Early Wheel-Locks and Their Spanners

[Matchlock]

Two fine military wheel-lock muskets from my collection, the upper with 'high tech' combined wheel- and snap matchlock, Suhl, Thuringia, dated 1602, the lower Nuremberg, ca. 1600; both preserved in near mint condition throughout. Below a detached, very early wheel-lock, North Italian, ca. 1535.

And a few of my earliest wheel-lock spanners, the dating range comprising the 1520's to up to ca. 1560.

From left to right:

ca. 1520's, combined spanner and priming flask

ca. 1560, combined spanner, screw driver and priming flask

ca. 1530, North Italian


Right, from top to bottom:

each ca. 1540, combined spanners and screw drivers. Those little guys were kept in the butt traps of short wheel-lock harquebuses, so that's what those early 'patch boxes' actually contained.

Michael

[cornelistromp]

herewith one puffer from my collection.
Nuremberg town mark and men with hat mark, 1570.

the maker mark HG at the lock is unknown to me, maybe somebody can help out?

best

[Matchlock]

Hi Cornelis,

Thank you so much for posting that fine and early Nuremberg puffer. Judging by the style of the hop umbles inlay, by the leaf shaped endings of the lock springs and by the head and pointed hat mark on the barrel, I should date this pistol even as early as the second half of the 1560's. There are various similar but mostly Augsburg made puffers in the Historic Museum Geneva, cf. Godoy: Armes à feu XVe-XVIIe siècle, as well as in the Landeszeughaus Graz, cf. Robert Brooker: Landeszeughaus Graz, Wheellock Collection, 2007.

Unfortunately I could not find any records on that special lock maker's mark. Athough there are several Nuremberg marks showing the lily motif and the initials HG in Stockel none of them is identical to that on your piece. It my be a closely related Nuremberg workshop mark, though.

Would you mind posting another two pics showing the whole puffer from both the lock and counter lock side?

Michael

[cornelistromp]

Hi Michael,

thank you, I also could not find the marks

at the moment the puffer is at a friend collector who does a small restoration for me ( a piece of leaf inlay at the front is partly missing)
I will list more pics end of June.

regards from Holland

[cornelistromp]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

Hi Cornelis,

Thank you so much for posting that fine and early Nuremberg puffer. Judging by the style of the hop umbles inlay, by the leaf shaped endings of the lock springs and by the head and pointed hat mark on the barrel, I should date this pistol even as early as the second half of the 1560's. There are various similar but mostly Augsburg made puffers in the Historic Museum Geneva, cf. Godoy: Armes à feu XVe-XVIIe siècle, as well as in the Landeszeughaus Graz, cf. Robert Brooker: Landeszeughaus Graz, Wheellock Collection, 2007.

Unfortunately I could not find any records on that special lock maker's mark. Athough there are several Nuremberg marks showing the lily motif and the initials HG in Stockel none of them is identical to that on your piece. It my be a closely related Nuremberg workshop mark, though.

Would you mind posting another two pics showing the whole puffer from both the lock and counter lock side?

Michael

Hi Michael,

Herewith some more foto's

Best regards

[Emanuel]

I must say Michael and Cornelis, you give me a newfound appreciation for guns, their history and the intricacies of their development. The passion you put into the study of every part is inspiring.

Many thanks!
Emanuel

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Emanuel

I must say Michael and Cornelis, you give me a newfound appreciation for guns, their history and the intricacies of their development. The passion you put into the study of every part is inspiring.

Many thanks!
Emanuel

Absolutely agree Emanuel! Both of these gentlemen are consistantly amazing as they share thier passion for these rarest of firearms with us here. Each installment of breathtaking photos is accompanied by keen attention to even the smallest of details, and as in this thread, information on a true rarity, the spanners on these wheellocks. The knowledge imparted here is magnificent.

I know next to nothing on these firearms, but I know that like me, many are paying close attention, and we are definitely learning, from two incredible professors!!
Thank you so much Michael and Cornelis!!!

All the best,
Jim