barrel. Engraved, on the side strike plate.

Condition

The firearm shows an overall worn appearance, commensurate with its age. The barrel and steel furniture show light pitting. The Catalan-style walnut stock shows light contact marks and a crack in the bottom of the butt. There is some wood loss for about 9 inches along one side of the barrel near the muzzle. The miquelet lock is in working condition.

All is as described. I took the lock off today and oiled and photographed it and oiled the bore. Google search on Ernaro brings up a populated site in East Timor as the only hit. I believe it was a Portuguese colony back in the day. The date on the lock is 1770. There is a bit of gold left in the barrel stamps and on one barrel ring. There is a front sight but no back site. Everything appears original to me. The lock is strong with engraving on the bottom. There is no half cock.

 

[springfield art]

Interesting! There does seem to be a small hotbed of interest in these; even the word "escopeta" rolls off the tongue easily!

 

[Rudyard]

I got this musket at an online auction in Ontario several weeks ago. It was delivered by the auction house yesterday in person since Canada Post is enduring a lengthy strike.

The description from the auction site is as follows

Description

Spanish. Last quarter 18th century. The part-octagon part-round barrel is 37.75" long, swamped at the muzzle to approximately .70 calibre. The barrel is stamped with a maker's mark and shows a decorative silver inlay around the foresight. The tang, lock and side plate are engraved or chiselled. The name on the lock appears to be ERNARO. This type of firearm was in common use in the Spanish colonial areas of North America. Stamped, in 4 places near the stock on barrel. Engraved, on the side strike plate.

Condition

The firearm shows an overall worn appearance, commensurate with its age. The barrel and steel furniture show light pitting. The Catalan-style walnut stock shows light contact marks and a crack in the bottom of the butt. There is some wood loss for about 9 inches along one side of the barrel near the muzzle. The miquelet lock is in working condition.

All is as described. I took the lock off today and oiled and photographed it and oiled the bore. Google search on Ernaro brings up a populated site in East Timor as the only hit. I believe it was a Portuguese colony back in the day. The date on the lock is 1770. There is a bit of gold left in the barrel stamps and on one barrel ring. There is a front sight but no back site. Everything appears original to me. The lock is strong with engraving on the bottom. There is no half cock.

Portugues Timor was still a long held colony I travelled through in 1969.Didnt seem as if Portugal Did much in the 400 years !. old fort & a Saw mill was all I recall. Curious you say no half cock the blade like ;Patilla; / Foot should sit in a deep notch like an axe in a log very safe until drawn to Full cock a thin blade like protrusion its a spring edge .Looks like a very interesting gun ,Bachou & Ocussy had their own Escudo coins .All gone when Indonesia invaded in a forced land grab .about 28 ?years ago UN Peace keepers got messy . I remember Dllly & Kupang & trying to buy a fishing boat collectively but they wanted more cows than we travellors had .Shucks ! . But I did see just such a ' hand & Eye' vessel in an American port so some game person had bought one years ago By hand & Eye I mean NO plans hardly a iron part in it lots of trenalls & Bamboo pipes. ." They done need no estinkin plans !".
Regard,s Rudyard

 

[Mcat]

Here is a short video of the gun with a flint firing and a photo of the hammer jaws and flint. I put my largest flint in a lead wrap and clamped it down to show enough flint to spark, but there is a very large space back to the jaw screw. Does anyone know how this was set up traditionally? The frizzen has the perfectly dove tailed grooved striker which really does work well after 250 years.

 

[Rudyard]

Well some similar locks like the Algerian' Moukala' a sort of Miguelet had layers of backing round the' cock pin' ( tightening screw ) so some thing of the sort might be what your lock had cant hurt to try .
Regards Rudyard

 

[Sam squanch]

Looks like the half cock position may hook under the curve of the “ foot” instead of the “ blade “ part that rests on the full cock sear. Some Portuguese miquelets were made like that. Maybe it’s defective, a flintlock HAS to have some kind of half cock!

 

[Mcat]

Well some similar locks like the Algerian' Moukala' a sort of Miguelet had layers of backing round the' cock pin' ( tightening screw ) so some thing of the sort might be what your lock had cant hurt to try .
Regards Rudyard

Thanks for that information. Was the “backing” leather wrapping or something else?

 

[Mcat]

Looks like the half cock position may hook under the curve of the “ foot” instead of the “ blade “ part that rests on the full cock sear. Some Portuguese miquelets were made like that. Maybe it’s defective, a flintlock HAS to have some kind of half cock!

When I had the lock off and was cleaning it I manipulated the cock at one point and it seemed to catch in a half cock position. I couldn’t see how it was held and couldn’t replicate it when the lock was back on the gun. I’ll explore this further. I agree that it needs a half cock position to prime the pan and carry.

 

[Rudyard]

Thanks for that information. Was the “backing” leather wrapping or something else?

Seems to have been leather . thick bits, Sams right, Ime only familiar with the 'Axe in a log' sort of half cock Hope that helps .
Rudyard

 

[Sam squanch]

May be like this. Number 8 is the half cock in the picture. The picture of the inside is kind of close to your lock setup. Ricky hopefully will see this and comment.

 

[Sam squanch]

Probably your lock is dirty and needs a good cleaning . Old grease congeals and jams up stuff.

 

[Mcat]

Thanks. This is very helpful. Haven’t been able to take the lock off today - dental appointment and major snowstorm. A quick check a minute ago seems to show that half cock #8. Will work on loosening it up tomorrow. I guess from your comments that the musket should have been advertised on the auction as a Portuguese not a Spanish miquelet lock.

 

[Sam squanch]

The long jaws of the flint cock are unusual. To me it says “ I’m Portuguese!” Or very early Spanish.

 

[sportster73hp]

Here is a short video of the gun with a flint firing and a photo of the hammer jaws and flint. I put my largest flint in a lead wrap and clamped it down to show enough flint to spark, but there is a very large space back to the jaw screw. Does anyone know how this was set up traditionally? The frizzen has the perfectly dove tailed grooved striker which really does work well after 250 years.

Lock seems very fast. Thanks for the video.

 

[Sledgehammers_at_Dawn]

Nice video. Your helper’s enthusiasm is hilarious. I make that sound too sometimes when the flintlock sparks

 

[Mcat]

When I had the lock off and was cleaning it I manipulated the cock at one point and it seemed to catch in a half cock position. I couldn’t see how it was held and couldn’t replicate it when the lock was back on the gun. I’ll explore this further. I agree that it needs a half cock position to prime the pan and carry.

Finally got the lock off again. The half cock is a rounded protrusion back of the ledge for the full cock foot to sit on. That protrusion is on the same spring as the foot ledge. I’ve been able to get the hammer to hold on this half cock position intermittently. I’ve used break free and other penetrating oils to try to clean things up. I thought I had the problem solved when I was able to tighten the hammer screw 3/4 turn and then I could hear a light click sound when the hammer settled into the half cock notch securely. Unfortunately it didn’t work when the lock was bolted back on.

I’ll try again tomorrow. It may just be that in 250 years things have gotten worn down.

 

[Rudyard]

Finally got the lock off again. The half cock is a rounded protrusion back of the ledge for the full cock foot to sit on. That protrusion is on the same spring as the foot ledge. I’ve been able to get the hammer to hold on this half cock position intermittently. I’ve used break free and other penetrating oils to try to clean things up. I thought I had the problem solved when I was able to tighten the hammer screw 3/4 turn and then I could hear a light click sound when the hammer settled into the half cock notch securely. Unfortunately it didn’t work when the lock was bolted back on.

I’ll try again tomorrow. It may just be that in 250 years things have gotten worn down.

After 250 years I expect a few things could come into it .Ime only 80 and all sorts of bits are getting out of order !. By 'hammer' I expect you mean' cock 'whatever that is in Portuguese .Perhaps you over tighten the side nails if you smoke the lock with a candle then carefully place the lock back you might see where any contact occurs it sounds like your getting there lots of luck.
Regards Rudyard .Trying to make like Wise old Raffeeky

 

[Sam squanch]

If you decide to disassemble it for a good cleaning, beware that the mainsprings on those can be a bear to either remove or replace, you need the right clamp.

 

[MrTwelvette]

Here is a short video of the gun with a flint firing and a photo of the hammer jaws and flint. I put my largest flint in a lead wrap and clamped it down to show enough flint to spark, but there is a very large space back to the jaw screw. Does anyone know how this was set up traditionally? The frizzen has the perfectly dove tailed grooved striker which really does work well after 250 years.

Nice to see a copy of Winant's Early Percussion Firearms in the background !!

Cracking gun Mcat, thank you for sharing

 

[Mcat]

Here is a photo of the lock back on the gun and holding in the half cock position. The flint was removed because I did a lot of soaking in penetrating oils. After various scrubbing tools and soaking up the rust with paper towels etc. I found I couldn’t get the half cock protrusion to kick out enough to engage the cock. After applying some Hoppe’s #9 though while off the gun, the half cock engaged. After putting the lock back on the gun I couldn’t seem to get it to engage the half cock again. It sat for a few hours and I tried it again and there you have it. Working, but sporadically. Not a real big issue since I am not planning to shoot this old gun, but I like to try to get things in working order. I’ll be visiting this old beauty many times to see how she fares. The half cock protrusion is the small circle in the curve of the lower cock. Full cock always engages with the foot brought up to the ledge that sticks through.