A rather rustic blunderbuss

Norman McCormick · 22nd July 2012, 06:53 PM

"Light the blue touchpaper and retire"

fernando · 22nd July 2012, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norman McCormick

"Light the blue touchpaper and retire"

No need to retire, Norman; she won't burst

Matchlock · 22nd July 2012, 10:07 PM

Hi Norman,

I admit having to look up that cool saying:

"light the blue touch paper and retire immediately to a safe distance"

Best wishes,
Michael

M ELEY · 7th August 2012, 06:27 AM

Wow! Sorry I missed this great piece earlier, Fernando! I am NO expert on guns, but several things did jump out at me on this piece. The point, already discussed and pointed out, of the blacksmith quality of this piece (which, BTW, I find appealing rather than deterring) and the second is the wood used to make the stock. It appears to be wormy ash, if I'm correct? This type of wood was popular for pike shafts, particularly boarding pikes. I find it interesting that this piece was constructed so and leads me to suspect that it was perhaps made in one of the Portuguese colonies rather than the homeland? Why else would this blunderbuss on all accounts be as primitive as it is? Hard times and few materials meant rougher construction, as seen in the American colonies during the Revolution, Spanish colonial pieces, etc. Of course, I'd love to say that this could be a pirate piece (

) and it does strike me as colonial. Bluderbuss were popular sea weapons (used to discourage mutinies), although brass barrels were more typical.

spiral · 7th August 2012, 01:01 PM

Fascinating peace Fernando.

Wormy walnut rather than ash to my eye though.

Spiral

M ELEY · 7th August 2012, 01:24 PM

I do think you are right, Spiral. Walnut it is. Still, is this a common wood to use for stocks of this period?

Matchlock · 7th August 2012, 03:20 PM

Oh yes, 'Nando,

Walnut is the most commonly used wood for private guns throughout the late 17th to the 21st c., while military guns were mostly stocked in beechwood.

Best,
Michl

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22nd July 2012, 06:53 PM	#1
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,657	"Light the blue touchpaper and retire"

22nd July 2012, 10:07 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi Norman, I admit having to look up that cool saying: "light the blue touch paper and retire immediately to a safe distance" Best wishes, Michael

7th August 2012, 06:27 AM	#4
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,229	Wow! Sorry I missed this great piece earlier, Fernando! I am NO expert on guns, but several things did jump out at me on this piece. The point, already discussed and pointed out, of the blacksmith quality of this piece (which, BTW, I find appealing rather than deterring) and the second is the wood used to make the stock. It appears to be wormy ash, if I'm correct? This type of wood was popular for pike shafts, particularly boarding pikes. I find it interesting that this piece was constructed so and leads me to suspect that it was perhaps made in one of the Portuguese colonies rather than the homeland? Why else would this blunderbuss on all accounts be as primitive as it is? Hard times and few materials meant rougher construction, as seen in the American colonies during the Revolution, Spanish colonial pieces, etc. Of course, I'd love to say that this could be a pirate piece ( ) and it does strike me as colonial. Bluderbuss were popular sea weapons (used to discourage mutinies), although brass barrels were more typical.

7th August 2012, 01:01 PM	#5
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	Fascinating peace Fernando. Wormy walnut rather than ash to my eye though. Spiral

7th August 2012, 01:24 PM	#6
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,229	I do think you are right, Spiral. Walnut it is. Still, is this a common wood to use for stocks of this period?

7th August 2012, 03:20 PM	#7
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Oh yes, 'Nando, Walnut is the most commonly used wood for private guns throughout the late 17th to the 21st c., while military guns were mostly stocked in beechwood. Best, Michl