Dutch target arquebuse dated 1630

[Marcus den toom]

Thank you both for the contributions.
Thank you Cerjak for pointing out the rare wheellock gun as well!!
As to the dates, i am not sure why so many have been dated. Maybe the shooting guilds had an annual competition and these guns were the price (far fetched i am sure)?

The choice for a snap lock has, i think, also another reason. A conventional matchlock requires sufficient power to operate the mechanism. The target gun with hair trigger lacks that power, it is alot of energy put into speed rather than power. A snaplock serves best with it stored energy, ready to be released with a small squeeze of the trigger.

That lockplate you posted Raf seems to have been reused, but the internal workings have been (completly?) been remade. Is this yours?

[Raf]

Is this yours? [/QUOTE]

Nice if it was.Your point about the snaplock being less disturbing to aim is well made and presumably explains why it continued to be used on target guns. My point was that although the snapping matchlock develops quite early it was largely superseded by the more familiar lever action lock for the reasons I mentioned. Shooting competitions, arquebus or crossbow, seem to have been a feature of guilds which were effectively militia groups . One wonders if the dates had something to do with when an individual was admitted to a guild. By the way the Dutch name "zwamslot" freely translated means Mushroom/fungus Lock.One wonders whether the internals of the lock I posted were completely re made since all that was really required was to cut away the flashpan and fit a new serpentine.

[Marcus den toom]

The barrel has been repaired and cleaned. The percussion tower has also been removed. This revealed a second possible screw hole, since filled.
My idea is the barrel had a screw on powderpan.
Attached pictures

The lock could than just have been a rectangular snap tinder lock.

[Raf]

My idea is the barrel had a screw on powderpan.

It's a reasonable idea especially since the front drilling is offset avoid drilling into the bore . Otherwise what are these holes for ? For clarification is the hair / set trigger arrangement part of the trigger assembly as in the x ray image in your previous post?

[Marcus den toom]

Originally Posted by Raf

For clarification is the hair / set trigger arrangement part of the trigger assembly as in the x ray image in your previous post?

Yes the trigger assembly is one part with a set trigger system.
I have asked the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam for pictures of the inside of the rectangular locks. These internal pictutes would complete the puzzle.

[Marcus den toom]

Sofar i have been unable to find any other locks belonging to this type of gun.
My best guess is as follows (see picture):
A rectangular lock plate with an early tumbler and sear mechanism as seen on flintlocks. The black parts are the springs, the red part is the tinder holder.
A similar mechanism can be seen on a 1530-40s snap tinder lock.
Will keep looking, any help in finding more of these guns is appreciated

[Marcus den toom]

A chaperon from the "Schutterij", a city guard comprised of citizen soldiers, of the city Dordrecht. In this instance it belonged to the "kloveniers gilde" a Dutch interpretation of the French word couleuvrine, a short musket.

The Chaperon is embroided with a royal tree (emblem of Prince Maurits), crossed with two target guns very similar to the one in post 17. There is also a date of 1622, which is another great example of how these guns seem to have been around mostly during the first half of the 17th century coinciding with the golden age of the Netherlands.

It is very difficult to decern but it looks like the guns have a diopter visor on the front.