Gun Lock for I.D.

[Matchlock]

Hi Rick,

The second miquelet lock is kind of a riddle indeed because there is no maker's name or mark on it but two different local names.

Let's start with EN CORDOVA. This clearly is a phonetic variation of EN CÓRDOBA, Spain or Argentina, where the locksmith should have lived. Stockel's Handskydevaabens Bedomelse, in its 1978 revised edition by E. Heer, only lists five names for Córdoba, Spain, and none for Argentina:

Azcoitia, Cristobal, crossbowmaker, ca. 1580;

Azcoitia, Diego, crossbowmaker, ca. 1580;

Azcoitia, Juan, crossbowmaker, late 16th c.;

Fernandez (Hernandez) , Francisco, ca. 1620;

Hernandez, Francisco, recorded before 1644. Of course, the latter two may be indentical.


I realize that won't really help you along as the different periods of time when these lived and when your lock mechanism was made are way too far apart to enable any congruency ...

Now what can the word AUSTRIA possibly mean? Of course, Spain and Austria had mutual both political and cultural relations, especially the court ceremonial, from the 16th to the 19th c., and a few guns with miquelet locks are known indeed to exist, as far as I remember. So my conclusion would be that the lock was built in Spain for an Austrian gunsmith, who would then have signed the barrel.

Best,
Michael