Arquebuses 1460-1480

Spiridonov · 23rd June 2009, 12:05 PM

I need of photos of arquebuses from 1460 to 1480 years. Especially with the remained wood.

Matchlock · 23rd June 2009, 03:21 PM

Hi Spiridonov,

As you you, these items retaining their original stocks are almost impossible to find. We know of some 1460-80 haquebuts with their stocks actually retained but of less than five surviving short, portable (h)arquebuses.

The earliest and crudest of them may be a piece at the Pilsen Armory (top).

A second, now at the Royal Armouries Leeds, may be as early as the 1470's-80's (next down in line). The snap tinder mechanism is missing except for the main spring.

Four others, illustrated in Diebold Schilling's Berne Chronicle (1483), seemingly have no surviving syblings; their butt stocks look strikingly modern.

Another actual sample, at the Bavarian Army Museum Ingolstadt, should in my opinion be dated "ca. 1500"; it never had a mechanism. Exactly this type is illustrated in Diebold Schilling's Lucerne Chronicle of 1513.

Of a different type of early stocks we have only an illustration in the Landshut Armory Inventory of 1485.

Regards,
Michael

Spiridonov · 23rd June 2009, 09:12 PM

Thank you very much! some of this already i saw, but some was opening for me. Look at some detales on this pictures:

Spiridonov · 23rd June 2009, 09:17 PM

Why did this arquebus is dated so? There is no deepening for a lockplate. How its lock looked? do you have high quality photo of this? Do you have photo from another viewes? Do you know calibre and length? Sorry - too much questions

Matchlock · 26th June 2009, 02:07 PM

Hi Spiridonov,

Brilliant questions.

Let me try and answer them as precisely as I can. I attach the images marked by you.

1. The design on the buttstocks of these early (h)arquebuses is not a lock plate or a stylized mechanism but a carved double volute ornament.

2. The arquebuses illustrated in Diebold Schilling's Lucerne Chronicle of 1513 are ignited clearly by means of a snap tinder lock (tinder is a kind of fungus growing on trees and was lighted by the smoldering matchcord) but no details are shown.

3. The dating of this arquebus is based on the shape of the early Landsknecht (mercenary) buttstock and the barrel with its integral back sight at the extreme rear and no pronouned muzzle section which somtimes occurs between ca. 1470-1500.

4. The snap tinder lock mechanism of the gun no. 3, of which only the main spring is retained, was nailed or clamped to the stock and certainly looked a lot like the ones on the Pilsen arquebuses - with the exception that the small serpentine plate was not present yet.

Regards,
Michael

Jim McDougall · 26th June 2009, 03:07 PM

You guys are great!!! Excellent annotation on the artwork and perfectly posed questions followed by excellent (as always) answers.
Textbook guys!! pure textbook

Thank you,
All the best,
Jim

23rd June 2009, 12:05 PM	#1
Spiridonov Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Russia, Leningrad Posts: 355	Arquebuses 1460-1480 I need of photos of arquebuses from 1460 to 1480 years. Especially with the remained wood.

23rd June 2009, 03:21 PM	#2
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi Spiridonov, As you you, these items retaining their original stocks are almost impossible to find. We know of some 1460-80 haquebuts with their stocks actually retained but of less than five surviving short, portable (h)arquebuses. The earliest and crudest of them may be a piece at the Pilsen Armory (top). A second, now at the Royal Armouries Leeds, may be as early as the 1470's-80's (next down in line). The snap tinder mechanism is missing except for the main spring. Four others, illustrated in Diebold Schilling's Berne Chronicle (1483), seemingly have no surviving syblings; their butt stocks look strikingly modern. Another actual sample, at the Bavarian Army Museum Ingolstadt, should in my opinion be dated "ca. 1500"; it never had a mechanism. Exactly this type is illustrated in Diebold Schilling's Lucerne Chronicle of 1513. Of a different type of early stocks we have only an illustration in the Landshut Armory Inventory of 1485. Regards, Michael Attached Images

23rd June 2009, 09:12 PM	#3
Spiridonov Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Russia, Leningrad Posts: 355	Thank you very much! some of this already i saw, but some was opening for me. Look at some detales on this pictures: Attached Images

23rd June 2009, 09:17 PM	#4
Spiridonov Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Russia, Leningrad Posts: 355	Why did this arquebus is dated so? There is no deepening for a lockplate. How its lock looked? do you have high quality photo of this? Do you have photo from another viewes? Do you know calibre and length? Sorry - too much questions Attached Images

26th June 2009, 02:07 PM	#5
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi Spiridonov, Brilliant questions. Let me try and answer them as precisely as I can. I attach the images marked by you. 1. The design on the buttstocks of these early (h)arquebuses is not a lock plate or a stylized mechanism but a carved double volute ornament. 2. The arquebuses illustrated in Diebold Schilling's Lucerne Chronicle of 1513 are ignited clearly by means of a snap tinder lock (tinder is a kind of fungus growing on trees and was lighted by the smoldering matchcord) but no details are shown. 3. The dating of this arquebus is based on the shape of the early Landsknecht (mercenary) buttstock and the barrel with its integral back sight at the extreme rear and no pronouned muzzle section which somtimes occurs between ca. 1470-1500. 4. The snap tinder lock mechanism of the gun no. 3, of which only the main spring is retained, was nailed or clamped to the stock and certainly looked a lot like the ones on the Pilsen arquebuses - with the exception that the small serpentine plate was not present yet. Regards, Michael Attached Images

26th June 2009, 03:07 PM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,868	You guys are great!!! Excellent annotation on the artwork and perfectly posed questions followed by excellent (as always) answers. Textbook guys!! pure textbook Thank you, All the best, Jim