Miquelet percussion lock

[dyemaker]

While looking at photos I came across something I actually had not seen before. It's a Spanish percussion lock...

Link

 

[curator]

Spanish as well as Italian gun makers continued to make miquelet-type locks well into the percussion period.They called the horizontal trigger mechanism that bore on the cock "La mode" and thought it superior to the French vertical sear. Having the mainspring on the outside of the lock plate also allowed the stock to be somewhat stronger across the breech/wrist area.

 

[hanshi]

That a fascinating and attractive lock!

 

[voltigeur]

I wonder where to find this kind of lock reproduction or drawings.

I know that trs makes this in flint, but also the price, the waiting time is too long.

it will be perfect for a blunderbuss

 

[CoyoteJoe]

That is wild but I don't think I want one.

 

[dyemaker]

Thank you curator for elaborating on the lock. I am curious now about the Italian percussion miqulets. A few more photos via google search engine were Spanish but none italian. Evidently animal or (monster) hammers were popular on them. This one was described as a dog but looks more like a lion. These locks seemed wild to me at first too but I wish I had one why not

This one is on a Spanish pistol...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Miqcap1.jpg

from the description of miquelet lock...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miquelet_lock

 

[dyemaker]

I am not usally that interested in Spanish muzzleloading arms but I thought maybe locks like the one in the first link may look nice on Spanish fowlers such as this one I've added. After I thought about this I found a photo of one. I like it alot. Dated 1770 it is a conversion. sorry for highjacking my own thread and just adding links. It is something that is different to me and thus quite interesting.
http://cf.mp-cdn.net/cd/88/a7bfd030894b7dbeab308198f1d4.jpg

 

[dyemaker]

Digging further for Italian percussion miquelet locks I found info on use of percussion miquelet locks in America. More specifically Florida....
http://semtribe.pastperfect-online...B75A5B3F-6DB1-44E1-9B12-637326272356&type=101

This pistol was supposedly found in a private estate in St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest continually occupied city in the United States
http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/8347/9751338_1.jpg?v=8CD1F0C594E99E0

 

[dyemaker]

One more photo and I am leaving this post alone, Iv'e beat it to death. A Spanish belt pistol...

Link

 

[miqueleter]

dyemaker, room for one or two more. Drool over this one on a fowler.

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[dyemaker]

Wow, that is classy! Thank you, I will save that one in my photo album.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

I don't know much about locks (yet) but when you look past the deco, it seem like it's a slick simple lock! The ramp the spring rides along, do you think it's to keep it from hurting the deco? Or could it be that the spring is canted in a bit? Or both? Could it be some kind of brake? All 3 photos have that ramp.

 

[dyemaker]

I don't know much about them either so maybe someone else could answer. Meanwhile I came across a page that may be of interest about miquelet locks...
http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/adp/history/hispanic_period/miqulet.html