• Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.

    We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.

    Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103

Here's a fun early Roman style miquelet with Spanish influence, Southern Italy?

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Oct 8, 2019
Messages
443
Reaction score
466
Location
Covington, VA
I believe this to be mid 17th century. It's early and large. The shape of the lock and general styling looks like the Roman style but the way the cock sits on the stops that runs through the plate it is Spanish in style as is the main spring. The last photo to compare a Roman miquelet of the same period.
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20231205_142609224.jpg
    PXL_20231205_142609224.jpg
    5.4 MB
  • PXL_20231205_142621645.jpg
    PXL_20231205_142621645.jpg
    4 MB
  • PXL_20231205_142554032.jpg
    PXL_20231205_142554032.jpg
    5 MB
Hi 1640

Congratulations !!! Nice, big, early lock. Yes, probably about Mid-17th Century. I too saw this in the auction. But since retirement, I'm not buying much anymore. But I like to keep up with the auctions.
The lock is sometimes loosely referred to as a Naples style lock. The confluence of both Southern and Central features. And you see this often. As mentioned, you notice the mainspring operates off the heel of the cock (Spanish style) versus the toe of the cock (Roman style). Notice the large lock plate is not unlike their matchlocks and wheellocks of the earlier period. Also note, the extra long length of the top screw. You see this on miquelet locks especially from around the turn of the 18th Century and earlier. I've often thought these longer top screws were to allow a variety of flint shapes before the "shaped" flint became more of an industry.

Again, Congrats. A cool addition to a lock collection. Although, it would be fun to have an early Italian style musket made using same. LOL

Please do post your other locks individually. And thanks for posting.

Rick
 
Back
Top