Danish flintlocks

[PatrickScotch]

During a recent work trip to Africa we did a 1 day layover in Amsterdam. The folks I was with wanted to tour a museum so we did the Rijksmuseum. The engraving on this pair was just beautiful!

 

[cynthialee]

WOW!

Carved ivory stocks!?

expensive

 

[Joe Sullivan]

I'd like to take them out and dirty them.

 

[PatrickScotch]

They're Dutch, not Danish, my bad, Even the rods and flask were ivory. I would love to shoot them too but somehow I think the museum folks might object. :idunno:

 

[Joe Sullivan]

Which would they object to? dirtying them or shooting them. :rotf:

 

[Zonie]

Not that it comes anywhere close to the originals, but there was a time about 40 years ago when a company called "Life Like" sold a plastic model of a gun like those.

I built and still have several of them including the Dutch pistol.

As I recall, the NRA also has one of those Ivory Dutch pistols in its museum.

 

[PatrickScotch]

Given how testy they got when I pointed too closely at one of the paintings I think that even touching one is pretty much out of the question, but I'd love to try.

 

[dyemaker]

Here is a similar pair. Also ivory items on either side of the photo list. The pistols are Dutch also.

Link

 

[LeMat1856]

.
.

would it be an understatement to say: "they sure don't make 'em like they used to..."


:thumbsup:
~dg~

 

[PatrickScotch]

It looks like the flints on thoes come back towards the shooter. I don't think I'd care for that.

 

[Zonie]

Those are wheel-locks.
The arm that holds the flint (usually quartz actually) is spring loaded but it really doesn't snap backwards.

Instead, when he's (she's) ready to shoot, the shooter uses his/her hand to pull the arm back and down. On the fancy ones, this moves the pan cover out of the way exposing the prime and the grooved wheel which the quartz rests against.
The spring only holds the flint (quartz) against the wheel.

A pull of the trigger releases the wheel which then spins causing the quartz to make sparks right in the middle of the prime.

Wheel-locks, which proceeded the snaphaunce and the flintlock have incredibly fast ignition speeds. So much so that this ignition system was the favored type for target guns long after the flintlock became commonly used.

The wheel-locks popularity died out because their locks were quite complicated and very expensive to make or repair.

 

[PatrickScotch]

OK, thanx for the explination. I'm new to the non-centerfire world. I put up a picture of a pair of wheel locks from the same place in that forum.

 

[ChrisPer]

Those are wheel-locks.
The arm that holds the flint (usually quartz actually) is spring loaded but it really doesn't snap backwards.

Instead, when he's (she's) ready to shoot, the shooter uses his/her hand to pull the arm back and down. On the fancy ones, this moves the pan cover out of the way exposing the prime and the grooved wheel which the quartz rests against.
The spring only holds the flint (quartz) against the wheel.

A pull of the trigger releases the wheel which then spins causing the quartz to make sparks right in the middle of the prime.

Wheel-locks, which proceeded the snaphaunce and the flintlock have incredibly fast ignition speeds. So much so that this ignition system was the favored type for target guns long after the flintlock became commonly used.

The wheel-locks popularity died out because their locks were quite complicated and very expensive to make or repair.

All good EXCEPT PLEASE DONT USE FLINT OR QUARTZ in a wheellock. Despite some TV expert doing it to shoot a wheellock, and it did work, that will very quickly destroy your wheel.

Use PYRITE.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Pistols like those shown were largely made in Maastricht. They were famous for carving ivory stocks. You had the privilege of seeing some of the most beautiful gun carving ever done.

dave

 

[Zonie]

OK. You probably got me.

How about Iron Pyrites (fools gold)?

They won't work at all in a flintlock but it seems I recall that a piece of that will work well in a wheel lock.

 

[dave_person]

Hi Guys,
Wheellocks use iron pyrite not flint. The reason is that the wheel cuts into the pyrite (which is iron sulphide) and the iron and sulphur in the pyrite create the incendiary sparks. That way the wheel is not worn down, which is much more difficult to replace than the face of a battery (frizzen). Flints actually cut into the steel frizzen and the heated shards of steel create the sparks.

dave

 

[dyemaker]

Another somewhat similar pistol only this one is a flintlock. Sorry I know this is an old thread...

Link