I'm looking for historical examples/depictions of left-handed matchlocks

[TradShooter]

Hello,
New member here curious to find either authentic historical examples, or historical depictions, of left-handed matchlock firearms. Could be from any date (pre-20th century) and any place in the world.

There's a museum in Germany that has an interesting bronze-barreled arquebus with a left-side lock, dated to around 1500: Gewehr: Linksseitige Handbüchse mit Luntenschloss

I've also seen some historical illustrations from the matchlock era of guys shooting left-handed, although I don't know if that was just artistic license or if left-handed guns were actually seen on the battlefield at the time of the illustrations. One example is this illustration from the "Luzerner Kronik" by Diebolld Schilling, circa 1513. We can see that the guy at the top is shooting right-handed while the three guys below are shooting off the left shoulder: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=46375&stc=1&d=1245766481

My understanding (and please correct me if I'm wrong) is that in the early period of matchlock guns (15th century and early 16th), many firearms were still being made to order in regional workshops, rather than mass-produced to standard patterns in centralised arsenals. Thus, it may have been more likely to find left-handed guns being made in that early period than in later years when matchlock guns were being cranked out by the hundreds from state arsenals conforming to standard patterns.

Oh, and just to pre-empt the old "left-handed folks weren't tolerated in ye olde tymes" thing I'd like to point out the Ottoman solaks (left-handed archers) as well as instances of left-handed sword grips being illustrated in old manuscripts, such as the 15th century Pisani-Dossi.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I'd like to know any history of left handed matchlocks myself. I. Currently building one from a Rifle Shoppe kit.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

... have never, ever seen one myself, and I'm left-handed ...

 

[DuncNZ]

Hello,
New member here curious to find either authentic historical examples, or historical depictions, of left-handed matchlock firearms. Could be from any date (pre-20th century) and any place in the world.

There's a museum in Germany that has an interesting bronze-barreled arquebus with a left-side lock, dated to around 1500: Gewehr: Linksseitige Handbüchse mit Luntenschloss

I've also seen some historical illustrations from the matchlock era of guys shooting left-handed, although I don't know if that was just artistic license or if left-handed guns were actually seen on the battlefield at the time of the illustrations. One example is this illustration from the "Luzerner Kronik" by Diebolld Schilling, circa 1513. We can see that the guy at the top is shooting right-handed while the three guys below are shooting off the left shoulder: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=46375&stc=1&d=1245766481

My understanding (and please correct me if I'm wrong) is that in the early period of matchlock guns (15th century and early 16th), many firearms were still being made to order in regional workshops, rather than mass-produced to standard patterns in centralised arsenals. Thus, it may have been more likely to find left-handed guns being made in that early period than in later years when matchlock guns were being cranked out by the hundreds from state arsenals conforming to standard patterns.

Oh, and just to pre-empt the old "left-handed folks weren't tolerated in ye olde tymes" thing I'd like to point out the Ottoman solaks (left-handed archers) as well as instances of left-handed sword grips being illustrated in old manuscripts, such as the 15th century Pisani-Dossi.

A lot of guns were fired from the middle of the chest in those days .

 

[FPDoc]

Tell the new guy on the team that the French Special Forces guys always held the butt of the weapon against their groin to keep their center of gravity low so they could move better while they fired, Early Tacti-Cool. Documentation pending..

 

[Rudyard]

Just today I was looking at a Petronel I recently made its R hand but the supposed fireing from the chest idea seems horribly unwieldy . I hopefully fitted a tube rear sight but the lock apon drawing the tricker is so wobbly & with no practicle grip its a puzzle . I made one other years ago but though & tried to hunt with it I didn't make note of my results . It went to a Sailing ship Gunner its now in a Winnipeg Museum along with a Caliver I could get on with . Your references show me you are looking to this in a thorough way . Such original paintings Iv'e seen don't give much clear detail . Interesting post .
Regards Rudyard

 

[TradShooter]

A lot of guns were fired from the middle of the chest in those days .

That was more with the older handgonnes that didn't have a proper stock. Arquebuses with longer stocks were indeed intended to be fired off the shoulder.

In the image above that I posted you can see the right-handed fellow at the top is clearly shouldering his weapon, not holding it in the center of his chest.

... have never, ever seen one myself, and I'm left-handed ...

Well, at least now you've seen one

 

[TFoley]

In spite of your assertion to the contrary, left-handedness in earlier times was usually associated with evil - just look at the word 'sinister' [Latin for left] and you might get some idea why left-handed anything was viewed with great suspicion. Sure, you may have seen a left-handed firearm, but it was probably made for a member of the nobility of some kind, not your average Joe.

Your last observation is interesting, but does not reflect the widespread distrust of anybody showing signs of left-handedness, or else the antipathy that you so easily dismiss would never have been mentioned at all.

Even today, whilst accepting that there ARE many lefties, no armed forces of my acquaintance train people in left-handed drill, or provide left-handed weapons. I was in the infantry TA for two years prior to joining the regular Army, in which I served a week short of thirty-three years, and never saw ANYTHING designed to help a leftie. Even now, please try and buy a left-handed semi-auto rifle or carbine.

And note that manufacturers of firearms 'penalise' lefties by making a surcharge for the provision of left-handed action firearms and accoutrements In fact, , the LH Morini handgrip on my Steyr air pistol cost £40 more than a rightie.

Same for the FAS 604 -

 

[TradShooter]

In spite of your assertion to the contrary, left-handedness in earlier times was usually associated with evil - just look at the word 'sinister' [Latin for left] and you might get some idea why left-handed anything was viewed with great suspicion. Sure, you may have seen a left-handed firearm, but it was probably made for a member of the nobility of some kind, not your average Joe.

Your last observation is interesting, but does not reflect the widespread distrust of anybody showing signs of left-handedness, or else the antipathy that you so easily dismiss would never have been mentioned at all.

Even today, whilst accepting that there ARE many lefties, no armed forces of my acquaintance train people in left-handed drill, or provide left-handed weapons. I was in the infantry TA for two years prior to joining the regular Army, in which I served a week short of thirty-three years, and never saw ANYTHING designed to help a leftie. Even now, please try and buy a left-handed semi-auto rifle or carbine.

And note that manufacturers of firearms 'penalise' lefties by making a surcharge for the provision of left-handed action firearms and accoutrements In fact, , the LH Morini handgrip on my Steyr air pistol cost £40 more than a rightie.
View attachment 118758
Same for the FAS 604 -
View attachment 118759

We will agree to disagree on this. I have already mentioned the Ottoman solaks who had entire formations trained for left-handed shooting, due to marching at the right side of the sultan (and thus not wishing to turn their backs on the Sultan when they drew their bows, they did a left-handed draw). Given the typical numbers in each unit I would suspect that they even included some right-handers who were forced to shoot lefty, due to their position marching at the right side of the Sultan.

I am of the belief that the push for right-handed conformity is much more of a modern-era invention than a renaissance or medieval one. As weapons became mass-produced and troops started to drill in more complex formations during the early-modern, it became necessary to standardize weapons handling based on the (right-handed) majority. In the medieval period, when single-combat was still valued (particularly among the upper ranks of society, such as knights) there was more room for a left-handed individual to "do their thing". In fact in sword combat a left-handed individual could be at an advantage due to their unorthodox stance opposite their right-handed opponent. I have already mentioned one example of a medieval text which illustrates a left-handed sword stance, but if that isn't enough evidence for you that left-handedness was tolerated (to a degree) in combat back then, then please let me know and I'll try to dig up more sources for you.

 

[PathfinderNC]

So is the OP looking for actual examples to support a theory that left-handed match lock guns were not uncommon in Europe, or just examples of left handed matchlocks?
To hold that these were not unusual in Europe seems like a conclusion looking for a foundation (or affirmation).

 

[TradShooter]

Seems like your looking for validation of an unproven opinion.

Can you provide historical evidence from the 15th-16th centuries which contradicts what I've said (based on historical sources I've used from that period)?

 

[DuncNZ]

About 10% of the population are left handed . One interesting thing is left handedness is more prevalent in people with an artistic bent , Look at old westerns and cop movies and you will see a lot of left handed actors , well above the 10% average .
Left handed firearms are more expensive than right hand because less are made and tooling costs have to be met .
I wouldn't want to bet on the picture from the Lucerne Cornicles being an accurate depiction , paintings from those days told a story , they were not yet historically accurate

 

[TradShooter]

I wouldn't want to bet on the picture from the Lucerne Cornicles being an accurate depiction , paintings from those days told a story , they were not yet historically accurate

Certainly, that's a fair point. I just found it interesting that the artist chose to illustrate both left and right handed shooters. It doesn't seem to have been a matter of wanting a better perspective, since the left-handed shooters in that image don't provide us with a much better view that the right-handed shooter above them.

The left-handed matchlock from Germany that I posted is an intriguing one, to me. It doesn't bear the sort of engraving/embellishments that we'd typically see on firearms made for the upper-classes of that period. It has a much more utilitarian appearance. That isn't to say that it couldn't have been a custom-made piece for someone with money, just that it goes against the grain when it comes to high-class custom guns I've seen from the 1500s. It makes me wonder what purpose it was made for.

 

[TradShooter]

Below is a matchlock pistol with a left-handed lock, likely of South-Asian origin. Matchlock pistols in general were rare, but definitely not unknown in Asia. Some were used by cavalry, so one possible explanation for this left-handed lock could be to allow a rider to control the reigns with his right hand (but that bit is only speculation).

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/88/13/ba/8813baa858bfec63828c05711ca7cd1e.jpg

 

[PathfinderNC]

Can you provide historical evidence from the 15th-16th centuries which contradicts what I've said (based on historical sources I've used from that period)?

Why don’t you? Are youinitiating a debate rather than just asking for further historical resources, and have already come to your conclusion?

 

[DuncNZ]

Firstly I doubt the artist was there brush in hand when the Vikings were coming to dinner and would have painted the event later . Perspective in painting had been invented a few years earlier and I'd guess this artist hadn't caught up with the idea yet . Left hand pistol could it be one for each hand ?

 

[TradShooter]

Why don’t you? Are youinitiating a debate rather than just asking for further historical resources, and have already come to your conclusion?

Sorry? Did you read my first post where I provided examples of left-handed weapons and soldiers from that period? (the german matchlock, the chronicle illustration, the sword-fighting manual, the solaks). I haven't reached any conclusion, I've simply provided you guys with evidence I've found of left-handedness in this era, and asked if you all can provide further evidence of left-handed firearms.

 

[TradShooter]

Left hand pistol could it be one for each hand ?

Quite possibly.

 

[TradShooter]

To add another example of firearms shot off the left side in the late-medieval, there is an account from 1432 by the Burgundian pilgrim Bertandon de la Broquiere of Turkish handgonners who held the stock of their weapons in the left arm and applied the match to the touch-hole with the right hand to fire.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Sorry? Did you read my first post where I provided examples of left-handed weapons and soldiers from that period? (the german matchlock, the chronicle illustration, the sword-fighting manual, the solaks). I haven't reached any conclusion, I've simply provided you guys with evidence I've found of left-handedness in this era, and asked if you all can provide further evidence of left-handed firearms.

Manuscript illuminations are certainly not something to use as supporting evidence. They are artist renderings made from his imagination, from information given to him or memory. Also, looking at that illustration, it certainly does not conclusively show the musket’s being fired from the left shoulder. It may be, or may be from the breast, as was pointed out above.
In your extensive research, can you share how many of the Ottoman left-handed matchlocks are there in existence? Must be quite a few, or were they were that accommodating only to their left handed archers?