Snap Tinder Lock - Usage

[Martin Moser]

Hello all,

this is my first post here so let me also take the chance and briefly introduce myself. My main interest actually lies outside the scope of this forum, it being the research of historical leather items of all sorts and periods as well as their reproduction, I am in the process of recreating a Landknecht of the first half of the 16th century. I have recently had a replica of a Schwammschlossbüchse (snap tinder lock gun) made, the original of which has been protryed elsewhere here. I am now experimenting with how the gun might have been fired under contemporary conditions.
From Matchlock's excellent postings I understand that the tinder was

... cut in rectangular, rather short pieces, each meant to be used for one shot only. This piece of tinder was put in the small head of the matchholder; with 15th to mid-16th century guns, the heads of their matchholders were actually too tiny to receive the rather thick matchcord.
The tinder was lit by means of a piece of glowing coal or smoldering match.

This already solves one part of the puzzle for me, namely the method of ignition!
Firing the gun I found that the tinder actually can be good for up to about 5 shots (the piece being about 2-3 cms long). What happens is that the part protruding from the holder burns off quickly but then, the tinder being encased by the tubular holder seems to get little oxigen and only glows very slowly. if pushed forward be means of a needle of sorts and blown on, it rekindles and is good for the next shot.
My questions are
1) can you point me to the written sources describing the usage of tinder snap locks please if there are any?
2) are there any sources that detail the loading sequence of such guns? (the earliest I know of at the moment are from the early 17th century)

I attach a few pictures of the gun fyi.

Thanks and best,
Martin

[Matchlock]

Hi Martin,


What my friend Armin, who built this gun for you, told you can be but repeated by me: our own experimentation is the most important thing to exploring such 500- to 600-year-old details that have become outdated long since.

Alas, no real sort of 'owner's manual' to using tinder is known. I am sure though that Johann Heinrich Zedler, in the many volumes of his Universal-Lexikon (1st half to mid-18th century), also included the entries 'Schwamm' and 'Zunder' (German for tinder), giving older sources as well. All the big university libraries have copies of Zedler's Lexikon, so all you have to do is look for the last volume.
I have, in the course of the years, tried to post all early sources showing the use of tinder in gun igniting mechanisms. What I could not find, however, were rules concerning the single steps of the loading procedure for such guns. I trust, though, that the common sense and a combination of sanity and reason will reliably guide you.


Best,
Michael

[Martin Moser]

Hi Michael,

thanks for your answer! I was quite sure you'd immediately recognize where this one comes from :-)

Alas, no real sort of 'owner's manual' to using tinder is known

Hm, yes, I feared as much, but you never know ... Thanks for the pointer to Zedler - his complete Universallexikon is online and searchable btw.: http://www.zedler-lexikon.de/ :-) Now I only have to work my way through the "Bilze" entry ...

Best,
Martin

[Andi]

Servus Martin!

Nice to meet you here since a long time. Your Schwammschloßbüchse is really phantastic, a very nice piece. Congratulations. I hope to meet you somewhere soon.

[Matchlock]

Servus, Martin and Andi,

Please see here:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18532

Best/viele Grüße,
Michael