A Myth: Early 16th C. European Matchlock 'Pistols'

[Marcus den toom]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

Right, Marcus,


Matchlocks did exist as tiny copper-alloy cast pistols and muskets with fishtail butts in early 17th c. Great Britain. Interestingly enough, the pistols all are shaped like ball- or lemon-butted wheellock 'puffers' but the (mostly missing) mechanism is a matchholder (no springs attached).
They were used with real powder, as some samples with blown barrels prove, their bore being ca. 2-3 mm.

I photographed an impressive number of them in the reserve collection of the Museum of London, where most of them were excavated.

What I do like a lot is that finely made revolving cylinder and barrel now mounted on a carriage. I am convinced that it originally was part of a wheellock or snaphaunce revolver shaped like the 8-shot 'puffer' attached; it bears the mark of Hans Stopler of Nuremberg and the date 1597 - does anybody happen to know in what museum it is?
Btw, this is definitely not 'the world's oldest revolver', as the text states; revolving cylinder systems were known since at least the 1580's. When Samuel Colt undertook a vacation, he employed the idea from 16th c. weapons he saw in old collections, and from Elisha Collier et al.


Best,
Michael

I am very happy to finaly be able to answer one of your questions the pistol is kept in the Norwegian museum in Maihaugen ( http://www.maihaugen.no/en/Top-menu/...s-collections/ )
http://www.primusweb.no/things/revol...&count=1&pos=0