Leonardo's snap lock. The missing link ?

[Philip]

Originally Posted by Raf

Also interesting is the lack of a frizen spring and no evidence that one was ever fitted at least to this gun. Which suggest what I suspected; that early snaplocks may have relied simply on the inertia of a relatively heavy steel creating enough resistance to create a spark. Difficult to argue that something like this could not have been knocked up by any blacksmith sometime in the fifteenth century...

Hi, Raf
There are a number of extremely primitive snaplock guns kicking around the States, having been brought back by American servicemen during the Vietnam War. Smallbore, pistol grip stock not fitted for ramrod, and a very rudimentary flint mechanism with external mainspring and no screw-tightened jaws for the flint which was apparently lashed in place with rawhide or the like. THESE LOCKS OFTEN LACK A FRIZZEN SPRING AS WELL.

The guns do not even belong to the Vietnamese culture-sphere, they are aboriginal artifacts associated with the diverse tribes of the Annam/Lao/Cambodia highlands.

As re your comment about the inertia of a heavy frizzen, my examination of a good number of these guns indicates that the steel is not especially massive, and is a rather loose fit on its pivot. But apparently, these things worked! Unfortunately I do not have a photo handy at moment, if I do locate an image, will post it here.