Dutch target arquebuse dated 1630

[Marcus den toom]

Target gun or target rudder. The tinder snap lock has a rectangular lock plate with a cock on which a tube for the tinder is brazed. The barrel consists of a quadrangular part that after a ring, stamped twice with a mark in the shape of a key under a crown or finial, via a round and a second ring, ends in a cup-shaped trumpet showing the remains of a sight grain; equipped with a visor with viewing hole stamped with an incomplete year. The stock has an octagonal grip and a massive supporting bobbin under the lock, the sides of which are carved in relief with panels based on the architectural style decoration of late 16th century book covers; the front and back of the support bobbin are almost three-dimensionally cut and pierced with, among other things, a half-seated faun with a bagpipe and a large lion's head; instead of a thumb plate, the stock behind the barrel is cut with a cobblestone. The iron fittings consist of a drawer cover and band made of iron sheet, a trigger guard shaped to the fingers, and a butt plate with a spur across the entire grip; the steel ramrod dates back to the eighteenth century at the earliest.

length 165.6 cm
length barrel 127.3 cm
diameter 13.3 mm
weight 7.8 kg
Purchased from the H.L. Visser Collection, with the support of the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, the Ministerie van OCenW, the Ministerie van Defensie, the VSBfonds, the BankGiro Lottery and the Rijksmuseum Fonds

https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/NG-2002-23-11

[Marcus den toom]

The lock has a rectangular lock plate and a snake-shaped cock ending in a snake head for the tinder. The barrel is of the so-called half-box barrel type common for target rifles; chiselled on top with a frieze between two rings; ends at the trumpet; the groove of the block-shaped, iron rear sight is formed by two curls, the sight grain is made of yellow copper; the bottom of the pan is chiseled with a cross. The large wooden supporting column under the lock is carved in relief with panels depicting a flower calyx in the center; the front and back of the supporting bobbin are carved in high relief with large lion heads amid foliage; a grotesque male head is carved behind the barrel. Apart from the iron trigger guard, partly molded for the fingers, the fittings are of yellow brass and consist of two drawer covers, the trigger guard, the butt plate and two decorated plates for the carriage bolts; the steel ramrod is nineteenth century.

length 171 cm
length barrel 128.4 cm
diameter 13.3 mm
weight 5.0 kg
Purchased from the H.L. Visser Collection, with the support of the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, the Ministerie van OCenW, the Ministerie van Defensie, the VSBfonds, the BankGiro Lottery and the Rijksmuseum Fonds

https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/NG-2002-23-13

[Marcus den toom]

The lock plate has a point at the ends. The barrel is of the so-called halber Kistenlauf type, equipped with a yellow copper sight and grain; the ring for the octagonal breech is chiseled with the year 1611; the round part of the barrel is stamped twice with a mark in the shape of a leaf. The walnut stock has a large support spool at the bottom in which acanthus leaves and a lion are cut out; the number XXIIII is carved into the belly of the stock. The previously gold-plated, brass fittings consist of a trigger plate, a trigger guard and a butt plate with a pointed, corrugated top part stamped with VAN GOES; the ramrod is made of steel.

length 144.2 cm
length barrel 105.3 cm
diameter 12.1 mm
weight 5.2 kg
Purchased from the H.L. Visser Collection, with the support of the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, the Ministerie van OCenW, the Ministerie van Defensie, the VSBfonds, the BankGiro Lottery and the Rijksmuseum Fonds

https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/NG-2002-23-9

[Marcus den toom]

Lock: Zwamslot. Flat, narrow and rectangular lock plate with external spring, secured with two lock screws. Cock in spiral shape with tubular wick holder. Barrel: Partly square (back) and round. Funnel-shaped trumpet with longitudinal fluting. Sight ring (on breech), sight and bead. Drawer: Two solid brass drawer bands. Square support block with carved decoration of leaf and floral motifs. Stock: with copper butt plate. Marked: 2x on the front of the barrel. Dated: 2x.

length c. 163 cm
length barrel 120.8 cm
diameter 1.27 cm
weight 6.8 kg


https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/collection/NG-NM-517

[Raf]

An embaresment of riches. You have now have plenty of references to fill out its missing history. On the lock. I assume you have checked to see if parts of the percussion lock haven't been recycled from a snaplock as some of the images show later type locks. Snaplocks never really caught on since it was found that the rapid action tended to snuff out match cord. Hence they are mostly tinder locks. Genuine dates on firearms are rare and one wonders why so many of these target guns are dated. Maybe something to do with shooting guilds.