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#1 |
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: St. Louis, MO area.
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Hello all. Can anyone translate Japanese? Hope these pics are clear enough? Any help most appreciated. Thanks, Rick.
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#2 |
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I made contact with a Mr. Phillip Tom through Fernando here on the Forum. Thank you again Fernando. Phillip says the inscription appears to be the number "183". A lady at a local Japanese restaurent believes it says:
"100 and 13". And the script on the breach plug basically says the same. Well, unfortunatly, it's not a signature ![]() |
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#3 |
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I re-assembled the gun and here are some pics. She's now a .56 caliber with a modern steel smooth bore liner. I found some additional markings on the inside of the stock where the barrel fits. I'll have to do some more research. Would like to find out what school or period of time this piece dates to. The Japanese used these matchlocks for some 300 years, all the way up till about 1850. Talk about slow technology evolution
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#4 |
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Gyeongsan, South Korea
Posts: 57
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Yes, it does seem to be "183" (百八十三), although the 8 (八) is rather elaborate. It looks like the number is to match the barrel with the breech plug.
Attached is a picture of a Japanese matchlock barrel I have. It is signed on one flat and is numbered on another flat "116" (百十六). |
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#5 |
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Hi bluelake. Thanks for the confirmation - and the pic of your barrel. So, your's is both signed AND numbered. I looked real close under magnafication before I re-assembled the gun. But no signature, not even a trace. I'll try to get marking on the inside of the stock and the tiny piece of rice paper translated. Might you know what they mean? See photos. Thanks again, Rick.
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#6 | |
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Location: Gyeongsan, South Korea
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#7 | |
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#8 | |
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Location: The Netherlands
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Nice old matchlock Rick.
Refreshing subject on the forum ![]() Quote:
Do you intend to fire it ? Best regards, Willem |
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#9 | |
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#10 |
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Dear Rick,
Interesting. Black powder shooting with an oriental touch. Is it a discipline int he US ? Will the steel liner make it more accurate ? And how accurate is such a weapon ? Best regards, Willem |
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#11 | |
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The old iron barrels are usually rough inside. The barrel on this gun was actually good enough where just burnishing would be OK. But the steel liner makes it very smooth and adds a larger degree of safety. These smooth bore barrels are accurate out to about 50-60 yards. After that, the ball starts to veer sideways due to the lack of rifling. Rick. |
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#12 |
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Gyeongsan, South Korea
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I would shoot my .45 cal. repro Japanese/Korean matchlock (Koreans started shooting that design after the Japanese invasion at the end of the 16th century) when I would visit my hometown in the States; however, I have that one here in Korea now, as I use it as a show-and-tell item when I give lectures on the subject. I still have a .50 cal. Japanese repro in the States, but don't shoot it much.
I fired my original barrel (shown above) in a test. I loaded it with 50gr black powder, .54 cal. round ball and paper wad. I strapped it to a saw horse and touched it off with a slowmatch attached to a linstock. |
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#13 | |
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The barrel wall thickness at the breech of my barrel is over 1/4". I going to try to get it to the Shooting Range this weekend (if it ever stops raining here). I have the powder, correct ball size, patching, (mine is now a .54 caliber with the liner) and nitrated match cord. I'll post pictures of targets. Rick. |
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#14 | |
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#15 | |
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![]() By the way, John Buck is making me a Powder Horn - Landsknechts style. I'll let him know about our correspondence next time I talk to him. Rick. |
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#16 | |
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![]() ![]() ![]() But seriously. Cool hobby. makes me wonder why I am playing with knives. |
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#17 | |
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Gyeongsan, South Korea
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![]() Sometime I'd like to see if John can make what the Koreans call a cheonbochong (thousand pace gun) , which is a matchlock wall gun (five foot barrel and about .92 cal.). Here is one supposed example: ![]() |
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#18 | |
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#19 | |
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