Automatically Opening Pan Covers on German Matchlocks, ca. 1560-1650

[Matchlock]

I owe the inspiration to write this thread to our member Philip.


This feature is extremley rare to find on German military matchlock muskets, and all those pieces are equipped with a matchlock mechanism the lock plate of which has the shape of a wheel-lock.

Obviously, the autmatically opening pan cover has been taken over from the wheel-lock; in some cases it even appears on matchlock mechanisms which actually are pretending to be wheel-locks and are only identifiable as matchlocks at second sight.

The earliest known sample is in my collection. Its is the first illustrated below, clearly pretending to be a wheel-lock and made in ca. 1560, most probably in Augsburg. It's a snap matclock. The pan cover has to be shut manually, then the serpentine with a length of matchcord is cocked and when the trigger is pulled it snaps down into the pan, simultaneously opening the cover. Even the safety catch is the same as on wheel-locks.
I posted it here before.

The next sample is only known from Suhl matchlocks of ca. 1590 to 1620. This heavy wallgun (Lunten-Hakenbüchse) is dated 1592 on the barrel and struck with Suhl marks on both barrel and lockplate.
A very similar Suhl mechanism, ca. 1610, is illustrated in detail below.

Next there is a similar but somewhat later piece, Suhl, ca. 1620-25; it was sold Christies in 2000, from the Keith W. Neal collection. The position of the serpentine is a working time alteration; originally it would have rested on the right side nail the hole of which is visible.

At the bottom, a matchlock musket, ca. 1650, that I photographed in the reserve collection of the fortress of Hohensalzburg more than 20 years ago.

Best, Michael

[Fernando K]

Hello, Matchlock

Pardon invoking the translator, but I can not write English.
On the first key (lock), could not be a key (lock) wheel (wheeellock), transformed by X key reasons wick (matchlock)?
If this was a key (lock) wheel (wheeellock) and we remove some elements and introduce other individual, would like what we have now.
I have not had my hands on the piece, I can not see all the changes that would, and I can only think of the photos you've uploaded to the forum, but I note two things:
Lever (lever) of the cover-pan (pan-cover) has the same shape of the cam (lever) of a key (lock) wheel (wheellock), with a party that expands to close to the axis of the wheel for your crank (spindle) the move.
His spring (spring), that key (lock) wheel (wheellock) acted on its lower lobe, from the bottom up, to keep the cover-bowl (cover-bread) always closed (except when the wheel starts to spin ) has been moved to act top-down over the top, so that tends to keep the cup-cover (cover-bread) always open, unless you close it manually and lock the sear (sear).
One question: I do not see the spring (spring) would keep the sear (sear) against the inside of the plate (plate), keeping the sear (sear) against the inside of the plate (plate) maintaining cover-dolly ( Cover-pan) closed, and its enclosure at the front peeking out of the stage (plate) and serving to stop the movement of the coil.
Affectionately from Argentina. Fernando Keilty

[fernando]

Fernando K's post translation may not be fully efective.
I will PM him, to remind the convenience to also post the original text, to provide some support to the translation.
Maybe, in the context, some editing touch ups can be made to the english text.

[fernando]

Hello, Matchlock
You will pardon me for using the translator resource, but I can not write in English.
On the first lock, could it not be a wheel lock, transformed by X key reasons into a matchlock?
If this was a wheel lock and we remove some elements and introduce distinct ones, it would become what we have now.
I have not had my hands on the piece, I can not apreciate all the transformations and I can only judge by the photos you've uploaded to the forum, but I note two things:
The lever of the pan-cover has the same shape of a wheel lock lever, with a part that expands to approach to the axis of the wheel, to allow its crank to move it.
Its spring, which on a wheel lock lever acted on its lower lobe, from the bottom to top, to keep the pan cover always closed (except when the wheel starts to spin ) has been moved to act on the lobe upper part, from top to bottom, so that it tends to keep the cover-pan always open, unless you close it manually and make it lock with the sear.
One question: I do not see the spring that would keep the sear against the plate interior face, keeping the cover pan closed, its front part appendix appearing out of the plate, to provide the retention of the serpentine movement.
Affectionately from Argentina. Fernando Keilty

Hola, Matchlock
Perdonarás que recurra al traductor, pero no puedo escribir en inglés.
Respecto a la primera llave ¿no podría ser una llave de rueda, transformada por X razones en llave de mecha?
Si esta fué una llave de rueda y le quitamos algunos elementos e introducimos otros distintos, quedaría como lo que ahora tenemos. Yo no he tenido en mis manos la pieza, no puiedo observar las transformaciones, y solo puedo opinar por las fotografías que has subido al foro, pero hago natar simplemente dos cosas:
La leva del cubrecazoleta tiene la misma configuración de la leva de una llave de rueda, con una parte que se ensancha para acercarse al eje de la rueda para que su cigueñal la mueva.
Su resorte, que en la leva de una llave de rueda, actuaba sobre su lóbulo inferior, de abajo-arriba para mantener el cubrecazoleta siempre cerrado (salvo cuando la rueda comience a girar) ha sido movido para que actúe sobre la parte superior del lóbulo, ae arriba-abajo, de manera que tienda a mantener el cubrecazoleta siempre abierto, salvo que se lo cierre manualmente y se lo haga enganchar con el fiador.

Una pregunta: No veo al resorte que mantendría al fiador contra la cara interior de la platina, manteniendo al cubrecazoleta cerrado, y su apéndice de la parte delantera asomándose afuera de la platina y sirviendo para detener el movimiento del serpentín.

Afectuosamente desde Argentina Fernando Keilty

[Bolek]

I greet you all!
My name is Benny and I live in Poland.

I hope I have understood that the matchlock mechanism.
For the first time I encounter this type, it is interesting.

I greet the Polish

Bolek

[Matchlock]

Perfecty understood, Benny,

And welcome here!

Michael

[fernando]

Welcome to the forum, Benny .

[Bolek]

I am interested in the trigger system.


Is that how it looks?

I present my way of thinking.

I ask you if you correct me I'm wrong

Greetings

Bolek

[rickystl]

Thank you very much for posting pictures. Very interesting. Never seen one like this before. Rick.