A strange snapping matchlock musket at the Met

[Pukka Bundook]

Here is a late tinder-lock to get one's head around!

l
For target work, the old snaplock lasted a long time, as it was so fast and light on the trigger.

 

[TobJohn]

Here is a late tinder-lock to get one's head around!View attachment 184080View attachment 184081l
For target work, the old snaplock lasted a long time, as it was so fast and light on the trigger.

Thanks for the photos!

“What if we made the matchlock as complicated as possible…?”

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Target shooting was very serious business! It gave the best shots an excuse to travel to foreign countries, and do some shooting And spying at times!
LOL!

 

[Rudyard]

Thanks for the photos!

“What if we made the matchlock as complicated as possible…?”

Its been done historically set triggers all the bells & whistles they did it , If mostly for target matches . '' Build a better matchlock & the World will beat a path to your door !"sort of thing . Regards Rudyard

 

[Rudyard]

Pukka, I believe that my carbine is what is called a Petronel? I may be wrong. it has been many years since that I have shot it, and back then I new what modal / name gun it was. was it common on them for the pan snapping out of the way of the match just before it hits the pan? after loading the pan the cover has to be slid back over the pan, and only goes forward at firing.

Dear Toot. The only sort of matchlock that has a built in pancover that automatically is slid away to uncover the primeing pan I knew of are the curious guns made for the Sultan Of . Mysore ',Tippoo Sultan ' he had French gunsmiths make him all sorts of odd shaped & decorated guns most all based in the tiger stripe design 'Bubbris' .He was fond of Tigers & fed some on British Merchants which made him rather unpopular with the British .So they besiege his fortress at Seringapatam. &' polished off ' Annoying Tipoo in 1799 Arthur Wellesley being involved with that little party ..Cant recall others on that plan but seems a lot of work. If Ide like to make one! .Reading over I see the other example..great stuff how usefull either where hard to say ? neat anyway . The book to read is Robert Wiggingtons a rare volume on the subject viz' Fire arms of Tippoo Sultan ' I will endeavor to relay and get you pics from the Book of these oddities presently .
Regards Rudyard

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Good morning Rudyard,
I don't mean to not write you, but my day seems to take longer and a lot of stuff is not getting done.
Knees need grease nipples fitting as well.
I have been going to ask you old sport, if you have ever used the peg that we see on some old target arms?
It is a peg that the trigger finger rests against, and takes pressure, allowing just the tip of that finger to touch the hair trigger.
Normally, the trigger finger is sort of dangling in thin air, but with this set up, it has something to lean against.

Patrick on BMF has an ancient target rifle with this set up.

I should see if I can find the thread.
All best me old pal.
Best regards misel'.

 

[TobJohn]

I am visiting the met in February, so hopefully this gun is on display. It would be interesting to get an idea of its dimensions in person.

 

[Rudyard]

Good morning Rudyard,
I don't mean to not write you, but my day seems to take longer and a lot of stuff is not getting done.
Knees need grease nipples fitting as well.
I have been going to ask you old sport, if you have ever used the peg that we see on some old target arms?
It is a peg that the trigger finger rests against, and takes pressure, allowing just the tip of that finger to touch the hair trigger.
Normally, the trigger finger is sort of dangling in thin air, but with this set up, it has something to lean against.

Patrick on BMF has an ancient target rifle with this set up.

I should see if I can find the thread.
All best me old pal.
Best regards misel'.

Dear Pukka No problemo I know your busy Ime busy & I dont have to rassle a farm & gobs of critters' Re the pin no cant say ime aware of it Folks think Ime' Thee' expert of matchlocks & made enough shoot them enough but the more I know the more I know I dont know the half of it ! I named me as a Guru viz teacher but put you down as a 'Holy man' a Sadoo not that they much shoot matchlocks they are like the sacred Cows deemed Holy but ignored but sit around all dots & ashes ect probably not a perfect title but meant well I suppose youve read Eric Newbies 'Slowly down the Gangees ' He sums up India very well & I think he wrote one called 'Coromandel '. more earlier accounts from Memory I just think of it as a stinky dusty overcrowded rat hole , but I had all I want of it . still got some India made locks just carve out a pan to restorer a Seargents Carbine that came to me as a lopped butt' Lamp standard ' lot of work to make that so got to admire the stuff they made for me people rubbish Indian guns but I've seen how they have to work & what junk to make it I don't crib at the quality they all work up if you know what your doing like you & Me Well you I just fake it ! .(sometimes I look at guns ive made and think Wow did I do that? (some mostly for me ime a but rough but mostly Ime happy with that I did produce . We seem to be helping build a coulture for archaic & Eastern guns .Warren a great student & Patient customer my wife Diane says shes happy to take his guns rejected by Fed Ex & UPS as evel guns. Bidonites BS puling funds from Ukraine but backing the evel yids killing Palestinians' hundreds a day targeting the press and Medical aiders . unreal yet you cant get coverage in the US to hear the realiity .its obscene genoside yet even Gus /articifer backs the IDForce . What comrad troo doe head lets you see no idea but we get Aljeeeras . May Bee Troudoh head getting ideas OK gotto go cheers Me

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Dear Rudyard,
Best not rant so much as you may get your posts pulled.
I enjoy what you say but modern politics might get you keelhauled.

Very best,
Mesel'.

 

[Rudyard]

Dear Rudyard,
Best not rant so much as you may get your posts pulled.
I enjoy what you say but modern politics might get you keelhauled.

Very best,
Mesel'.

Dear Pukka I thought this was a Pm but I stand by my veiws while kids are getting killed at so many per hour . Mesen.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Ah, I understand now! No, wasn;t a PM.

All best,
Mesel'

 

[Rudyard]

Rick,
Somewhere in the last while our mate Rudyard mentioned the possibility of it being a Tippu Sultan matchlock.
There are others, but Tippu had some matchlocks made that had all sorts of ingenious little peculiarities!....including self opening pans.
I guess we must wait and see!

Toot,
If you can't load a picture, email it to one of us, and we can attach it.

Bit of a delay but I sent some pics of Tippoos Auto matchlock carbines today .
Regards Rudyard