matchlock sights

[matchlock1607]

Hello,
I asked the forum about the matchlock pictured after I acquired it last December. It was made witout sights. It is rifled, so I am considering adding sights, but want them to be appropriate for the matchlock. I'd like any advice that any of you have to offer.

Thank you,

Chris

 

[tenngun]

One is a wheelocks but contemporary

 

[matchlock1607]

Thank you, tenngun! That is giving me some ideas.

 

[matchlock1607]

Tenngun,
Can you tell if the matchlock pictured with a bead sight near the tang has a corresponding bead closer to the muzzle?

 

[Sam squanch]

I’ve seen so much variation on target matchlocks, you could get away with whatever works for you and your shooting eye. I don’t think military grade matchlocks had ANY sights, but I’ve been known to be wrong......

 

[Sam squanch]

I think some early matchlocks had breech mounts for switching out sights at the shooters convenience.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Some early matchlocks wore ‘tube sights’, like a long 1/4” diameter tube, maybe aninch long, like late crossbows wore. The Indo-Arabs were notorious for adding ‘peep’ sights to their matchlocks, some w/ 2 holes.

RickyStl should hopefully be soon by with some pictures ... as I have none.

FYI, here’s a YouTube called ‘Medieval Crossbow Sights’:

 

[rickystl]

Hi Chris

Actually, the only matchlocks I own are Japanese and Indian Torador. But here is a pic of the tube style rear sight on an original European matchlock that Flint mentions above. The front sights seem to be just simple iron square pieces staked into the muzzle.
But I have seen originals with a rear sight that looks similar to a typical Kentucky style rifle sight but with a short base.
In all cases the rear sight was mounted back towards the rear of the breech.

 

[rickystl]

Front sight........

 

[matchlock1607]

rickystl,

Thank you for those images. I may try to see if I can fit this one with sights similar to those.

 

[tenngun]

Tenngun,
Can you tell if the matchlock pictured with a bead sight near the tang has a corresponding bead closer to the muzzle?

I don’t know as that’s the only photo of it I have

 

[Rudyard]

Such interesting posts . Military guns tend to have just a round pin affair at the muzzle if any .The Tube sights are more usual for target or hunting ones .1 to 1&1/2" long seems to be enough. I plug the hole with wood drilled with a small hole so I can alter it for the 55 yard range it being normal in MLAIC shooting . What is really needed is some effective flash guard .Since the human eyeball is ill suited to getting sceared by hot gases .Hmmm.
To this end I add a shield of tin,, rubber, or, leather, most contrived so the aperture alines with the sights appature .I was told an apperture will give you 10 points, I think practice will give you more and to be in the hunt at International shoots you need all shots in the 4" bull offhand & Best ten of 13 shots off hand and kneeling . 'possibles' are often achieved . Best I did was a 93 it is after all a very wobbley art.
Rudyard

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

... you need all shots in the 4" bull offhand & best 10 of 13 shots offhand and kneeling, 'possibles' are often achieved. Best I did was a 93, it is after all a very wobbley art.

Rudyard:

What diameter is the bullseye & size of the scoring rings? I love offhand shooting and would like to try that! All shot at 55-yards?

Thanks!

 

[Rudyard]

Dear Flint The International 55 yard target is what we called the' French target' du san concourse. Just checked the bull is 3 " and it goes out to 31" in increments of about 2" There are two matches (Ime' aware of ) the' Tanagashima ' stood & the Hidetzu? or some such spelling Kneeling . so your' Possible' is hard to get but some have. Best I did was a 93 in a NZ matchlock event .The gun being 40 cal 'after' the Venition snap lock style purchased for the' Mary Rose 'By Henry the Eight . This style gives you a pistol like grip & a useable against the shoulder shape Use fine ground priming and drive the ball so fast its in the 10? before it realises its only a smooth bore . I used a few thin wetted wads of felt and a bare ball or one needing just a loose wet patch . no wipeing and ' KISS' principal since your time constrained to the 30 minets . To which ends I find a horn ball ended rod no turning round "cylindrick' rod on effect . Look up' Alberta Muzzle loaders' video on match lock shooting that is a gun of my make .Lots of luck .
Regards Rudyard

.PS its metric but ive never adopted it
opted it . but its about 55 yards

 

[tenngun]

There was a matchlock smoothbore contest, I’m thinking about 1650 at around 250 yards, rifles were shooting over three hundred.

 

[Rudyard]

Intrigeing ? Do tell us more
Regards Rudyard

 

[JCKelly]

I believe matchlock guns were preferred for target shooting in the 1600's. May be discussed in one of the six volumes of The Visser Collection, Arms of the Netherlands, 6 volumes, J.P. Puype et al. ©1996. Don't have these to hand right now. I would agree with the preference for matchlocks in target shooting from my own ~1980 experience against flintlocks here in Michigan. Snapping locks went "click @&%#$ a lot, my matchlock always BOOM.

 

[tenngun]

Intrigeing ? Do tell us more
Regards Rudyard

Might take me a day or two to find it

 

[tenngun]

Intrigeing ? Do tell us more
Regards Rudyard

In Leipzig contest go back to 1498, I can find the target size but the range is only estimated. The reference I found was a five foot target shot out to five hundred yard. I would bet it a mistranslation and feet was substituted for yards. In 1605 in Basel Switzerland the shoot was at 570 feet (190 yards) for smoothbores, I misremembered the range, rifle were at a 42 inch target at 805 feet (268 yards) for rifles

 

[Rudyard]

Very interesting I have shot round ball up to 300 yards I concluded hitting any small target not that likely but certainly unwise to be visable at the target end rifles in this case .
.It certainly seems they historically like us shot matches with earlier style arms like Match locks Same as the wealthy amused them selves with re enactments .
Regards Rudyard