A Truly Sensational Seven Barrel Matchlock Arquebus, Brescia, ca. 1530, in Prague!

Matchlock · 14th October 2010, 05:03 PM

This unique specimen is preserved in the Prague Army Museum on the Hradschin.

Overall length only 64 cm (!), caliber of the three longer barrels ca. 10 mm, of the four short barrels in the rear buttstock ca. 8 mm.

This is a North Italian, almost certainly Brescian, short snap matchlock arquebus. The full stock is of walnut which is characteristic of Italy, the inlays are of lighter wood, not of staghorn as one might expect. The front barrels are round, three staged and profusely ornamentally chiseled whereas the rear barrels are of square outer shape.

The central barrel is sighted, the back sight was originally equipped with a tubular sight, now missing as well as the ramrod.

The seahorse zoomorphic serpentine of the spap matchlock only ignited the upper barrel while the two others and those in the buttstock had to be manually fired.

The holes in the bottom of the buttstock originally contained the ramrod (the larger drilling) for the rear barrels and secured by a swiveling lid cover hinged with a hook to the ring seen below; an oval impression of that lid can still be seen in the wood.

A similar three barrel arquebus for completely manual ignition is illustrated in the Maximilian Armory Inventory, ca. 1507 (cod.icon. 222), see attachments.

Author's photos, August 1995. The b/w scan is from American Rifleman, March 1953.

Best,
Michael

Matchlock · 14th October 2010, 05:07 PM

More.

Matchlock · 14th October 2010, 05:13 PM

The rest.

Matchlock · 15th October 2010, 01:01 PM

Cod.icon. 222, ca. 1502.

fernando · 15th October 2010, 05:32 PM

Oh, oh, Michl,
Thanks for showing this

.
I remember having posted a picture of this specimen in a determined thread (don't remember which) and you had "promised" to bring up some further data on it ... which now you deed.
This is quite a "crazy" gun, isn't it?

Matchlock · 15th October 2010, 05:36 PM

Exactly, 'Nando,

This sort of Early Renaissance combination arms can indeed be called crazy as their practical use was almost nil - apart from play and psychology.

Best,
Michl

kisak · 19th October 2010, 07:36 AM

The modern day gun safety tip/recommendation/rule/commandment of always pointing the muzzle(s) in a safe direction comes to mind here.

Matchlock · 19th October 2010, 11:39 AM

Absolutely.
m

Jim McDougall · 20th October 2010, 05:30 AM

Michael,
Thank you so much for the patient and detailed response to my questions, and my degree of demand is hardly a test for your incredible knowledge on these!!! You answered everything perfectly of course, and interesting on the guns found on the Mary Rose. It is truly amazing how much history has been retrieved from that unfortunate event.

Point well taken on the wheellock controversy as well.

Thank you again Michael

Superbly done as always,
All the best,
Jim

Matchlock · 21st June 2012, 04:58 PM

1. Northern Italy (Brescia?), ca. 1530-40; Museo Luigi Marzoli, Brescia; the long tiller trigger inadequately pointing in the direction of the muzzle instead of to the rear, the original sighting tubes missing from the small double rear sights.

2. Northern Italy, ca. 1530-40; Musée de l'Armée, Paris; no provision for a trigger guard.

3. A short revolving matchlock arquebus or pistol, Northern Italy (Brescia?), 1530's-40; Doges Palace, Venice; no provision for a trigger guard.

4. A detached barrel bundle of three, comprising a provision for a ramrod, of the same type of arquebus/pistol as before, Northern Italy, 1530's-40; Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, reserve collection; author's photos.

Best,
Michael

Matchlock · 21st June 2012, 05:12 PM

More of the Venice pistol and the barrels in Oxford.

m

14th October 2010, 05:03 PM	#1
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	A Truly Sensational Seven Barrel Matchlock Arquebus, Brescia, ca. 1530, in Prague! This unique specimen is preserved in the Prague Army Museum on the Hradschin. Overall length only 64 cm (!), caliber of the three longer barrels ca. 10 mm, of the four short barrels in the rear buttstock ca. 8 mm. This is a North Italian, almost certainly Brescian, short snap matchlock arquebus. The full stock is of walnut which is characteristic of Italy, the inlays are of lighter wood, not of staghorn as one might expect. The front barrels are round, three staged and profusely ornamentally chiseled whereas the rear barrels are of square outer shape. The central barrel is sighted, the back sight was originally equipped with a tubular sight, now missing as well as the ramrod. The seahorse zoomorphic serpentine of the spap matchlock only ignited the upper barrel while the two others and those in the buttstock had to be manually fired. The holes in the bottom of the buttstock originally contained the ramrod (the larger drilling) for the rear barrels and secured by a swiveling lid cover hinged with a hook to the ring seen below; an oval impression of that lid can still be seen in the wood. A similar three barrel arquebus for completely manual ignition is illustrated in the Maximilian Armory Inventory, ca. 1507 (cod.icon. 222), see attachments. Author's photos, August 1995. The b/w scan is from American Rifleman, March 1953. Best, Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 15th October 2010 at 12:56 PM.

14th October 2010, 05:07 PM	#2
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	More. Attached Images

14th October 2010, 05:13 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	The rest. Attached Images

15th October 2010, 01:01 PM	#4
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Mulitbarrel Arquebuses, ca. 1500, From the Maximilian Armories Cod.icon. 222, ca. 1502. Attached Images

15th October 2010, 05:32 PM	#5
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Seven Barrel Matchlock Arquebus, Brescia, ca. 1530 Oh, oh, Michl, Thanks for showing this . I remember having posted a picture of this specimen in a determined thread (don't remember which) and you had "promised" to bring up some further data on it ... which now you deed. This is quite a "crazy" gun, isn't it?

15th October 2010, 05:36 PM	#6
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Exactly, 'Nando, This sort of Early Renaissance combination arms can indeed be called crazy as their practical use was almost nil - apart from play and psychology. Best, Michl

19th October 2010, 07:36 AM	#7
kisak Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Stockholm Posts: 182	The modern day gun safety tip/recommendation/rule/commandment of always pointing the muzzle(s) in a safe direction comes to mind here.

19th October 2010, 11:39 AM	#8
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Absolutely. m

20th October 2010, 05:30 AM	#9
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,940	Michael, Thank you so much for the patient and detailed response to my questions, and my degree of demand is hardly a test for your incredible knowledge on these!!! You answered everything perfectly of course, and interesting on the guns found on the Mary Rose. It is truly amazing how much history has been retrieved from that unfortunate event. Point well taken on the wheellock controversy as well. Thank you again Michael Superbly done as always, All the best, Jim

21st June 2012, 04:58 PM	#10
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Three-barreled Revolving Matchlock Arquebuses, ca. 1530-40 1. Northern Italy (Brescia?), ca. 1530-40; Museo Luigi Marzoli, Brescia; the long tiller trigger inadequately pointing in the direction of the muzzle instead of to the rear, the original sighting tubes missing from the small double rear sights. 2. Northern Italy, ca. 1530-40; Musée de l'Armée, Paris; no provision for a trigger guard. 3. A short revolving matchlock arquebus or pistol, Northern Italy (Brescia?), 1530's-40; Doges Palace, Venice; no provision for a trigger guard. 4. A detached barrel bundle of three, comprising a provision for a ramrod, of the same type of arquebus/pistol as before, Northern Italy, 1530's-40; Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, reserve collection; author's photos. Best, Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 21st June 2012 at 05:20 PM.

21st June 2012, 05:12 PM	#11
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	More of the Venice pistol and the barrels in Oxford. m Attached Images