My brand new wheellock pistol

[Benedek Dénes]

Hi, I've always dreamed about a wheelie, and last week I could get it! I live in Hungary and it's made here by a local wheellock enthusiast gunsmith. Except the barrel - it's a Pedersoli Charles Moore/Le Page barrel - everything was made in his small workshop. Yesterday I could take it to the shooting range. The accuracy of the first shots from a fixed position was ok, but shooting it from one hand is not easy - it's a challenge to even hit the paper target from 25 meters because of the slow ignition and the heavy weight.



The first shots from a fixed position to 25 meters:


The lock beside a Charles Moore's lock for size comparison:

 

[Col. Batguano]

It looks like you are using a flint rather than a pyrite?

 

[Benedek Dénes]

Yes, it's flint, but I want to try it with pyrite. Does it make better sparks?

 

[cynthialee]

Yes, it's flint, but I want to try it with pyrite. Does it make better sparks?

for a wheel lock...yes

I am surprised to hear that your ignition is slow. Wheel locks typically have a faster ignition than a flint lock.

 

[Joel/Calgary]

The wheel is harder than pyrite but softer than flint, so with pyrite, the wheel scrapes sparks off the rock, while with flint, the rock scrapes sparks off the wheel, wearing it down MUCH faster.

Regards,
Joel

 

[Benedek Dénes]

Thanks, so i must get pyrite then.Maybe the ignition will be also faster with it.
When i said it's slow i compaired it to my caplock pistol. The ignition of the wheellock really surprised me but it's a great fun to shoot.
Thanks again: Dénes

 

[jdw276]

Oh boy, now I gotta get one of those! That is a huge lock. Thanks for the pictures.

 

[Benedek Dénes]

Thanks; today I've bought pyrite in a mineral store, so next time I will use it. Anyway here is the first shot, still with flint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=TCtkdp94V0I

 

[Col. Batguano]

I suspect that the wheel lock hung on a little longer in the Germanic states of the time than it did in the rest of Europe because they did not have a good source for flints. Most of those came from the French, and the French and Germanic states didn't always play nice together. A flintlock isn't much good without flint.

 

[good ole boy]

Congrats on a fine weapon.

 

[ChrisPer]

Get you rgunsmith to make a new wheel as spare. The flint consumes the ridges on it and it will not last long. Pyrite will last much longer.

Apart from that congratulations on a most interesting piece.

 

[rickystl]

Very nice pistol!! :bow: :v And obviously a good shooter. Very good workmanship. Congratulations.
Do heed the advice above about using pyrite.
That will be a fun pistol to own and shoot. Rick. :hatsoff:

 

[jamesthomas]

That's a very nice looking pistol! :thumbsup: , what is the caliber? it looks to be about a .36 or a .40 cal. from the pictures. Nice shooting of the bench though :thumbsup: .

 

[Joshua Cattermole]

Damn! :bow: that's a nice pistol you have there. I've always been looking at wheellocks but the originals are always fabulously expensive, but this looks great fun as well. :thumbsup:
T4M

 

[ddoyle]

I believe your lock was designed by George Lauber and appeared in his book published in 1977.
If you wish to use flint in it then you need a smooth wheel. The pyrite wheel you have was custom fitted to the pan (actually wheel was used to cut the pan) wearing the wheel out prematurely is not a good idea!

Would love to see more pictures if you have them. Been studying the plans for a while and it helps (inspiration) to see a well executed example.

 

[MSW]

great looking pistol!

 

[Commodore Swab]

Just remember a wheellock works like a zippo. The zippo uses a "modern" pyrite that sparks when its broken like magnesium. This is why the wheels don't wear on lighters. A flintlock work like a grinding wheel using stone to remove steel from the frizzen.

Bolek didn't make the lock did he?

 

[earlwb]

That is a really nice looking wheellock gun too. It turned out really nice. It looks like it shoots really well too. Congratulations. I too have had a urge to get one like that one of these days.

 

[surrealpillow]

Wow! beautiful, I'm jealous!

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Very nice! Are you going to visit the MLAIC World Championships (going on in Hungary now)?