A TORADOR MUSKET FOR A BOY

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Pukka Bundook

Are there any written accounts of the use of these short and even shorter matchlocks? I have seen paintings of hunting scenes, but they generally show long or intermediate arms.

Regarding dates;
It is possible that the dates are when they were "inventoried" in an arsenal, rather than when they were made. On Indian arms, this sometimes happened more than once.

Richard.

Richard, I am sure that those dates are arsenal dates and have nothing to do with their manufacture.

As for the short versions being mentioned in written accounts, there are a few mentions in general of "tamancha torador" but the only reference to their purpose I know of is by Georeg Stone who said that they were "probably mainly for show". I think they would have been a good household defense weapon, the ones pictured just do not look like show pieces unless Stone meant they were more for intimidation.