A 1548 Nuremberg Dagger-grip Over-and-Under Double Wheellock Pistol

Matchlock · 6th December 2013, 06:56 PM

This interesting and early pistol/small arquebus showed up first in the States in Theodore F. Dexter's Scrapbooks in the 1950's and 1960's. It was then in the Frank E. Bivens and Geoffrey Jenkinson collns.
As I have stated several times, the modern term 'pistol' was not in use in the 16th c.; all that those portable small guns were called was just (h)arquebuses.

I remember Geoffrey Jenkinson telling me when we met at a Christie's sale in November 1991 that the only price he would part for from that thing was one million GBP.

That price was both so ridiculous and out of my orbit that I called it quits. Moreover I knew that he did not have the arquebus any longer but that it was in the W. Keith Neal colln., Warminster.
On Nov 9, 2000, it was sold from that collection at Christie's London, lot 262, at GBP 43,475 including auction fees, which would be approximately 75,000 euro in today's money. A minor difference as compared to Jenkinson's one million pounds, I should say ... A German dealer bought it for his private collection.

There are only very few surviving specimens of dagger-grip over-and-under double wheellock arquebuses ranging from ca. 1535 to ca. 1550; most of them are in the Real Armería, Madrid, and one is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, N.Y. The sickle-shaped dog spring running around the wheel is common to all of them.

I do not collect 'pistols', so I did not buy this one. Furthermore, I did not like the overall condition the piece was in, with the date only faintly visible and the ramrod primitively replaced - and painted red ...
After all, I own three Landsknecht matchlock arquebuses, and all of them preserved in fine original condition throughout:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...lock+harquebus

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...lock+harquebus

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...lock+harquebus

Best,
Michael

Matchlock · 6th December 2013, 07:52 PM

Real Armería Madrid and Met N.Y.

Matchlock · 6th December 2013, 08:18 PM

The Met.

Matchlock · 7th December 2013, 11:05 PM

With all these superb images - still nobody caring?!

C'm on ...

m

Raf · 8th December 2013, 11:51 AM

Yes , very nice . But perhaps you could have mentioned what is really remarkable about the 1548 lock is that it has sliding pan covers with button release. All the others in this group have the earlier style of hooked pan cover where the cover and arm are in one piece. Presumably , as in the Met example ,it also has two piece interlocked sears. Thus establishing that all the classic features of wheelock design were , at least in Germany, present at this early date. Which begs the question whether early Italian wheelocks that don't have these features are earlier in date. Or whether the advantages of cheapness and simplicity outweighed the occasional expense of having to compensate wounded prostitutes.

Matchlock · 8th December 2013, 02:28 PM

Well, Raf, the mere fact that North Italian wheellocks do not have the spring-loaded push-button pan-cover release (German Drucknagel) is not per se a hint for their being the first made.
The button is generally present in Germanic wheellocks from ca. 1530-1610.

Not all German wheellocks feature that button though, and it is gone again and for good by the early 17th century.

Best,
Michael

6th December 2013, 06:56 PM	#1
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	A 1548 Nuremberg Dagger-grip Over-and-Under Double Wheellock Pistol This interesting and early pistol/small arquebus showed up first in the States in Theodore F. Dexter's Scrapbooks in the 1950's and 1960's. It was then in the Frank E. Bivens and Geoffrey Jenkinson collns. As I have stated several times, the modern term 'pistol' was not in use in the 16th c.; all that those portable small guns were called was just (h)arquebuses. I remember Geoffrey Jenkinson telling me when we met at a Christie's sale in November 1991 that the only price he would part for from that thing was one million GBP. That price was both so ridiculous and out of my orbit that I called it quits. Moreover I knew that he did not have the arquebus any longer but that it was in the W. Keith Neal colln., Warminster. On Nov 9, 2000, it was sold from that collection at Christie's London, lot 262, at GBP 43,475 including auction fees, which would be approximately 75,000 euro in today's money. A minor difference as compared to Jenkinson's one million pounds, I should say ... A German dealer bought it for his private collection. There are only very few surviving specimens of dagger-grip over-and-under double wheellock arquebuses ranging from ca. 1535 to ca. 1550; most of them are in the Real Armería, Madrid, and one is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, N.Y. The sickle-shaped dog spring running around the wheel is common to all of them. I do not collect 'pistols', so I did not buy this one. Furthermore, I did not like the overall condition the piece was in, with the date only faintly visible and the ramrod primitively replaced - and painted red ... After all, I own three Landsknecht matchlock arquebuses, and all of them preserved in fine original condition throughout: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...lock+harquebus http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...lock+harquebus http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...lock+harquebus Best, Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 6th December 2013 at 08:27 PM.

6th December 2013, 07:52 PM	#2
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Real Armería Madrid and Met N.Y. Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 6th December 2013 at 08:13 PM.

6th December 2013, 08:18 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	The Met. Attached Images

7th December 2013, 11:05 PM	#4
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	With all these superb images - still nobody caring?! C'm on ... m Last edited by Matchlock; 7th December 2013 at 11:58 PM.

8th December 2013, 02:28 PM	#6
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Well, Raf, the mere fact that North Italian wheellocks do not have the spring-loaded push-button pan-cover release (German Drucknagel) is not per se a hint for their being the first made. The button is generally present in Germanic wheellocks from ca. 1530-1610. Not all German wheellocks feature that button though, and it is gone again and for good by the early 17th century. Best, Michael Last edited by Matchlock; 8th December 2013 at 04:06 PM.

8th December 2013, 11:51 AM	#5
Raf Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 252	Yes , very nice . But perhaps you could have mentioned what is really remarkable about the 1548 lock is that it has sliding pan covers with button release. All the others in this group have the earlier style of hooked pan cover where the cover and arm are in one piece. Presumably , as in the Met example ,it also has two piece interlocked sears. Thus establishing that all the classic features of wheelock design were , at least in Germany, present at this early date. Which begs the question whether early Italian wheelocks that don't have these features are earlier in date. Or whether the advantages of cheapness and simplicity outweighed the occasional expense of having to compensate wounded prostitutes.