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blunderbuss identity
- Thread starter pappasue
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I can tell you one thing the locks are snaphaunces.
I am actually building one of the locks.
I dont know exacly what those would date to? not familiar with the style, Some others may be more helpful on this subject.
The lock dates from about 1550-somewhere in the mid 19th century
I am actually building one of the locks.
I dont know exacly what those would date to? not familiar with the style, Some others may be more helpful on this subject.
The lock dates from about 1550-somewhere in the mid 19th century
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jim322ps said:
Sir - at the risk of sounding offensive they look like typical 60's wall decorations to me, and that's the least upsetting thing I could say. The reason for me saying that is that they are way too much alike, as well as unlikely candidates for actual firearms.
This, of course, is just my $0.02, and if crow pie is on the menu, I'm prepared, as ever, to eat my fill of it.
The 'aging' looks very iffy to me, as does the tacky brass overlay on the barrel. If they were for real, these would have been VERY expensive to make, and would not have been fitted with such dire-looking furniture. The dire and tacky-looking backing board with the painted-on 'texture' would at least serve to start up the next backyard bonfire.
Well, that's another poster alienated for life [sigh] - and another Christmas card I won't be getting....[more sighs]
BTW - anybody here actually ever seen a snaphaunce lock blunderbuss?
tac, the professional cynic and all-round alienator.
OK let me get a little deeper into this, these guns were decor in a party house since the 50's and the owner of the party house was an antique buyer and collector as well as quite wealthy. I am also very skeptical about these pieces but that doesn't mean there weren't some real parts used to make them. I have been shooting and gun collecting long enough to know a little bit about them but through researching these for years I have been unable to find anything like them. I grew up in the 60's and don't remember seeing anything like this, maybe wrong part of country, lol.
thank you for the reply.
Jim
thank you for the reply.
Jim
Hi
Can you point me in a direction where they are sold or shown? Let me add there was a very old India matchlock complete firearm and some civil war pieces in this collection (5 second fuzes) so there was some very collectable items.
Thank you
Jim
Can you point me in a direction where they are sold or shown? Let me add there was a very old India matchlock complete firearm and some civil war pieces in this collection (5 second fuzes) so there was some very collectable items.
Thank you
Jim
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jim322ps said:
Jim, Sir - these things are decor tack. Believe me on this one.
If you have any doubts, go and see a REAL flintlock blunderbuss and compare the difference. In fact, go see ANY genuine firearms from the period those things purport to be from, and you'll see what I mean.
One poster has mentioned Med/North African tourist tack. I'll add that I agree.
tac [not tack]
curator
45 Cal.
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LaBonte is probably correct. They do look like North Aftican "tourist" pieces. The design; short stock blunderbuss is often called a "Dag." The locks were locally made and installed on all kinds of North African muzzle loaders right up till the 20th century. Most of these guns were ceremonial or status pieces rather than working guns. Many could be and were fired. Your guns may be made from formerly functioning but then obsolite firearms. If you remove the barrels from the stocks you can inspect the barrel's breeching and look for proof marks showing origin of manufacture.
Just some idle thoughts.
If these guns are African "tourist" pieces I find it interesting that a Snaphaunce lock would be used.
The Snaphaunce lock seems to date from the 1530'ish time frame, almost 100 years before the first true flintlock (1620) according to Torsten Lenk in "THE FLINTLOCK Its Origin, Development, and Use"
Although Torsten feels the Snaphaunce was originally of Spanish origin which could explain locks of this form in Africa, I would think the later Miquelet style lock would have been more widely known and would have been a more likely candidate for these guns.
As I haven't studied the history of the Blunderbuss except to know it was often used as a Coach gun and a Naval weapon in the Flintlock era I must ask, was such a weapon used in the mid 17th Century when the Snaphaunce lock was common?
Getting to the value of these items based on their condition and questionable origin I doubt that they are worth a great deal.
Probably best guessed at what someone is willing to spend for an interesting wall hanger.
If these guns are African "tourist" pieces I find it interesting that a Snaphaunce lock would be used.
The Snaphaunce lock seems to date from the 1530'ish time frame, almost 100 years before the first true flintlock (1620) according to Torsten Lenk in "THE FLINTLOCK Its Origin, Development, and Use"
Although Torsten feels the Snaphaunce was originally of Spanish origin which could explain locks of this form in Africa, I would think the later Miquelet style lock would have been more widely known and would have been a more likely candidate for these guns.
As I haven't studied the history of the Blunderbuss except to know it was often used as a Coach gun and a Naval weapon in the Flintlock era I must ask, was such a weapon used in the mid 17th Century when the Snaphaunce lock was common?
Getting to the value of these items based on their condition and questionable origin I doubt that they are worth a great deal.
Probably best guessed at what someone is willing to spend for an interesting wall hanger.
Z
Well your observations are the track I am on. These guns seem to have some very old parts assembled into these pieces. I have a idea they are worth $500-1,000 as a hanging piece. Am I far off in your opinion?
I thought that if these parts were real they might be worth around $1000 ea.
Thank you
Jim
Well your observations are the track I am on. These guns seem to have some very old parts assembled into these pieces. I have a idea they are worth $500-1,000 as a hanging piece. Am I far off in your opinion?
I thought that if these parts were real they might be worth around $1000 ea.
Thank you
Jim
Mike Brooks
Cannon
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$150 to $350 a piece in todays market. You'll probably wait a long time to sell them at those prices.
Va.Manuf.06
58 Cal.
No offense to you intended Jim, but I think Mike is being generous in his estimate. It is very doubtful that any of the parts are "original", they probably date to the post WW2 era.
