Matchlock 'peep' sights

[RAEDWALD]

I have seen photos of matchlocks with a tube mounted on the breech and these are described as peep sights or tube sights.

Does anybody share my suspicion that these were match supports rather than sights with the match cord being threaded through them then into the serpentine?

Japanese ones sometimes seem to have tubes fitted through the stocks for this role.

 

[Musketeer]

I don't know the answer, but it's an interesting question. I do know that peep sights go all the way back to crossbows that pre-date matchlocks. However, they were usually folding flat pieces of metal with one or more holes in them, not the tubes we see on much later matchlock muskets. John Buck has a pic of a repro he made of a late 16th century Spanish musket found in Florida (IIRC). It has a tapered tube at the rear and a simple front sight as well. In this case (assuming the front sight wasn't added at some point to the original gun before it was lost), it seems the tube really was meant as a sight. :hmm:

 

[wulf]

I have seen pictures of matchlocks with peep sights and it mentioned that it had changeable
appitures....They also had revolver cylinders
as well...

 

[RAEDWALD]

What made me suspicious is that they do not carry over onto succeeding flintlocks as far as I am aware.

I could see that it could be handy to be able to unship the match head from the serpentine and simple flip it over the far side away from the pan while loading and then reset it afterwards without having to devote a spare hand/finger to hold the matchcord.

In truth I don't know, but I can see how it might be useful as a match guide. Has anyone got such a device to try it out?

 

[wahkahchimaol.com]

I just got back from a research trip to England, especially the Tower of London and the Wallace Collection. I saw lots of tube peep sights. That's what they were: too slender for match supports. Also some were dovetailed to allow for windage adjustment. And other firearms had square notch rear sights. These were mostly very high-end guns, but in the Kremlin they've got an orginial matchlock used by the Streltzy in the 16th century with a square rear sight. So why did they stop using these? There's a mystery. One reason might be that barrels seem to have gotten a lot thinner, and a lot lighter. Another reason might be that rifles came on the scene, so the same gun was less likely to shoot both ball and shot. And finally, rear sights didn't entirely go away on smoothbores.

 

[Canute Rex]

From what I've read, matchlocks held on in northern Europe as target guns long after they were abandoned as military and sporting weapons. Peep (tube) sights were appropriate for this application.

A friend of mine built himself a copy of an early 18th century (you read that right, 18th) German matchlock target rifle. It had a tube type peep sight that was shaped like a cup with a hole in the bottom.

I can understand the retention of matchlocks as target rifles. They have fast ignition and cause no flinch. With a flintlock there is all that mechanical hooey going on next to your face before ignition. With a matchlock the match descends slowly behind the flash guard and then surprises you every time. At short ranges I shoot better with my smoothbore matchlock than I do with my rifled flintlock.

 

[Paulussie0]

Go to : legermuseum collectie Visser
On the internet.
Then search: lontslot .
You will find several pics of matchlocks with peepsights on them .
I have being there and they are only for sighting.
Paul.