Odd But Cool

[nit wit]

.610 bore, 25" barrel, 38 3/4" overall, small bell at the muzzle. Found it yesterday. I believe it came out of Massachusetts. Built by R T Colton.

 

[ajbennettnc]

That's a cool doglock! Looks to be in the style of early 17th century European guns. Definitely different from the "Camel Gun" snaphaunces of North Africa. I wonder if somebody built it for use in living history at Plimoth plantation, but from my admittedly minimal understanding, the doglock didn't really show up until the second half of the 17th C. Better knowing folks will hopefully chime in. At any rate, that's a cool gun!

 

[Sam squanch]

Hopefully someone on here knows more about Richard Colton and his work. I think he was a collector and builder. The rifle shop catalog mentions him .

 

[Commodore Swab]

Danish, I built one similar.

 

[PathfinderNC]

He rode a camel in Massachusetts armed with a Doglock musket. Now that would have been a sight to see

 

[hanshi]

Cool? Yes! Interesting? Yes! Odd? You betcha! It needs to be fired some and that will tell a lot.

 

[Notchy Bob]

That’s a very interesting piece. I’m thinking there might be some Spanish influence. They are just across the water from Morocco, after all.

I cat say I’m dying to have one just like it, but there is no reason to think it wouldn’t be a nice shooter, and it is fun to see what people can come up with.

Thanks for showing it!

Notchy Bob

 

[Sam squanch]

That’s an English doglock, through and through..

 

[nit wit]

Cool? Yes! Interesting? Yes! Odd? You betcha! It needs to be fired some and that will tell a lot.

I fired a .570 bare ball 60 gr 3F. hit my target dead center!
Nit Wit

 

[Eterry]

A very interesting, cool, and unusual piece. I'm not surprised at all you hit what you aimed at!
Dog Lock makes it even more cool!

 

[satwel]

I had the good fortune to befriend Richard Colton back in 2010 when I was a volunteer at Springfield Armory National Historic Site. He was the official NPS Park Historian and ranger there for many years. Richard has been building both new muzzleloaders and restoring originals for even longer and is the preeminent authority on Colonial era arms. His passion is smoothbores, but he did build a Worcester County New England style flintlock rifle for Sturbridge Village when I worked with him. The lengths to which Richard researches each project is absolutely amazing as is his dedication to recreating every detail of how original arms were built. Richard is also friends with Dave Person.