28th July 2009, 04:29 PM | #1 |
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Barrel dating
Whether there is an error in dating of this trunk? Is the wood original or faked in 19 century As it sometimes happened?
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28th July 2009, 06:55 PM | #2 |
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Hi, Spiridonov,
This fine handgun is one of the most drastic examples of dating early guns incorrectly in more recent arms history. It was salvaged from the water at the Kurisches Haff, Poland, in the 19th century. The barrel is of cast copper alloy, the tiller stock is original and hollowed out to receive the ramrod. The item is preserved at the National Museum Wojska Polskiego, Warsaw. As the swiveling pan cover attached by a screw (neither screws nor pans or pan covers are known before ca. 1500!), and according to the new and transferable dating criteria that I have evolved, a date closely to around 1500 can be fixed. I attach images of a very similar Nuremberg tiller gun from my collection, retaining its original limewood tiller stock decorated with stamps of flowers and other symbols, just like Gothic book bindings. Best, Michael |
28th July 2009, 08:24 PM | #3 | |
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Quote:
This barrel had pan cover too http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attach...id=48227&stc=1 |
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28th July 2009, 09:31 PM | #4 |
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1. Not one single Asian hand cannon is kown to have actually been cast (they are all cast) before 1500.
2. How did you come and state that this barrel originally had a pan cover? Best, Michael |
29th July 2009, 08:59 AM | #5 | |
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29th July 2009, 09:04 AM | #6 |
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Otepaa seemsed was have touch hole cover. It dated about the end of 14 century
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29th July 2009, 11:08 AM | #7 | |
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Michael Last edited by Matchlock; 29th July 2009 at 01:53 PM. |
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29th July 2009, 11:20 AM | #8 | |
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29th July 2009, 11:25 AM | #9 |
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The development of touch holes, pans and covers
Hi Spiridonov,
There were no covers of touch holes in the 1470's. In about 1450 touch holes started to get surrounded by a slight pan like moulding for the priming powder. These were the earliest forms of rudimentary priming pans. During the second half of the 15th century, the touch holes tended to 'wander' from the top flat of the barrel to the right side, just above the wood of the stock, step by step. With both the touch holes and their priming mouldings becoming larger within that same period of time, we find the erliest examples of fully developed pans and covers around 1500. This explanation is oversimplified, though, and can by no means be regarded as a rule. There are lots of examples of barrels with a touch hole still on the top flat and with no pan like moulding as late as ca. 1500. After the turn of of the century, however, they rapidly vanish and pans with covers start prevailing. Best, Michael |
29th July 2009, 12:05 PM | #10 |
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Arquebuse of Martin Merz 1475 year have flashpan |
29th July 2009, 01:09 PM | #11 |
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This is another big error in arms literature; Martin Merz' book was on artillery; he died in Amberg, Bavaria, in 1501.
He started writing his book in 1475 and finshed it shortly before his death; it was common in those days to write sketch books that were already bound, and often leave a couple of pages free for later amendmends. This drawing of a handgun with the pan on the right side of the barrel, with a matchlock on a fully developed lock plate and a carved wooden stock must have been one of Merz' latest additions. I attach a photo of his tombstone made of red marble; he was blind in one eye, probably from an accident at work. Best, Michael Last edited by Matchlock; 29th July 2009 at 03:28 PM. |
29th July 2009, 01:28 PM | #12 |
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Two matchlock arquebuses simillar to the drawing by Martin Merz, from the Ingenieurskunst- und Wunderbuch (Book on Engineering and Miracles), Weimar, ca. 1520's, fol. 196r.
The barrels can be formally dated to ca. 1500. Michael Last edited by Matchlock; 29th July 2009 at 03:29 PM. |
29th July 2009, 01:39 PM | #13 |
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Thank you! It is the very interesting fact!
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29th July 2009, 01:51 PM | #14 |
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For a barrel from your preferred period of interest please go to:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=10526 |
31st July 2018, 09:51 PM | #15 | |
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As I pointed out in the other thread, the terminus ante quem for the Otepää gun isn´t usable any longer, but there is archaeological evidence (which I would prefer instead of other criteria) for dating the destruction of the castle within the 1st half of the 15th century. So the hypothesis of "no pan covers before ca. 1500" seems to be wrong. If you compare the weapon to other finds, there are also some matches, so the Otepää gun can´t be repudiated as a "non central european weapon". Furthermore, a "trough-like" pan with upturned edges (but without pan cover) is present at the Mörkö-gun, which is dated to the 1st half of the 15th century. Last edited by Paddy T.; 31st July 2018 at 10:03 PM. |
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