>i9S
72120274
SMALL ARMS c^
By Frederick Wilkinson
CO
CO CO OJ
With 190 photographs
o o
No one who
has ever admired
the craftsmanship
weapons
will
and lure of
be able to resist
SMALL ARMS. Containing the complete history of small firearms; the techniques of the gunsmith; equipment used
by combatants, sportsmen and hunters,
SMALL ARMS
is
the
authoritative survey of one of
the most fascinating aspects of the craft of weaponry.
In addition, it traces the development of the match-lock, wheel-lock, flint-lock and percussion lock. The chapters on collectors and collecting, fakes and copies, repairs and restoration, and books and collections
make SMALL ARMSa collector's treasure of both practical information and sensible advice.
The author includes I
a gallery of 90 vivid photographs with cap-
tions that are detailed discussions of the objects displayed.
8298
f continued on bu.kjhip}
en
J
>:
SMALL ARMS
Jacket
powder
Illustration
— Front:
A
by John Manton and one of a pair of brass framed, tap-action pocket pistols by Jackson of Market Harborough. Both pistol and tester are from the Rabett collection. Back: Silver butt cap from a mid-eighteenth tester
Queen Anne type flintlock pistol by Covers of Dublin (see plate 75). Frontispiece: See century,
plates 41
and
42.
'4^
SMALL
ARMS Frederick
Wilkinson
HAWTHORN Publishers
BOOKS, •
New
York
INC.
(^ Frederick Wilkinson, 196^. Copyright under International and PanAmerican Copyright Conventions. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce
this
book, or portions thereof,
in
any form,
except for the
inclusion of brief quotations in a review. All inquiries should be addressed to
Hawthorn Books,
Inc.,
70 Fifth Avenue,
of Congress Catalogue Card
New York
Number: 66-16162.
First
American Edition, 1966
TO TERESA AND JOANNA
Printed in Great Britain
8298
City
1001
1.
Library
1
CONTENTS Introduction
PART
7
I
The Story of Small Arms
1
1
Techniques of the Gunsmith Accessories and Extras 4 Collectors and Collecting ^ Fakes and Copies 6 Repairs and Restoration 7 Books and Collections
PART
2
32
3
42
70 77
II
The Matchlock The Wheellock The Flintlock The Percussion Lock Index
5^3
62
86
96 1
-
1
^
200 2^2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Plate
numbers
are in
bold face
Many Some
kind friends have helped, directly and indirectly, in the production of this book. supplied information and others very generously allowed me a free run of their collections and even allowed me to borrow some of their finest pieces. To all these friends, especially those whose names appear in the list, I offer my very sincere thanks and gratefully acknowledge my indebtedness. In addition, both I and the publishers wish to thank all the following for permission to reproduce photographs:
R.
&
P. Bedford 50; 151, 152, 153, 167, 168, 169. H. L.
17, 61, 62, 63, 81, 82, 99, 130, 141, 143, 144.
G. E. Bennett 19, 29, 44; 16, Blackmore 13; 26, 33, 40, 48.
Bubear 30, 56, 57, 126, 127, 128, 129. R. Chapman 50, 51, 52, 53. I. Davies 170, 173. Durrant 148, 154, 158. Dominion Museum of New Zealand 2, 38, 145, 147, 159, 161, 162. Fairclough (Arms) Ltd., 34, 49, no, 125. D. S. H. Gyngell 23, 76; 7, 12, 20,
F. S.
21, 23, 24, 25, 80, 83, 84, 85, •38, 139, 140, 104, 134, 13s,
27, 28, 29, 32, 35, 36, 37, 39, 44, 45, 47, 65, 74, 75, 76. 77. 78, 79, 86, 91, 94, 95, 97, 98, loi, 102, 103, 105, io6, 107, 108, 132, 133, 165. G. Kellam 2j; 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 87, 88, 89, 92, 93, 172.
Littler 46, 54. E. Perry 4, 58, 109, 118, 136, 16. H.M. Tower of Rabett, Front jacket. Smithsonian Institution London (Crown Copyright) i, 3, 31, 43, iii, ii2, 113, 114, 157, 163. Trustees of British Museum 40. E. Valentine 13. Victoria and Albert Museum (Crown Copyright) 5, 59, 60. Wallace Collection (reproduced by permission of the Trustees of the Wallace
G. Knowles, Frontispiece; 41, 42. A. 155, 156. Dr. R.
J.
i
Collection) 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 120, I2i, 122, 123, 124, 171. Westgate Museum, Canterbury 119. Winchester Gun Museum, Connecticut 117. P. WooUacott 22.
INTRODUCTION It
may be
asked, with
some apparent
justification,
why anyone
should be encouraged to study or collect antique firearms. It could be argued that these are lethal weapons designed to kill
and maim and
as
such have no place in a collectors' world; the
only possible reason for such an interest would appear to be a
marked
fascination
whatsoever for
this
with violence. In charge
when
fact,
levelled
there against
is
no
basis
confirmed
collectors. It is usually difficult, if not impossible, for a collector to convey any feeling of his enthusiasm to a non-collector; there is there is no common ground shared little or no point of contact ;
by the two
much
sides. In the case
of weapons, however, the gap
smaller than in almost any other
field.
The
is
usual reaction,
immediate and dramatic. is no difficulty in daydreaming of pirates, high adventure and highwaymen. Few would deny this immediate, possibly childish reaction, but at least a response has been evoked. For the true enthusiast this romantic stage does not last for long. Soon the collector realises that each weapon has an intrinsic fascination of its own and the original purpose of the weapon recedes from his mind. A majority of collectors seldom, if ever,
at least in
When
the male, to an old pistol
is
holding an antique firearm there
Introduction think of the purpose for which the firearm was clesicrned. This
is
not the dehberate or conscious exclusion of an unpleasant fact,
but rather the realisation that each appeal quite divorced from
its
weapon
has an aesthetic
lethal purpose. Until the advent
of mechanisation in the mid-nineteenth century, every
weapon
was unique, differing in detail from its apparent twin. A number of craftsmen and artists lavished their skill and care on the weapon and produced an object which was both functional and beautiful. Every form of decorative material was used, ranging from rich fabrics, precious stones, down the scale to brass wire and nails. Etching, engraving and inlay were all used to enhance the appearance of a well-balanced and, for its period, a highly efficient piece of machinery. The advent of mechanisation did not mean that all weapons became identical. Indeed the reverse is nearer the truth, for the great advances in technology of the nineteenth centurv propagated a flood of gadgets, innovations and patents, greater than ever before. For the collector there is a rich field in nineteenthcentury weapons. Whatever the reason, and many are suggested, there can be no disputing the fact that interest in collecting firearms has increased tremendously since the end of World War 11. The greater demand, especially from America, has meant that prices have risen accordingly. Only the wealthiest of collectors, or perhaps the luckiest, can hope to add top-quality pieces to their collection. This is not to say that the enthusiast of modest means cannot hope to build up an interesting collection - it is not easy to find low-priced items but there are plenty about and fabulous finds still occur.
One
could expound at length on the possibilities and pleasures
of collecting small arms, but
in this
book
I
have preferred to
concentrate on an outline of their fascinating history to the practical
in addition
demands of collecting and the necessary
dis-
cussion of such ancillary subjects as techniques of gunsmiths and
8
Introduction collections open to the enthusiast. Less emphasis has heen put on the ornate, unusual and expensive and more on the ordinary
weapons. The great majority of photographs are appearing in print for the first time and are mainly from private collections. Finally, many lascinatino; hy-ways have reluctantly been Iclt unexplored in the hope and expectation that the reader will discover them for himself.
Page lo. This is one of a number of plates from Military Antiquities by Francis Grose (1786). The plates were based on a series of illustrations from
Arms by Jacob de Gheyn (1607). The powder horns for charging and priming can be seen
Exercise at
of match hanging at the The bullet pouch hangs above the horns.
as well as a spare length left.
Xi". f?tvJn^Ar •'w^p.'
I
THE STORY OF SMALL
ARMS To
the knight,
secure in his fine steel armour,
explosion and the clouds of
smoke
that
first
the
roar of
drifted across the
battlefields of Europe in the early fourteenth century must have seemed like visitations of the devil. Indeed even the sulphurous smell seemed to emphasise an infernal connection. The contemporary chroniclers soon began associating the black powder with the black fiend and emphasising that gunpowder was indeed
an invention of the devil.
Both the Chinese and the Muslims have been credited with the invention of
gunpowder
at a
very early date, but present-day
research tends to dismiss the previous extravagant claims. best available evidence seems to suggest that the Chinese
the
first
The were
to discover the incendiary qualities of a mixture of
some time during the eleventh no reason to suppose that the Chinese used
charcoal, sulphur and saltpetre
century. There
is
cannons any earlier than Europeans. How and when the knowledge of gunpowder first reached Europe is not at all clear. There are contemporary statements which could be taken as referring to gunpowder but there can be no doubt that Roger Bacon knew of its composition in the thirteenth century. This scholar gives details of
simply coded passage in one of
The invention of the cannon but nearly
all
his is
its
formula
likewise shrouded in mystery,
the legends ascribe the dubious honour to a II
in a
books.
German
The Story of Small Arms
monk
of the fourteenth century.
commonly
describes
how
chemicals in a container the lid into the air.
of explosive
The
power was
The
story varies in detail, but
Black Berthold was experimenting with
when an explosion occurred and threw result of this
unplanned demonstration
to initiate the idea of a cannon.
delightfully feasible story but, unfortunately, basis
It
is
a
seems to have no
whatsoever, and research suggests that Berthold himself
myth invented at a later date. The earliest reliable evidence of cannon is usually accepted as being a picture shown in an illustrated manuscript of 1326. A was
a
small picture shows a knight about to
fire a
large vase-shaped
from the neck of which projects the head of an arrow. It is of interest to note that arrows intended for muskets were still held in the Tower of London stores as late as 1600. Artillery powered by gunpowder was almost certainly used in the Battle of Crecy in 1346, but its effect was more frightening than fatal. The arrow rather than the bullet did execution in that battle. However, from this date on references to cannon became increasingly common. The early cannons were usually cast in bronze or copper and were simply barrels fastened to some form of heavy baseboard. They were made in two sections — one a long tube and the other a short cylinder closed at one end. Into this small chamber went the powder and a projectile of stone or iron. The chamber was then locked into position against the end of the barrel. The tip of a red hot iron was placed into a small touch hole situated at the top of the chamber and the cannon fired. The gunner often stood in as much peril as his enemy, for it was not uncommon for the weapon to explode killina all the crew. James II of Scotland perished thus whilst directing a siege at Roxburgh in August 1460. In general, artillery was used onlv in siege warfare, blasting holes in city or castle walls and demolishing defences, and the guns were usually fixed and not easily transportable. However, container,
12
— The Story of Small Arms it was not long before the idea of a small, easily portable weapon was developed and the so-called handgun was the result. These simple tubes of iron varied in length from a few inches to several feet but were almost invariably mounted on long wooden stocks. The body was cast in one piece and the powder and ball were inserted by way of the muzzle. Some of the early cannon were loaded in the same way. Aiming was almost impossible; at best the weapon was unreliable and at worst completely useless.
L^'-y^'-.-v
fcfraK
i
handgun from the Far East. The barrels arc drilled is equipped with a separate touch-hole at the base of a saucer-like depression. There are no pan covers each time a barrel was discharged, the gun was rotated and the next Three-barrel, metal
into a solid block and each
pan primed. Overall length
7 in., barrel 3I in.,
bore
-5 in.
In a document of 141 8 there occurs the first mention of a hackbut or hookgun which was the first firearm that could be said to be aimed. The long tube was fitted to a wooden stock from which projected a hook or lug to fit over a wall and by so doing reduced the kick back or recoil. These early handguns were noisy, unreliable and often ineffective but, nevertheless, they represented the be^innina of a /
revolution in warfare.
No
longer 13
Nvas the
armoured knight the
The Stoiy of Small Arms most important part of the army. The simplest peasant, with a training and a certain amount of luck, could now the flower of chivalry. The longbow required a great deal of skill in its use and long training was necessary the crossbow was slow and expensive to make but the handgun was a weapon that could be produced cheaply and in quantity. An absolute minimum of skill was required and only the thickest, and hence the most cumbersome, of armour was protection against the bullet. It was the beginning of the end for armour although it was not to disappear for several centuries. Examples of these early handguns are extremely rare, though an apparently ancient example occasionally comes along, in
minimum of strike down
;
;
appearance they are very similar to the original type; but, in fact, there is every reason to believe that they are of comparatively recent manufacture, originating in the East. The necessity of some means of heating the 'firing' wire severely limited the mobility of the hand gunner but by the
middle of the fifteenth century this restriction had been removed by the introduction of the slowmatch. A length of cord was boiled in a solution containing, among other things, saltpetre, and then allowed to dry. When the cord was lit it burned slowly with a glowing end which could be used to fire the charge of powder. The operation was entirely manual at first but the addition of an S-shaped lever, or serpentine, rendered it automatic. This lever was fixed to the side of the stock, the glowing end of the match was fastened at the top of the serpentine and pressure
on the lower section depressed the glowing
end on to the touch hole. The matchlock, as this new weapon was called, was at first nothing more than the old handgun equipped with a serpentine, but soon the stock was adapted ami by the early sixteenth century it had a pronounced downward curve. By about 1^30 the matchlock had taken on its most characteristic form, and from Italy this style spread northwards, reaching England via the
Low
Countries.
14
The Stoij of Small Arms This arquebus was long-barrelled, heavy and cumbersome.
The walnut stock was usually quite plain although some specimens were inlaid with mother-of-pearl, ivory and bone. The high combed butt was cut away to facilitate a good grip. The up to forty inches long and weighing anything up to twenty pounds, was so heavy that it was impossible to hold the weapon steady enough to aim. The musketeer overcame this problem by means of an ash staff surmounted by a U-shaped holder. With this rest he could prop up the barrel and so take barrel,
aim.
The simple, hand-operated serpentine was now replaced by
a
system of levers operated by a long bar or trigger. During the early part of the sixteenth century a snaplock had been in use, but it had been discarded as being unsafe the arm which held the glowing slowmatch was at rest with the match pressed into :
the pan.
To prepare
for firing the
arm was pulled
up, away from
the pan, and held in that position by means of a small projection. When a stud or trigger was pressed the arm was released and, impelled by a spring, moved forward and down to ignite the
priming. The danger of accidental discharge
is
obvious and for
more usual matchlock mechanism became common. Here the arm at rest was away from the pan; pressure on the lever or trigger swung the arm forward and down to fire the weapon immediately pressure was removed the arm rose up and away from the pan. A great many of these muskets were this
reason
the
;
fitted
peep
with a small tube above the breech and this served as a A smaller lighter version of the arquebus was known
sight.
as a caliver.
The unrest at the end of the sixteenth century and the beginning of the seventeenth century stimulated a number of writers to produce instruction books for those who wished to become proficient soldiers. Jacob de
some twenty
Gheyn, writing
to thirty separate
commands
in 1607, illustrates
for the loading of the
matchlock, and training recruits must have been a tedious and ^5
The Story oj Small Arms hazardous business. The musketeer had to manage the heavy musket, the rest and a length of matcli glowing at both ends. Thus encumbered, he had to take a charge of powder, pour it into the barrel, take a bullet approximately three-quarters of an inch in diameter, insert that into the barrel and then push it well down with his ramrod. Next he replaced the ramrod in its housing beneath the barrel and tapped the butt smartly to ensure some powder entered the touch hole. From a second container he placed a pinch of Hner-grained powder, called priming powder, into the pan. He next inserted one end of the glowing match into the jaws of the serpentine and now he was ready to fire. Alter each shot the match was withdrawn from the serpentine and the whole process repeated. During all this time the musketeer was defenceless and for this reason musketeers were often interspaced with groups of pikemen who could repel enemy cavalry during this dangerous loading time. Practice, no doubt, reduced the time of loadincr to a minimum, but other drawbacks of the matchlock were less easily overcome. The foin"-foot lenath of match was a constant hindrance and menace. Both ends were kept alight so that an immediate replacement was at hand should one end be extinguished. The musketeer held the match in his hand whilst loading, and the risk of accidental explosion wis very areat indeed. If there was the prospect of action the match had to be kept constantly alight and in rainy weather this was no easy task. The glowing match effectively betrayed the presence of troops and precluded any element of surprise. Difficult though it was for the foot soldier to manage his matchlock, for the horseman it was almost impossible, and indeed matchlock pistols are extremely rare in Europe. Henry VIII had his bodyguard equipped ^\ ith a shield, to the centre of which was fitted a matchlock pistol which was also breechloading, a most unusual and rare combination. The matchlock was a simple weapon, cheaply and easily i6
The Stoiy of Small Arms manufactured. In 1^88 a musket, rest and flask cost twenty-seven and this low cost meant that whole armies could be equipped with them at minimum expense. However, despite
shillings,
the large numbers which must have been produced in Europe, comparatively few have survived, and for this reason genuine specimens are rare and command a high price on the antique
market. Whilst
it
acquire
European matchlock,
a
is
weapon made
very unlikely that the average collector will it
is
still
easy to find a similar
The Portuguese
sailors reached end of the fifteenth century and, of course, their matchlocks went with them. The Indians were greatly impressed by these marvellous weapons and sought to acquire them for their own use. Soon the Indian swordsmiths and armourers were applying their very considerable skills to the production of gunbarrels. Unlike most European barrels these were commonly inlaid with gold or embellished in some other way. The stocks were made from many beautiful woods and again were richly decorated with any number of materials. The matchlock was made in India right up until the beginning of the present century and many of the Indian princes had armouries filled with fine quality weapons. Many of these armouries are being sold and it is possible to find good quality specimens at reasonable prices. The manufacture has stopped now, and Indian matchlocks will become increasingly less common as time goes on. The Portuguese were also responsible for the introduction of the matchlock to Japan, and the Japanese began to manufacture them as well. Japan is a rather special case, and owing to the in
the Orient.
India at the
country's isolation the Japanese gunmaking industry jumped from matchlock to cartridge weapons with little or none of the intermediate development which took place in Europe. Japanese
matchlocks are easily recognised with their rather thick barrels, short stocks and generally stubby butts. The barrels are usually of very fine quality whereas their springs tend to be rather weak S.A.
'7
.
The Story of Small Arms and ineffective. The snaplock, long discarded in Europe is usually found on Japanese weapons. Japanese swordsmiths were experts in metalwork and their skill produced some exquisitely decorated barrels. Brass and silver inlay were common and brass decoration is often found on the stock as well. Japan also produced matchlock pistols ranging from a normal size down to tiny specimens only a few inches long, and it is difficult to believe that these tiny ones were anything
more than
toys or models.
There is one common feature of nearly all Eastern matchlocks, and that is in the operation of the serpentine. It is true to say that, with few exceptions, all European matchlocks have the serpentine moving towards the butt, but almost invariably the Eastern matchlock has the serpentine moving the opposite way, i.e. towards the barrel. There seems to be little to recommend one system or the other and it is rather difficult to see how the two systems remained so different. It may be that Eastern conservatism,
or
mechanism of the although
East,
it
love
of
preserved
tradition,
the
original
European matchlocks that went to the seems rather unlikely that this is the real first
reason In
end of the was mainly due to its was, by that time, an old-fashioned and out-
Europe the matchlock continued
seventeenth century, but cheapness for
it
this
long
in use until the
life
moded weapon. The gunmakers had sought for some simpler system of producing a flame or spark to ignite the priming of the gun. The first practical solution was the wheellock. The lock, which first appears at the beginning of the sixteenth century, was selfigniting and, unlike the match, was ready for use at a moment's notice. The principle was simple - nothing more than rubbing a piece of mineral known as pyrites against a rough-edged, steel wheel. The operating mechanism was rather complicated, consisting of a strong, V-shaped spring which was compressed by i8
The Story of Small Arms rotating a key or spanner. When fully wound the wheel was held by a sear or locking bar; pressure on the trigger withdrew the locking bar and allowed the spring, via a short linked chain, to rotate the wheel very rapidly. The grooved edge of the wheel struck sparks from the pyrites and ignited the priming and hence the main charge of powder. The pyrites was held between the jaws of an angled arm known as the doghead. The early wheellocks were fitted with various safety devices
of a wheellock from an seventeenth-century pistol with gilt wheel cover engraved with simple floral pattern. The pan-cover stud and securing pivot for the doghead are also gilt. Detail early
19
The Story of Small Arms and gadgets, and a good working generalisation is that the simpler the lock plate, i.e. the fewer the knobs and buttons, the later the weapon. The procedure for loading was exactly the same as that of the matchlock except for the priming process. The mechanism was spanned or wound up, and a pinch of priming powder placed in the pan, the bottom of which was formed by the roughened edge of the wheel. A sliding cover was then pushed over the pan, keeping the powder in place. The doghead, or arm holding the pyrites, was pivoted and could be left well clear of the pan, rendering accidental discharge impossible. When action was imminent the arm was pulled back so that the pyrites rested on top of the pan cover; the pan cover itself was automatically removed when the tri^^er was pressed. This new system offered great advantages, for the weapon could now be loaded and primed and left ready for action without the fear of accidents. Another great asset was its adaptability, for it could be made in any reasonable size and for the first time a small, personal, easily portable pistol was possible. Horsemen could now carry firearms, and this development was to have important effects on the whole science of warfare. The wheellock was fitted to all types of weapons and many matchlocks were altered to take this wonderful new svstem. The expense precluded entire armies being equipped with wheellocks, but many select groups such as bodyguards and special cavalry troops were armed with them. The nobilitv ordered fine hunting weapons fitted with this new lock as well as pistols for their own use. Great skill was lavished on the weapons, and many are works of art in their own right. Stocks and barrels were enaraved, inkiid, chiselled - decorated in every conceivable
decoration
style
and
material,
may have been
and
it
is
possible
that
this
responsible for the continued use of
the wheellock for hunting weapons long after the system was obsolete.
20
The Stoij of Small Arms
The majority of
these wheellock hunting weapons have a
curious barrel-heavy appearance; this
is
because a very heavy
barrel was fitted to reduce the recoil, and the butt was
shorter than the
was
fired,
more
usual shoulder stock since the
much
weapon
not from the shoulder, but with the butt resting
aaainst the cheek.
Despite its faults.
its
tremendous advantages the system was not without
Its
very complexity was a great weakness, for mech-
was not uncommon, and only a fairly skilled man could hope to repair any such faults. Its complexity also made it expensive to produce and thus it was not readily available to the majority of people. Some writers of the period also claimed that it was liable to jamming. However, once the idea of mechanically produced sparks had proved practical it was not long before a simpler, more reliable method was discovered. This was the snaphaunce, or snaphance, lock which appeared in the mid-sixteenth century. The pyrites of the wheellock was replaced by the commoner flint, and in place of the wheel and chain a simpler mechanical system was used. The piece of flint was held firmly between two jaws at the top of a curved arm or cock; the pan was covered, as in the wheellock, by a sliding cover, and just above the pan cover was a steel plate at the end of a metal arm. Loading and priming were essentially the same as for the wheellock. After their execution the steel was lowered into position above the closed pan cover; the cock was pulled back, compressing the spring, and held in this position. On pressing the trigger the cock was released and flew forward allowing the flint to strike the steel which was then pushed back out of the way the sparks thus fell into the pan which had been uncovered by the automatic removal of the pan cover the priming flashed and, via the touchhole, fired the main charge. The snaphaunce was used for only a comparatively short period in Europe and these weapons are very rare indeed, but, like the matchlock, the system was
anical failure
;
;
21
The Story of Small Arms retained elsewhere long after it had been discarded in Europe. For some reason, and again it is difficult to ascribe it entirely to conservatism, the peoples of North Africa especially liked their weapons to be of the snaphaunce construction. Trade guns intended for this area were manufactured in Europe right up until the last century, and it is still possible to find the snaphaunce being used in remote regions. The lock is almost identical with that used in Europe during the seventeenth centurv. The shape of the stock and decorative details will ensure that these North African specimens are easily identified the quality of workmanship, moreover, is usually rather poor. The snaphaunce was simply a stepping stone to the next ;
system, the flintlock.
systems
is
The
essential difference
that the flintlock has the
between the two
pancover and
steel united
one L-shaped piece known by a variety of names such as steel, hammer or frizzen. This combination of the two pieces considerably simplified the internal mechanism, and the flintlock was to remain in use for some 25^0 years, reaching an extremely high standard of efficiency and reliability. into
The
true flintlock probably originated in France early in the
seventeenth century and, of course, changes and alterations before it
was
in use for such a
it
flintlock
weapon with reasonable
guns
there were fashions in clothes.
as
was to undergo many
reached its final form. Although long period it is still possible to date a it
ease, for there
The
were
fashions in
earlier locks are
usually rather banana-shaped with a slightly concave surface, flat and straighter. Some care is of the seventeenth-century locks also lockplates. Triggers also changed, and earlier ones usually
whilst later locks tend to be
necessary here, for
many
had flat have a back curling section at the tip while later ones tend to be much straighter and simpler. The butt is a useful guide in dating, for many of the earlier seventeenth-century pistols tend to terminate with a flat, cut-off appearance late seventeenthcentury and early eighteenth-century pistols are usually found ;
22
The lock of a late seventeenth-century Italian snaphaunce pistol. The lock plate is engraved with a simple pattern, and the steel is in the primed position.
with a large swelling, or pommel, which tends to decrease in century progresses, until it disappears altogether at the end of the eighteenth century. Late eighteenth-century and early nineteenth-century butts tend to be rather like hockey sticks in shape. Again, most of the pommels were fitted with a metal covering known as a butt cap. These butt caps were sometimes plain but after the early years of the eighteenth century they were decorated with grotesque heads. In the early eighteenth-century flintlocks the spurs of the butt cap extended well up the butt, and as the century progressed these tended to shorten and finally disappear except for a slight curve on the side
size as the
23
The Story of Small Arms of the cap.
membered
As with
all
these generalisations
that exceptions are not
it
must be
re-
uncommon.
Certain types of flintlocks are peculiar to certain areas and one
of the most
common
is
that of Spain
and North Africa known
as
the miquelet lock. Distinguishing features are the mainspring
mounted on the outside of the
lockplate, and, generally speaking,
and the
the jaws holding the
flint
and usually grooved
vertically.
It
steel is
which are square-topped
common
to find these last
two items in Eastern flintlocks as well. The flintlock was basically simple to construct and, sequence, was produced in quantity.
It
in
con-
spread from Europe to
America and Asia although Japanese flintlocks are unknown. Like the wheellock it could be made in any size and consequently will be found ranging from massive locks for wall pieces and cannon through pocket pistols to tiny Africa,
practically
miniature locks only a fraction of an inch long.
The simplicity of the flintlock meant that manufacturing were low, and it could be supplied in bulk at reasonable
costs
and equipped the armies with flintlocks. In Britain the matchlock was completely abandoned by the end of the seventeenth century, and the musket known to all collectors as the 'Brown Bess' was introduced about 1720. This simple, sturdy yet elegant weapon was to remain the principal arm of the British infantry right up until the middle of the nineteenth century. Design and detail varied over the years, but it remained essentially the same weapon. There were three main types with barrels of forty-six inches, forty-two inches and thirty-nine inches. The first two were the earliest and are now also the rarest; the thirtv-nine inch, usually referred to as the India Pattern, was produced in great numbers during the Napoleonic wars and is, therefore, much more common. A bayonet could be attached to the end of the barrel of all three by means of a simple socket device. Sporting guns were made with flintlocks and manv are
prices. This being so, the military naturally took advantage
24
The Stoiy of Small Arms double-barrelled, fitted with a lock on each barrel and operated
by separate
triggers.
A tremendous amount
of effort went into
the manufacture of highest-quality gun barrels, and a consider-
Long and earnest discussions were held by sportsmen on the best type of barrel, shot and powder, and many gunmakers became renowned for their high quality work able mystique developed.
in this field.
Detached flintlock of a large wall piece. The lock bears the date, 1793, and the mark of the East India Company. The name of a famous London maker, H. Nock, also appears. Length of the lock plate
is
9I
in.
The Story of Small Arms In the seventeenth century
and early eighteenth century the
majority of pistols were large and were intended primarily for
horsemen, but the growth of coach travel and the increase of crime in town created a demand for smaller, more personal pistols. These so-called travelling pistols were intended to fit into the pockets of great coats or into travelling bags. For self protection the pocket and muff pistols were produced. These ranged from some four to six inches in length. Many were double-barrelled, and others, after the end of the eighteenth century, were fitted with a bayonet which was folded back along the barrels when required it could be released to fly forward and ;
lock into position.
Much more
home
defence was the blunderbuss. with a bore which increased in diameter towards the muzzle. Experiments recently carried out suggest that this belling has little or no effect on the spread of This short
popular for
weapon had
a barrel
the shot, but nevertheless, the deterrent effect of gazing into a
weapon with a two-inch bore must have been considerable. The wide mouth probably produced a louder than normal explosion, thus increasing the overall effect of the weapon. The blunderbuss was popular it
as
and continued so until
in the seventeenth century
the mid-nineteenth century
when
the revolver tended to displace
the chief personal weapon. Contrary to popular belief they
did not
fire
rusty nails, broken glass or rubbish, the normal load
number of small lead balls. as some makers acquired a reputation
being a Just
others
acquired
Wogden was
similar
reputations
probably the best
for
known
for sporting guns,
duolHng
weapons.
in the late eighteenth
century. In true duelling pistols the barrels are usually heavy, is very gently curved to fit aiming position. Some are equipped with extension to the tri^^cr jruard and this so-called spur ensured a firmer grip. Since the normal pressure required to squeeze the trigger was quite substantial there was a danger of going oft
frequently octagonal, and the butt
the hand
when
in the
26
The Stoij of Small Arms
The hair, or set, trigger was a series of which could be adjusted so that only the merest touch was required to fire the weapon. Sometimes a single trigger serves as the normal and the hair trigger, but in other weapons a target whilst squeezing. levers
second trigger is fitted. Many of the so-called duelling pistols around today are, however, ordinary target pistols. Many of the famous makers such as Nock, Manton and Egg improved the design and construction of the flintlock, and by the i82o's it was probably at its most efficient. However, there were certain inherent difficulties which could not be overcome by any improvement the flint itself was only reliable for a certain number of shots — thirty was usually reckoned as a safe maximum — and the chances of a misfire were high. Even more serious was the 'hangfire' this was the small, but nevertheless appreciable, time lag between the pressing of the trigger and the explosion, and the delay was obviously a great disadvantage when aiming at a ;
;
moving target. The Reverend Alexander Forsyth,
a
clergyman caring for the
parish of Belhelvie in Aberdeenshire, was the practical solution to these problems.
first
He had
a
upon a working
to hit fair
knowledge of chemistry and knew that certain chemicals or would explode on impact. Since the explosion produced a flame he reasoned that this flash could be used to ignite the charge in firearms. By i8o^ he had made a lock which produced a spark by the exploding of a chemical. This so-called percussion lock was not the complete answer, but at least the idea was shown to be sound and feasible. Forsyth came to London and worked on his idea, part of the time in the Tower of London. He used loose fulminating powder, and other designers attempted to overcome the obvious hazards of this system by packing the powder in pills and tubes. The system that proved most satisfactory, however, was that using a little copper cap; the cap, shaped rather like a top hat, had a small quantity of fulminate deposited on the inside and the cap fitted snugly over fulminates
27
The Story of Small Arms with a tiny hole which communicated with the main charge. The credit for the invention of this simple, but highly effective, device was claimed by many, but it is now generally thought that Joshua Shaw, an Enghshman living in America, has the greatest claim. By the 1820's the percussion system was becoming the most commonly used among sportsmen, but, in general, the military remained sceptical, and the armies a pillar drilled
continued to use their flintlocks for another ten or fifteen years. The percussion cap was much less prone to misfire, its hangfire was considerably reduced, and it was also quicker and
Many owners of fine pistols or guns sought to prolong the life of their flintlock by converting it to the new system. Several types of conversion were used, but probably the most common was the pillar system whereby a peg or nipple was set into a small tube which fitted over the touchsimpler to use than the flintlock.
were removed and the cock replaced by a hammer. Converted weapons are fairly common but, in general, they are not popular with collectors and usually fetch a lower price than a similar piece with its original flintlock. The introduction of the copper cap opened the way to a flood of new ideas, but the most important was that of repeating weapons. Revolvers had been made using the matchlock, snaphaunce and flintlock but almost without exception they were difficult to construct, inefficient, unpopular and in many cases hole. Steel, pan cover and frizzen spring
positively dangerous.
Samuel Colt had manufactured
a
revolver in the 1830's but, despite
very efficient and practical its
many
advantages,
it
did
not achieve any really widespread popidaritv until the 1850's, when it ousted the old-fashioned pepperbox.
The pepperbox was solid
essentially a series of tubes drilled into a
cylinder block. Each barrel was loaded and capped;
tiie
cylinder was rotated mechanically or by hand as each was fired.
The length of the cylinder was subsequently reduced, and 28
tiie
The Stoij of Small Arms transition revolver
came
down pepperbox with
into
beina.
It
was
a single barrel serving
in
essence a cut-
each tube.
Typical pepperbox of mid-nineteenth century with cylinder bored for six charges. A top safety bar slides forward to engage in a slot at the rear of the
hammer stop
bar.
flying
length 8
in.,
The nipples are covered by a shield to pieces from shattered caps. Overall cylinder 3I in. and 1-5 dia., bore. 4 in.
In England Colt's main rivals were Adams, Tranter and Webley, although numerous other makers produced revolvers. Adams was probably the greatest competitor, and the arguments as to the relative merit of the two weapons waxed long and hard. One of the biggest points of controversy was over the mech-
hammer had to be pulled back by the thumb, and the weapon was then fired by pressing the tri^8;er. Adams and many other aunsmiths favoured the
anical systems. In Colt revolvers the
29
The Story of Small Arms system whereby pressure on the trigger rotated the cyHnder, lifted the hammer and eventually fired the weapon. Some experts claimed that Colt's single action made for careful aiming and
reduced random shooting, whilst Adam's supporters claimed that the double action meant quicker shooting and in military use this was most important. Each side produced expert 'witnesses', but of course the matter was never settled and was in reality purely a matter of choice. Colt had a very effective sales service and was an expert in what is now called public relations. Colt revolvers were prominently displayed at the Great Exhibition of 185^1 held in London. Numerous engraved presentation weapons were distributed to all that Colt felt would be impressed. Eventually he set up a factory in London to manufacture his revolvers. His English competitors made great efforts to reduce his lead in the field, and although he became one of the greatest manufacturers of firearms, exporting all over the world, he closed his London factory in 18^6. Colt revolvers never achieved in Britain that tremendous popularity which was theirs in America and many other countries. Attached to these weapons there is a certain glamour which has growTi up over the years, and the present-day prices fetched by Colt revolvers reflect this popularity. By the middle of the nineteenth century Birminaham and London were the great centres of the arms industry, and apart
from some provincial craftsmen who managed
to stay in business
the majority of firearms of this period will have been
one of these two
When
made
in
cities.
the British
army
finally
accepted the obvious superiority
of the percussion system, tests were carried out to find the most suitable adaptation for general issue.
The old Brown
Bess was
converted to percussion and soon the entire British army ^vas equipped with the new arm. When the Volunteers were once again formed in the 18^0's there was a great revival of interest in the subject of firearms,
30
The Story of Small Arms and numerous books were written — aimed at giving the keen volunteer advice as to which rifle or revolver he should buy, and
how
use
best to
it;
they are particularly valuable for their
contemporary assessments of the relative merits of each weapon. From the 18^0's firearm development was swift and impressive. The percussion cap was primarily responsible, for it enabled inventors to produce a tremendous variety of breechloading and repeating weapons - many of which were extremely
The use of fulminate also stimulated the designers of ammunition, and soon cartridges, containing their own source of ignition, were appearing; by the i86o's metal-case cartridges, impracticable.
with the priming cap set on the centre of the base, were coming into general use.
The introduction of the last
centre-fire cartridge
step in the production of
modern
firearms.
was
really the
Powder was soon
abandoned and more efficient and powerful explosives introduced; bullets were improved in design and performance, and highly efficient mechanical repeating-devices were introduced, though these are all merely improvements on the basic weapon of the 1860'sand 70's. The story of the development of the automatic pistol and
machine gun
lie
outside the scope of this brief history, but even
modern weapons had their counterpart in the preceding centuries. Today's military, automatic rifle, with its tremendous punch and rate of fire, is merely another step on the long path that started with the crude incendiary devices of the Chinese a thousand years ago. these apparently
31
2 TECHNIQUES OF THE
GUNSMITH It would seem most likely that the first aunmakers were bv trade armourers who took on the job as just another weapon to be produced. They probably looked upon the castina of the rather crude handguns as an extremely simple task in comparison with the skill required to shape a helmet or breastplate bv hammering the metal over a wooden stake.
However, the increasing demand
for auns
would soon have
created groups of specialised tradesmen, although these gun-
smiths tended, quite naturallv, to be based in towns that had previously been noted for is
known
armour and sword production.
Little
of the great majority of these earlv gunmakers, apart
a select few who achieved fame during their lifetime through the patronage of some :Treat ruler.
from
The ^^heelIock mechanism
made
great
demands
on
the
mechanical skill of the gunsmith who had to fashion each part by hand, temper his own springs, for^e his barrels and probably make the stocks as well. For the nobility's guns he called upon the services of engravers, goldsmiths, silversmiths and artists to
draw up his designs. He, like the armourer, probably had tlie use of some water-powered machinery, but the great majority of his work was done by hand. In Britain details of the early ^unmakinsr industry - prior to the seventeenth century - are \erv scarce. In London, however, the craftsmen had become sufficiently organised to form a
32
Techniques of the Gunsmith corporation and seek a Royal Charter, granted in 1638. The new Gunmakers' Company had certain rules and regula-
proper control of the trade, and entry to the craft was elective. Efforts were made to ensure that the regulations were observed and Companv courts inflicted Hnes upon offentions for the
ders.
Although for the most part only one gunmaker's name appears on any one weapon, documentary evidence of the period does Pyrites
Do^head
LockpKit Safety Catch
Ramrod
Pommel
Butt
A
typical wheellock pistol of about 1580,
showing
the main features and nomenclature. The large ball butt was a common feature of pistols of this period. The stock usually has some form of inlay.
suggest that
many
finished
weapons were often the
result of
several makers' labours.
London was,
at this
time, the main centre of supply with
many of the makers located in the area of the Minories, near the Tower of London. Birmingham had also developed an arms industry, but was greatly overshadowed by the capital. Many of the leading makers during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries S.A.
were
to be found in the
more 33
fashionable parts of
London
Techniques of the Gunsmith
around Piccadilly and St. James's. A few were located south of the river, but the great majority were to be found on the north side. Collectors very soon become familiar with names like Nock, Manton, Egg, Blisset and Harding, all of whom had their shops in London. Birmingham began to overtake London during the eighteenth century, but it was during the nineteenth that the city became pre-eminent in arms production. All this is not to say that weapons were produced only in London and Birmingham large numbers of provincial makers flourished during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, but better communications and travel reduced demands for local products when famous London or Birmingham weapons were easily obtainable. Each country had certain makers whose work was recognised as being first-class and, naturally, the majority of these makers were to be found in the various capitals. Towns like Liege in Belgium and Suhl in Germany, became famous for supplying arms in quantity, and orders for British weapons were placed at Liege during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Spain became famous for the quality of its gun barrels and those by well-known makers commanded a high price in Britain. Naturally most makers had their own speciality or method of production, but the majority of weapons were manufactured by the same processes. A finished weapon of reasonable quality, before it was ready for use, passed through the hands of some ;
fifteen
or sixteen craftsmen, to wit:
Barrel borer and fitter
Lock and furniture forger Lock fitter
Furniture Stocker
Ribber and breecher Screwer
Barrel forger
fitter
Detonator Stripper and finisher Polisher and hardener
Maker-oflF
Lock
finisher
Engraver Stock polisher
Browner
34
Techniques of the Gunsmith
weapons or cheap guns the processes
In the case of military
were simphfied and but a
first-class
less
care was taken in finishing each part,
sporting gun was fussed over like a new-born
Tremendous effort went into the production of barrels which were straight, strong and true. The methods of constructing the barrel were many and most had their supporters. Differing methods of building up the barrel produced a different babe.
pattern in the metal and this pattern was often emphasised by the
Top Jaw and Screw Barrel
Tan^
,
Cock
Hint
Frizzen
Pan
Lockplate
Butt
Butt Cap
Ramrod Pipe
Trigger Guard
This flintlock pistol of the late eighteenth century
many of the features common to weapons of the period. The crown and G R on the lockplate indicate that this is a government-issue weapon.
exhibits
action of acid.
Damascus
barrels,
so called because a similar
patterning was found on sword blades from the East,
were
considered the best.
The
basic material was, of course, iron
the eighteenth century and
much
and
steel,
and during
of the early nineteenth cen-
was claimed that the best-quality iron to be found was form of old horseshoe nails or stubs. During this period large quantities of these stubs were imported from France, tury,
it
in the
3^
02
Techniques oj the Gunsmith
Holland and Sweden. First they were polished by rotating them in a cast-iron drum and then they were sorted, any poor quality ones being rejected. A certain proportion of cut lengths of steel springs was mixed in and batches of forty pounds of this mixture
were heated
in a
furnace to produce a resultant block,
known
as
the bloom.
A
three-ton
hammer and
worked the bloom
series of rollers until
half an inch
then a one-and-a-half-ton
hammer
which was then passed through a produced a riband several yards long,
into a block it
wide and of
slightly varying thicknesses.
The riband
was then cut into separate lengths each sufficient to produce about one third of the barrel. The long flat strip was now wrapped around a bar to form a spiral. As two spirals were ready they were heated to welding heat and placed end to end over an iron bar which was banged continuously on the ground until the two pieces were successfully welded one to the other. This was repeated for the third piece and the whole process completed by hammering. To produce a different patterning another system was used whereby the original block of metal, the skelp, was built up in the form of twenty-five layers, each approximately two feet by two inches by a quarter of an inch of, alternately, iron and mild
The whole was worked into a bar some five to six feet long and three-eighths of an inch square, and this bar was then gripped firmly at one end and twisted round and round, shortening it to half its original length it was then used to produce the barrel in the same manner as described above. The patterning steel.
;
was not the sole object of these various processes, for the working and twisting tended to pnxkico barrels of greater strength and reliability.
For musket barrels the skelp was rolled out to some three feet by four inches wide, thickening slightly to\Nards one end; it was then folded, forming a cylinder, and the overlapping edges were welded together by hantl or by passing it through rollers. lon^T
36
Techniques of the Gunsmith Pistol barrels were produced in similar fashion and then filed to render them either octagonal, or else octagonal changing to round. After the barrel had been formed it had to be bored out, and to do this a square bit was rotated at hi^h speed whilst the barrel was pushed against the end. Durina the boring the whole barrel
Safety C\ittli
Link
Fore End Swivel Riimrod
A percussion features
pistol
including
of about 1820 with many typical link
ramrod
and
common,
'hockey stick' stock and butt. The safety catch engages with a slot at the rear of the hammer and locks
it.
was water-cooled to prevent the frictional heat produced from temper of the metal. Next the exterior of the barrel was ground on stone wheels so lar^e that the workmen leaned forward, resting on a plank, above the wheel. No check was spoiling the
made
to ensure that the barrel wall
along
its
was of an even thickness whole length. Birmingham sent a lar^e number of these roughly finished barrels to London for final processing by the London makers. Their first step was to 'set straight' by removing any irregularities, assessed entirely by eye, by a few shrewd taps with a
37
Techniques of the Gunsmith
hammer. Next the barrel was true-bored by fixing it firmly to a carriage which moved it forward against a bit set in a lar^e hand-rotated flywheel. The inside diameter was adjusted by the insertion of a semi-circular wedge of wood on one side of the square bit, thus forcing the bit to cut on two edges onlv. Slips of paper were inserted between the wedge, or squill, and the bit to give a fine adjustment.
Both ends of the barrel were
now
blocked and it was fitted smoothing on the outside. breech-plug block screwed firmly into
into a lathe to be given a final accurate
One end was
tapped and a
place.
weak spot in a barrel was obvious law that each barrel was to be proved or tested. The barrel was greatly overcharged with powder, the scale of which was set out in detail, and the charge fired. If no fault developed the barrel received an official stamp. Pin holes were discovered by forcing water into the barrel under pressure. The proved barrel now went to the stocker who had cut a stock from a piece of walnut — which, ideally, had been seasoned for some two to three years — and he now set the barrel and lock into this stock. This job was considered an extremely important one, and a craftsman in the mid-nineteenth century could earn from four to six pounds a week — a considerable wage for the The
and
it
potential danger of a
was
set
down
in
period. All the metal furniture and screws were now let into the stock by the screwer who, in turn, passed the weapon to the detonator who fitted the cock and other parts of the breech. Next, the grip was chequered by cutting fine lines into the stock and, eventually,
the stripper and finisher took the whole thinjr to pieces and went
over
it,
correcting any minor faults.
Barrels and lock parts
by heating them
in
were engraved and the
an iron container
made from bone or
filled
latter hardened with animal charcoal
ivory dust, and old shoos.
The whole con-
tainer was raised to red heat for an hour or so and the contents
38
;
Techniques of the Gunsmith then tipped straight into cold water. A thin coat of steel was thus formed over the whole surface and the effect of the charcoal was to produce a beautiful blue colour which is hard to duplicate. The whole effect was to resist rust as well as to toughen the item. Barrels were browned - again as a precaution against rust. If a rifle was bein^ produced the borin^-out process was much more complicated, for shallow, accurately positioned grooves
had to be cut on the inside of the barrel. The process was laborious and was performed by a narrow, toothed, cutting tool; this fitted into a
the barrel, the
metal bit which twisted
amount of
as it
was pushed into
twist being carefully controlled.
The
height of the cutting teeth was gradually increased until the
groove had been cut to the correct depth, the whole process being repeated for each groove. A lead cast of about eight inches of the inside of the barrel was taken apart from checking that the rifling was correct this lead billet was oiled and coated with fine emery and pulled backwards and forwards through the barrel to remove sharp edges or irregularities. Methods changed but little over the years and the details given above, based on processes of about 1830, differ but little from those used in the Enfield Factory in 1865". Barrel production was speeded up by the introduction of specially shaped, roller presses and rifling was done by machine rather than hand. The whole job involved more than seven hundred processes with sixty-three different parts, but even so, the Enfield Factory was producing some twelve hundred rifles a week at a cost of sixty;
two
shillings each.
Although the basic assembly methods altered but little, this does not mean that the industry was conservative or stagnant. A wide variety of improvements were adopted and developed the efficiency of the lock was improved by the addition of a bridle to support the tumbler, and small rollers were fitted to those parts where it was desirable to reduce friction to a minimum when it was realised that metal was attacked by the ;
39
~
^
t 1
yt/M I
l-l /.'I
•
-
Techniques of the Gunsmith chemical effects of explosives, pans and touch-holes were fitted with thin protective layers of gold or platinum, since both metals were unaffected by the chemicals' corrosive properties;
numerous reduced
safety devices
to a
were introduced so
minimum; ramrods, always
were were which
that accidents liable to loss,
attached to the stock by means of an ingenious swivel link
allowed free use, but which ensured that the attachment could not be dropped. Many of these improvements were patented, and details are readily available from patent lists of the period. Much of the old pride of workmanship still remains in the
gunmaking industry today. One feels that the eighteenth centurv 8|unmaker would feel very much at home in the workshop of some of the high-quality, sporting-gun manufacturers, where modernisation has not meant a loss of personal attention to detail or a pride in craftsmanship.
A
on Arquebusier from Didewhich was written between 1762 and 1772. This particular page shows the interior and exterior view of a flintlock as well as certain plate from the section
rot's Encyclopaedia
details of construction including a so-called 'false
breech' at the bottom.
41
3 ACCESSORIES
AND EXTRAS
earliest hand-gunner needed only a basic minimum of equipment. Supplied with ball, powder and a burning ember he was ready for action. As more complex systems of ignition were developed so the number of devices required to operate the gun increased, and by the early seventeenth century the musketeer or caliveer had become festooned with an array of extras. As well as his heavy, cumbersome musket and rest the musketeer held a glowing match in his hand, and a few extra lengths were stored in his hat or dangled from his belt. Two containers held his coarse powder for loading and his fine powder
The
for priming, and in a leather
was more fortunate
pouch were
his lead bullets.
The
he did not have to carry a heavy rest as did the musketeer. Flint and steel were also required to kindle flame to ignite the slow-burning match. In addition to all these extras he carried a sword or dagger and caliveer
in that
wore a metal helmet. The gunpowder was carried in a powder horn or flask and these were of four main types. The musketeer had his large, iron-bound, triangular flask made of wood, but more popular with the hunter were those of horn; they were usuallv made from a forked section of antler and were often embellished with carving in high relief. The 'ring' flasks, inlaid with mother of t-
pearl and similar decorative materials are
and are generally of high quality
42
both
much in
less
common
construction
and
Accessories
and Extras
decoration. The most common everyday type was simply made from a section of cowhom which had been boiled until it was pliable, then pressed nearly flat and finally allowed to harden. Decoration on these is often a simple, almost crude, engraving usually depicting a rural or hunting scene.
Nearly all these containers were fitted with some kind of nozzle which was designed to measure out the exact quantity of
powder required. On the command "Gage your Flask", the seventeenth-century soldier placed his finger over the open end of the nozzle and inverted the flask, at the same time pressing
powder to run from the main body of the flask into the nozzle the cut-off was then released and when the flask was righted the nozzle contained the correct charge of powder. The wheellock needed a spanner, and some flasks were made with a spanner set into one side. Another type reversed the process and had a spanner which was designed to act also as a powder measure. The latter were intended for use with a flask that had no automatic measure. In the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth master gunners were supplied with large horns of powder for priming the cannon. These were of cow horn with the wide end closed by a wooden disc and screw peg; the pointed end was fitted a spring-loaded cut-off to allow the
;
with a simple spring-operated brass stopper. Some of these horns W.D. (War Department), but the majority are quite plain. Similar, smaller horns were carried at the gunner's belt in the late seventeenth century. Later flasks are usually of brass or copper, tend to lack the decoration of the earlier flasks and are mostly pear-shaped. A few, however, are embossed with a variety of patterns, hunting scenes and trophies. The brass nozzles are frequently fitted with a simply graduated dram-measure, which can be adjusted to give three or four different quantities of powder. In England the majority of this type of flask was produced by the two firms of will be found with the letters
43
Accessories
and Extras
Hawkslev and Dixon who exported very
large quantities all over
the world.
Modern
now
copies of this type of flask are heina manufactured
and, although they are supplied by the manufacturer as
being copies,
some
are
already
finding their
way on
to
the
antique market. Flasks of very similar shape but made of leather are commonly encountered. Although at first glance they appear identical it will
The
soon be seen that the nozzle flasks
in particular
is
quite different.
contained the small lead pellets or shot, and the
ounces rather than drams. Some leather in the form of a belt carried across the shoulder and these are also intended for shot. Many of the seventeenth-century musketeers were equipped with a bandolier or broad shoulder belt from which dan8;led a dozen or so wooden or horn containers. Each container held just the precise charge required for one shot so eliminating the measuring needed with an ordinary flask. Despite its obvious advantages the bandolier was not without its hazards, and not least was the danger of the containers taking fire. The rattling of the containers, one against the other, was a serious handicap when attempting a secret move, and for this reason many military writers of the period recommended the use of cartridges. By the middle of the seventeenth century cartridges had reached fairly general use. Essentially they consisted of a sheet of stout paper rolled round to form a tube which contained a measured charge of powder and a lead bullet. To load, the gunner bit or tore open the tube, poured the powder down the barrel and then rammed home the paper and bullet with his ramrod or scouring stick. These paper cartridges were often carried in specially partitioned boxes of wood or leather. nozzle
is
graduated
containers were
in
made
Simple powder horn, from the flattened section of a cow horn, engraved with hunting scene. Belt hook and carrying rings are both fitted. The nozzle, lacking a spring, measures 2 ins., horn section 9-5 in. It is probably German early seventeenth century.
Accessories
and Extras
were easily made, but production of lead bullets simple for they had to be cast in a bullet mould. In the
Cartridges
was
less
case of an arsenal or military bodies the
moulds were often
designed to cast several bullets at one filling. The majority of ordinary moulds cast only one projectile, but the advent of the revolver introduced the double
mould which was
drilled for a
conical bullet or a ball.
The lead was heated in a crucible until it was just the right temperature to ensure a smooth flow and even cooling. A small amount was taken in a ladle and poured into the hole at the top of the closed mould. After a short interval the mould was opened and the ball removed. The small tail, or sprue, was cut off by means of a simple cutter built into the mould. In the mid-nineteenth century a David Napier invented a machine for pressure-moulding bullets, and subsequently military-issue moulds became much
The powder
less
common.
was extremely variable in content and performance, and for accurate and consistent shooting it was important to have some idea of the quality of the powder. The only means available was to explode a given amount and assess its strength. To do this some form of eprouvette, or powder tester, was used, the majority of these little devices consisting of a wheel which operated against the pressure of a spring. A measured amount of powder was exploded, and the amount of rotation produced measured, thus giving a rough idea of the force. Other in use
eprouvettes raised weights or basic idea
moved
was always the same. As
plungers but in essence the a result of the various tests
one researcher in 1742 stated that the official-issue British powder compared favourably with any made abroad. He dismissed with contempt the trade, or Guinea, powder as being the worst of all. The majority of weapons from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries were muzzle-loading, but there were many designed to be breech-loading. The most common of these breech-loaders
46
Accessories
and Extras
A
plate from the Book of Field Sports (i860) by H. Miles showing the items recommended for the hunter. Top left (3) is a shot belt intended to hold 2 lb. of shot. Top Right (5) is a patent cartridge carrier which held 20-35 cartridges in a number of spring clips attached to a revolving band. The case (17) is described as being for a Westley Richards 'double'. Centre bottom (9-15) shows a complicated sportsman's knife designed by a foremost shooter of the period, Lieutenant Hans Busk.
47
Accessories
and Extras
were small pocket pistols. In these weapons the short barrel was unscrewed and powder and ball were placed in the breech and the barrel screwed back on. To ensure a tight fit a barrel key was provided and this fitted over the barrel and engaged with a small lug, thus ensuring a good leverage. Another t\pe of key fitted into the muzzle and engaged with a series of notches cut into the end of the barrel. At first glance these notches give the impression of rifling, but it will soon be seen that the notch extends only a very short way
down
With muzzle-loading weapons
the
the inside of the barrel.
ramrod was most important
which was not properly rammed home could The ramrods of many weapons are often fitted with a detachable end which may be removed to disclose a corkscrew-like attachment; known as a worm, it was used to withdraw a charge should the weapon misfire the ramrod was pushed into the barrel and the worm rotated to bite into the lead bullet which could then be pulled out. Other ramrods had one end fitted with a powder measure which, filled with powder, was inserted vertically into the barrel when the pistol was held with the barrel pointing down. The pistol and ramrod were then inverted and the powder deposited directly into the since a charge
easily cause a burst barrel.
;
breech without the risk of any grains adhering to the inside of the barrel. In the case of Balkan,
rod
is
not housed
simulate a ramrod,
in
Turkish and Near-East weapons the ramMany stocks were carved to
the stock.
when
in fact it was carried separately susThese detached ramrods, or siima, are often found with tweezers, powder measures or even daggers, designed to screw into the rod. Many powder flasks and pistols were fitted with a belt hook. This was simply a metal bar which was affixed to the back of the flask or pistol and thrust behind the belt, allowing the pistol to hang on the outside. This device continued in use until well into the nineteenth century and because of this holsters were not
pended from
a cord.
48
Accessories
and Extras
commonly used, except —-for obvious reasons by horsemen. Horsemen carried their holsters in pairs, one on either side of the saddle. They were of thick leather and the top opening could be covered by a heavy cap which was either strapped down
—
or else held pistols
were
in place
single
by shot
Since the great majority of
friction.
and
circumstances
necessitate several shots, the only solution
were
likely
was to carry
to
a large
number of pistols. Many of the eighteenth-century engravings of show them equipped with a belt across the chest with as many as twelve small holsters, each carrying a pistol. With the advent of pepperboxes and revolvers the holsters became more commonplace; at first they were often mounted on the saddle, pirates
as in
the case of Colt's early revolvers, but soon smaller personal
holsters attached to the belt
shop in
Pall
holster, belt
Mall
made
were
in general use. Colt's
London
a point of advertising his patent-leather
and cartridge box. Contrary to general belief the flap or strap which
majority of belt holsters were fitted with a
buttoned across the top of the holster ensuring that the revolver would not be shaken out. During the eighteenth century the usual containers in which
were sold were small cloth bags, often mentioned in contemporary accounts. Towards the end of the century and
pistols
especially during the nineteenth, sell
the weapons in
it
became common practice
wooden boxes. These
to
oak or the arrangement
cases, usually of
mahogany, are of two main types, differing in The great majority had the inside divided into various sections to hold the weapon and its accessories. The second, and less common, type is padded, and the compartments are actually moulded to the shape of the weapon, powder of the interior.
flask, etc.
The number of 'extras' varied greatly and, in many cases, included additional cylinders for revolvers, spare barrels and multi-purpose tools. Colt's nipple keys were designed to serve as screwdrivers as well. Sporting guns were often supplied in s.A.
49
D
e
\f<
Rare nipple gauge, probably part of the left equipment of a gunmakcr's shop made by W. & C. Eley of London. Top left Capper, marked S. Allport
Bottom
:
—
:
made of German silver. Middle Brass capper marked J.S. Improved. Ry/ir Fulminate pill dispenser marked C. Moore London. As the toothed wheel was rotated a small pill of explosive fulminate passed through the nozzle at the bottom.
improved,
:
.-
cases, although these
were frequently of leather and
fitted
w
ith
a handle so that they could serve as carrying cases. In
general the soldier was not encouraged to tamper with the
mechanism of
his
firearm,
but of course the armourer was
SO
and Extras
Accessories
supplied with tools for this purpose. In the nineteenth century a great variety of
combination tools were produced and usually
incorporated simple screwdrivers, worms, prickers for cleaning nipples, and spring clamps
—
as
well as sections carrying spare
nipples.
The introduction of percussion
caps greatly facilitated the
loading of firearms, but the cap was so small that fitting nipple could be tedious, especially cold.
To
if
it
on the
the hands were gloved or
ease this important operation various cappers, or cap
were designed. The commonest type was a flat, which unscrewed, revealing a spiral channel, and into this the caps were placed; a springloaded arm exerted a gentle pressure on the line of caps, ensuring that as one cap was fitted on to the nipple another moved into dispensers,
circular container, the top plate of
position at the opening.
was of great importance that the tube joining the priming and free from clogging. In the case of the flintlock this was easy and could be done by a needle. The connecting tube on a percussion lock, however, was very much finer, and if it became badly clogged cleaning was difficult. Exploding a cap on the nipple was one method, but to increase the effect nipple-primers were designed. These gadgets inserted a few grains of powder right into the nipple and the tiny explosion was sufficient to clear the stoppage. For the discriminating shooter numerous other devices were produced such as muzzle protectors which were designed to fit over the end of a rifle barrel, keeping out the dirt and, at the same time, guarding the foresight. Nipple guards, heavily padded with leather, were made to fit over the nipple ensuring that it was kept clean and free from knocks when not in use. It could also be used for practice firing since the leather cushioned the hammer and so prevented any serious damage. Bayonets were often supplied as an extra item with many long arms, and were not exclusively military. The earliest plug It
to the charge should be kept clear
51
D2
Accessories
and Extras
bayonets were simply pushed into the end of the barrel once the weapon had been fired. Soon this type was replaced by the socket bayonet which fitted round the barrel and could be left in place whilst the weapon was fired. In some countries, however - notably Spain - plug bayonets were manufactured long after the socket type had become common. The more modern type, locking over the muzzle and on to a stud, came into general use
about the middle of the nineteenth century, but again the socket type was retained by the military until much later. The scabbards of the bayonet are usually of leather with steel or brass fittings. Some American and Continental scabbards are entirely of metal.
Only the more common accessories have been dealt with here, but there were many others produced and it is always worth turning over boxes of odds and ends in the hope that some of these unusual items will come to light.
52
4 COLLECTORS AND COLLECTING Most collectors would aaree there
is
usually
everything
is
a
distinct
that, in the Hrst
'magpie'
Hush ol enthusiasm,
approach.
sought after and the main object
acquisition of pieces. financial reach
is
Any
pistol,
acquired, and
Anything and is simply the
long arm or accessory within it
is
only very gradually that
becomes channelled and specialisation Inevitably some purchases made during this early interest
takes
over.
stage will be
is something to be magpie period. In the first place every weapon, no matter how ordinary and commonplace, adds something to the collector's experience and knowledge. Secondly, a reserve of weapons is built up which can be 'turned over', or sold, at a later date. As better and more expensive specimens are acquired the money raised by the sale of surplus items is most useful and welcome.
regretted later, but despite this danger there
said for the
The
new
disposal of items
is
much
easier than the acquisition of
ones, althouah the channels are
purposes. In the search for
new
much
the same for both
pieces for the collection per-
is the most important attribute. Every possible source, few impossible ones, must be tried, and, what is most important, tried regularly. The popular antique markets are not littered with bargains, and dealers have usually swept the market clear early in the morning — long before the first hopeful tourist arrives; moreover, a piece may well have changed hands several
sistence
and
a
Si
Collectors
and
Collecting
times, each change raising the price, before the to the scene.
Thus
it is
unlikely, though
first visitors
get
by no means impossible,
made. However, there is always the up', and for this reason frequent visits are worthwhile. Ordinary street markets which flourish in most towns in Britain and Europe can also produce items of interest and are always worth visiting. Antique dealers should be visited frequently and soon the dealer will begin to put aside pieces likely to be of interest and, when buying, he will keep an eye open for items which he knows he can probably sell to particular collectors. that any great finds will be
possibility
of something
'turning
Notice from a provincial gunmaker. The James Wilson mentioned is listed as working towards the end of the eighteenth century.
THOMAS MONCK,
STAMFORDj
GUNSMITH,
TA K E U the Brother,
P
R
Edmund Monck,
Journeyman
ND
S, and I E S the liberty to acquaint his F his engaged has he that B L I C in General, to James fTtlfon
;
Clock and Watch-maker, late and that he intends carrying
on the Clock and Watch-making bufniefi. Thofe who pleafe to fav.our him with their Commands, may depend on their Orders being well executed, in the heft Manner, on the loweft Terms, and the flavours gratetuUy acknowledged, by their moft obedient Servant,
THOMAS MONCK. STAMFORD:
Printed by
T.
HO
WG
RAV
E.
;
Collectors It
and Collecting
can be both advantageous and frustrating to buy from a nonany profound knowledge possible that an unusual piece can be purchased at a reason-
specialist dealer. Since the dealer lacks it is
able
figure.
On
the other hand such dealers tend to price
commonplace pieces
at a higher figure than the collector
expect, simply because a similar but possibly
more
would
interesting,
is reported to have reached such a figure. Auction sales as a source of supply have a number of hazards the first, and often the greatest, is the catalogue. Catalogue descriptions can be most misleading and on occasions wildly
piece
inaccurate.
No
reputable firm would publish a false description,
but since the description must be brief unintentionally
wrong
idea.
The
it
is
possible to give an
biggest danger
comes when
putting in a postal bid, for here one must judge on description alone. If
possible the lots should be
examined
at the
viewing
when
they are available for close study. After a few comparisons of lots and descriptions it should be possible to assess the accuracy,
or otherwise, of the catalogue and so decide
may be
placed on
it
how much
reliance
in future.
If attendance at the sale is impossible a postal bid can be made or the services of a commission buyer utilised. These buyers
will act
on behalf of the
collector,
examine the piece and bid up
to the figure decided on. Their fee
is
a percentage, usually five
to ten per cent, of the purchase price. Naturally the will
now
prove that
much more
weapon
expensive, but the piece has
been examined and, unless specifically so-instructed, the dealer not bid if he feels the piece is at all doubtful. He will also advise as to what would be a likely and reasonable price. Price is always an extremely difficult problem especially at auction sales. The only real answer to the question "what is it worth?" must always be that it is worth just as much as the collector is prepared to pay for it. If two collectors want the same piece the price will rise accordingly. For this reason will
55
and Collecting
Collectors similar pieces
may
fetch ten pounds at one sale and thirty at
another, simply because at the second there happened to be
more competition. Some guidance obtained by studying the
list
as to
current values
may be
of prices realised at previous sales.
Most auction rooms will supply these lists for a small charge. At an auction it is generally best to set a price and stick to it. If the bidding passes this figure do not continue in the hopes that another ten shillings may secure it. The usual result is that the price continues to rise, and even collector finds he has paid
much more
if
he
is
successful the
than was intended.
There are several ways by which a collector may dispose of surplus items. Probably the most advantageous course, as
his
far as price
is
concerned,
is
a private
sale direct to
another
There are no charges or commission, but the biggest problem of course is finding a suitable customer at the right time. There is no such problem when selling to an antique dealer, for they are available all the time and will usually buv any weapon in reasonable condition. However, they are in the trade to make a profit and the price that they offer will be less than that from a private collector. The dealer will know fairly accurately the price he can hope to get and from this sum he will deduct his profit, the resultant figure being the one he collector.
offers.
Auction rooms are
a third
means of
disposal and the
number
of rooms dealing with arms and armour has risen considerably
over the last few years. There are some half a dozen in London and at least another three or four in the provinces. Weapons handed into a sales room should be accompanied by a reserve price and a detailed description for the catalogue. The reserve price represents the lowest figure at which the item can be sold. Should the bids fail to reach this figure the item will then be withdrawn. Nearly all auction rooms require that the lot should
Book of Field Sports by H. Miles, showing weapons which the author recommended in glowing phrases. The target was six feet by two feet with an Sin. bullseye; 48 rounds were Print from
some of
Colt's
fired at a
range of 400 yards, using a Colt regulation by Lt. Hans Busk.
rifle, as
illustrated
Collectors
and Collecting
be handed in some time in advance of the sale, but a few will allow lots to be 'written in'. If a piece is to be written in it can be handed in right up to the day of the sale, but, of course, this means that no description appears in the catalogue and the only people to a
know
of
it
will be those present.
If the weapon is sold (and even if it fails to reach its reserve) charge is made by the auction rooms; this figure varies, but in
the U.K.
it
is
usually
around ten per cent of the
in the U.S.A. the figure
is
frequently
much
selling price;
higher. This
sum
is
deducted from the price received, and the balance will be forwarded to the vendor, although it may be days or weeks before the cheque is actually sent. It is quite obvious that price must be a deciding factor in what can be collected. Wheellocks are delightful and beautiful weapons, but only the wealthiest can hope to build up a collection of them. The flintlock was in use for a much longer period and many more were made and it is still fairly common. Percussion weapons were produced in quantity and being more recent many more have survived, but on the whole they are less attractive to collectors than the flintlock. Long arms are bulkier, less easy to display and store, and for these reasons tend to be popular with collectors than pistols. Cartridge weapons are outside the province of this book and,
less
any case, require a firearms certificate in Britain. The 1937 Firearms Act sets down that firearms kept as curios and decorations do not need to be licensed if they are over 100 years old. It must be emphasised that this exclusion applies only to weapons which are not used for shooting, and if they are so-used, then a in
licence
is
required.
The
local
police are responsible for the
enforcement of the Act and sliould be consulted
where there It
is
will be seen that for
normal means
in
any case
doubt.
is
all
practical purposes the collector of
limited to Hintlock and jHMxussion pieces, but
within these two broad categories there are many approaches.
Collectors
and Collecting
The period in time covers nearly three hundred years, and both types of weapon were made and used over the whole world. Most
collectors
would agree
that
specialisation
tends
to
develop gradually and the theme selected is seldom deliberately chosen. Perhaps some association, form of design, or mechanism will strike a response and from this point on all other items are
eschewed.
Whether
the collector specialises or not the procedure on
new item
be the same. In general the a close examination. This will enable the collector to decide just how much cleaning or restoration is likely to be needed. Having decided on this the weapon should be stripped down to its component parts, but no matter how familiar one is with the type of weapon care should be taken and the whole operation done carefully and methodically. When the stripping has been done the parts should be cleaned and examined for cracks, marks or pitting. Details of all marks should be made and any relevant measurements taken. Some form of permanent record should be made of each weapon, and the degree of detail must be a matter for each acquiring any first
is
likely to
step should be nothing
collector.
more than
The example given below
collectors but obviously
it
will
suffice
for
most
may be extended or contracted
as
desired.
DESIGNATION ITEM
MAKER
(i.e.
number
in collection etc.)
DATE
Twigg, London. C.I 800
MARKS
London Proof.
OVERALL LENGTH BARREL LENGTH BORE
S"
DETAILS
26.
Boxlock, brass barrel, F/L pocket pistol.
3" .£" diameter of barrel) Slab-sided butt of walnut, concealed trigger, top-sliding safety catch — top jaw replacement. (i.e. inside
^9
and Collecting
Collectors
SOURCE
Purchased Portobcllo Market, Jan. 1964.
Vy\LUE
REFERENCES These
details
See George,
on
a card,
Pistols
and Revolvers, page 98.
together with a drawing or photoaraph
will give all relevant information at a glance.
The
value entered
requires revision at intervals as prices rise over the years.
privacy this value figure
is
When
may be
represented by
a
For simple price code where every letter known only to the collector. in a
made the
the entry has been
must be considered. Some
like to
display of the
weapon
put the whole collection on
view, whilst others like to limit the display to one or two is obviously a matter of personal preference,
choice items. This
decided some means of hanging the weapons is a simple, cheap and versatile means for the surface may be painted, papered or covered with material, and the fittings available will usually accommodate all but the heaviest and bulkiest items. If a suitable fitting is not available but whatever
is
needed. Pegboard provides
it
can be easily constructed from soft iron wire. The wire used is very suitable and easily obtain-
for securincT crates and parcels able.
Ideally the collection should be behind ^lass, but this
always possible or desirable;
if
the
weapon
is
is
unprotected
not it
is
and oiling, for dust and dam|:> can quickly mar the finest of specimens. Those weapons not displayed should be oiled and packed away. Ideally no two items should be in contact, but a^ain if this is impossible the weapon should be wrapped. Old socks form a convenient and useful container, taking all but the longest of pistols. Filing cabinets or chests of drawers form useful storage cabinets and a lining of rubber or foam plastic will help to guard against accidental ban^s when opening and closing the drawers. The patent rust inhibitors are useful assets and may be placed in each drawer. essential to carry out frequent cleaning
60
Collectors
and
Collcctincj
The handling of weapons calls for a certain amount of care in general, no weapon should be cocked without first checking with the owner that it is safe to do so. When the
and,
hammer
or cock has been pulled back the trigger should never
be pressed unless the
hammer
is
firmly held and allowed to
return slowly to the fired position.
Failure to observe this important rule will inevitably lead to broken cocks, hammers and nipples.
One final point to bear in mind is the question of insurance. Many insurance companies will arrange coverage at a modest premium. The company will usually require some verification of value and this can be done by any competent dealer for a small fee.
A
simple display using peg wires plus standard and
home-made supports; re-arrangements
6i
are
easy.
5 AND
FAKES Prior to
World War
II
COPIES
the market for antique pistols was
meet the normal demand. Pre-war collectors and dealers love to regale newcomers with tales of incredibly cheap prices paid for fine-quality pieces. Any weapon not in first-class condition was simply rejected out limited, and supply was sufficient to
of hand. After the war interest in the
field
of antiques gradually
expanded, and with the increased interest came a rise in output of published material. These books stimulated further interest, and a spiral movement started with a greater demand for a diminishing supply. As is the case in every field of scarcity a certain amount of questionable material began to find its way into the markets, and it is to be regretted that this supply has increased to meet the demand. It therefore behoves the collector to take care when buying any new piece. The amount of care that a collector must take depends greatly on the source of the supply. A reputable and established dealer will never knowingly sell any weapon without pointing out doubtful features. His reputation is the collector's safeguard and in every case the dealer should be prepared to sign a receipt describing exactly the item beina sold. this,
then the purchaser
description.
At
least
may
If
the dealer refuses to do
well query the value of the dealers'
one very well-known London dealer
antique weapons will allow
known
on approval before deciding
to buy. This
62
in
collectors to take an item is
the fairest possible
;
Fakes and Copies
method, but of course it is a system which cannot be adopted in every case — being open to abuse. The majority of auction rooms sell the lots as they stand and, it is therefore up to the purchaser to arrive at his own decision in the majority of cases he has no redress if the piece turns out to be a fake, unless it has been specifically described as genuine. In the case of purchases from an unknown dealer or collector the buyer must be even more vigilant. The blatant fake is likely to fool only the most inexperienced collector, but it is the adapted and altered piece that requires some skill to detect. It is not always easy to be dogmatic, and experts have often been known to differ over the authenticity of a piece. In many cases it is no more than a matter of opinion, cogent arguments being advanced by both sides. Obviously opinion must be guided by experience, and the expert's opinion is valued because he has studied the subject and, above all, has examined a large number of items. It is the experience that comes from handling the various weapons that is of most use to the collector. It
is
easy to advise a collector that he needs experience and
much
must be admitted go about getting it. Many firearms dealers are sympathetic and will allow collectors to browse in their shops, handling and examining their stock, but their time and patience are obviously limited. The same remarks apply to museums which cannot allow all and sundry to open their cases and examine the exhibits. Possibly the best places to recommend are the sale rooms. Here it is possible to pick up and examine in detail a large variety of specimens ranain^ from top-quality pieces to the more suggest that he gets as that
it is
as possible,
not quite so easy to advise him
but
mundane, run-of-the-mill material. Even more beneficial, though not always contact with fellow collectors. will not be delighted to
It
show 63
is
it
how to
so easy,
is
to
make
very rare that a collector
off his collection to a fellow
Fakes and Copies
museums and libraries can often help in this some of the better-known societies
enthusiast. Dealers,
matter, and the addresses of
can be obtained from appropriate reference books. There exists a camaraderie
amongst collectors which will ensure
perience and
resources
available to a
newcomer.
Museums for
of fellow
many
that the ex-
be
readilv
it
means of study, but except must be regretfully admitted
cases the labels are not always reliable. Standards
are improving and this
by local collectors. In
is
partly
many
due to pressure brought to bear
cases
it
is
better to visit collections
frequently, examining the exhibits from as
will
will provide a second-best
the well-known collections
that in
collectors
all
the cases will allow, but limiting each
directions, as closely
visit to a
certain selec-
tion of the exhibits.
Books are the third source of knowledge and experience. The of books dealing with firearms and associated subjects is now quite formidable and it is almost impossible to keep up to date with the flood of new titles. Many of the earlier books have been superseded by more reliable, modern volumes published at prices ranging from a few shillings to several guineas. The new collector is faced with an imposing list of titles. Obviously the scope of his interests will limit his choice, but it is possible to build up a basic reference library which will help in most matters. One very important point in deciding on a book must be the illustrations and it will be found that a few good photographs are often worth a whole chapter of text. list
The perfect book has yet to be written but the bibliography on page 77 lists a number of titles which may be easilv obtained and which can be relied on for general accuracy. The titles are limited to those written in Hnirlish, but there are also
published
in Italy,
Germany and France
many
that arc of the greatest
- allowintJ for the lanuuaije problem. The books should be studied and comjwred and
value
means
a
it
is
bv no
waste of time to cover the captions and attempt to date
64
Fakes and Copies
and identify the various pieces before readina about them. Assuming that a beginner has now acquired a fair basic knowledge and is anxious to add to his collection, how is he to decide on the authenticity of a piece? The first step must be to handle the item, for there is a 'feel' about a good quality weapon that is difficult to describe but is nonetheless tangible. If the barrel has been changed it is not uncommon for the balance to be upset, although, in general, this applies only to top-quality pieces.
The next
examine the visible metal work. If there uniform and if not, is there a reasonable explanation for the discrepancy? Replacements will not, unless carefully worked, bear the same degree of pitting. The most commonly replaced parts are likely to be the cock, top jaw, and screw, and particular attention should be paid to these. It is now possible to obtain cast blanks of these items which need only be is
pitting
step
filed to shape,
old
is
to
and rusting
worked
but these are of a different metal texture to the
steel
tinguish them.
is it
and
it
is
possible for a practised eye to dis-
The shape of
the cock, jaw and tri^^er should all be critically appraised and they should conform to certain broad patterns
which are
fairly
easily
discrepancy should be examined
been
recognisable.
more
Any obvious
closely to see
if
there has
a replacement.
Next the stock and furniture should be examined. The lock and similar parts which are let into the stock should fit snugly without gaps. Any fresh cutting or shaping must be suspect. If a piece has been stored in a warm dry place for a long period the stock may shrink, but the gaps left by shrinkage are small and follow closely the line of the lock or similar fitting. If possible the lock should be removed and the recess examined, for it is not unknown for locks to be replaced and the stock cut to accommodate the replacement. Any fresh cutting here should condemn the weapon as having been tampered with. The chances of a lock fitting perfectly into a different stock are small for
each weapon was a unique piece S..4.
— albeit from the same craftsman,
6^
Fakes and Copies hand-finished, and thus varied sHghtly from
Any marks should next be examined
its
companions.
for these can be of the
a specimen. The great majority of were tested or proved, and a mark verifying this proof was stamped on to the barrels. Since there was a considerable export market it is not uncommon to find English barrels in
utmost value in identifying barrels
French
or Spanish barrels in English stocks. proof marks there may be a maker's mark or name on the barrel and lock plate, and obviously these should correspond. This was not necessarily the case with top-quality early pieces where there may be as many as three or four names. pistols
In addition to the
barrel, lock, stock and decoration were done by separate craftsmen each of whom placed his mark or name on the weapon. There are many lists of makers' names and marks and many
The
of the books in the bibliography contain such not to be accepted as definite, for research
lists. is
These
lists
are
necessitating fre-
quent revision. However, for general purposes the dates given may be accepted as being reasonably accurate. Absence of a maker's name means no more than that it was probably made by a smaller gunsmith who did not feel that his name was likely to enhance its value. It was not unknown for retailers to have their names inscribed on the weapon, and in this case
the
name on
the
weapon
will not appear in any
list
of
makers.
Any
silver
hallmark
;
or gold work on a weapon will normally bear
a
the date of the hallmark should obviously tally with
the date of the weapon.
The maker's name or mark will usually be engraved on the metal work, and engraving will also be used for decorative effect as well it is a skilled job and amateur embellishments are normally easy to distinguish. Inscriptions should always be examined extremely carefully, especially if they purport to prove an association with a famous event or person. Since such an association will certainly mean that a high price is being ;
66
Fakes and Copies asked If
it is
a very wise precaution to get a second expert opinion.
a piece
cased the accessories and case should also be
is
Check that the bullet mould matches the calibre of the weapon; see if the maker's name and the trade label, if present, are the same. The weapon should rest snugly in the scrutinised.
compartments and any breaks or cutting should be examined closely. The lining will normally show signs of rubbing and wear and these marks should obviously match the weapon and accessories. The majority of cases were of oak and mahogany, and the method of construction was fairly uniform so it is as well to examine some genuine cases. It is easy to suggest these points to bear in mind, but impossible to be dogmatic, and each item must be assessed as a whole. There may be a perfectly acceptable reason for an apparent discrepancy and it is a rash collector who condemns too hastily. Weapons by their very nature and purpose were subject to hard wear and must have suffered damage and consequent repair. It is thus not uncommon to find pistols with damaged stocks carefully put together, but — once again - experience will enable the collector to judge whether it is a modern repair or not. In the case of later revolvers the various parts were numbered and if it happened that a piece was broken it was replaced and the number, therefore, differs. Dirt should not, of itself, be a reason for rejecting a piece, for accumulated fluff, dried oil and dirt can make a genuine piece look like scrap material and yet when this filth is removed a piece well worth having may be revealed. On the other hand there is a deeper ingrained dirt which is extremely difficult to remove and this can be a real problem. In the case of fakes the fitted
first is
type of dirt
less likely to
Having
weapon decision
is
looked
a decision is
fairly easily simulated,
but the ingrained dirt
conceal a dud. at, handled, examined and prodded the must be made and it is unfortunate that the
usually required at short notice.
67
Some
dealers will E
2
Fakes and Copies hold an item for his
mind, but
Wherever
limited period whilst the collector makes up
a
many
is out of the question. grounds for doubt, do not a second opinion, for no reputable dealer will
in
possible,
hesitate to call in
if
cases this grace
there
are
object.
To buy or not?
genuine and is something; that no problem apart from the the biggest problem arises when there is some doubt price about one aspect. There are some who will not consider any item which isn't completely original and this is understandable, but, for the average collector, just a little too idealistic. In general every collector must compromise and accept pieces which are If
the piece
is
the collector wants, then there
is
;
is how far one is prepared to and the best answer must surely be 'as little as compromise
not perfect. The areat decision possible'.
How common forgeries
are
are fakes and copies? Deliberate out-and-out
not really
common,
the
for
amount of work
Except with the higher-priced weapons, like early and rare Colts and fine-quality wheellocks, involved
is
usually
excessive.
The number of
'near'
higher. Barrels can be cut
down
the return would hardly justify the labour. forgeries
is
regrettably
much
or extended, locks changed, stocks re-cut, decoration and inscriptions added, and it is not unknown for weapons to be
from spare parts metal work can be treated copy of genuine pitting, and the pitfalls for the unwary can be many. There are now firms, especially in America, which specialise in the production of blanks, screws, springs and even produce do-it-yourself kits to build pistols and guns. These pieces are sold in good faith, but
practically rebuilt to
produce
;
a very creditable
of course the unscrupulous
may
materials. In certain fields there
increased
demand
has given
produce extremely I
lintlock pistols.
well take advantage of these is
rise
fine replicas
The weapons
a greater
to
a
danger
number of
still
of Colts, Remingtons and are well
68
for the
firms
who
Tower
made by craftsmen
in
Fakes and Copies Belgium, nearly
all
and Japan and are intended to be Hred. They are marked by the firm producing them and show clearly
Italy
that they are reproductions, but again
few years' time wear and the
some of
these into fakes
skill
which
it is
to be feared that in a
of the forger will have turned
many collectors. Not made but other accessories
will fool
only are pistols and revolvers beina
- bullet moulds, powder flasks and nipple keys - as well. Despite the apparent hazards and snags listed above the collector should not be too frightened of making a decision. Inevitablv there will be times when a wrong decision is taken, but this must be borne with. In conclusion it must be stressed once again that there is no substitute for experience in handling weapons, and no opportunity of gaining this experience should be missed if the collector hopes to build up a decent collection.
69
6 AND
REPAIRS
RESTORATION When
does a repair become
when
restored and
problem
it
restoration?
a
When
a piece
is
faked? These two questions pose a
that faces every collector at
sible to replace a
new
is
broken spring
is
it
some time.
If it is
permis-
not equally right to cut a
stock?
The
of the problem may be debated and argued most collectors would agree that in general it is
niceties
endlessly, but
acceptable that a piece be restored as nearly as possible to original condition, but
no additions, embellishments or
its
altera-
tion can ever be justified; to repair a stock
is right, to add an wrong. From this it would seem reasonable to argue that the difference between a restored piece and a fake is simply one of intention. The guiding idea behind any work should be the restoration of the weapon to the condition it was in when first made. Accepting this principle any piece which is changed in any way from its original design may, with justification, be called bogus. The putting together of disassociated pieces to make a weapon must be condemned, for it con-
inscription
is
utterly
travenes this basic principle. If
restoration or repair
is
permissible
how
far
may one go?
probably one of the most hotly debated points amongst collectors. In spite of what has been said most would not agree
This
is
to the
complete restoration of
and coloured,
all
a
weapon — with
decoration restored,
70
new
parts
barrels buffed
made and
the
;
Repairs and Restoration
mechanism overhauled. Collectors tend
to
condemn
a piece that
and usually prefer a piece that has just been carefully cleaned and a minimum of essential work done. However, the final decision is the individual collector's and must be largely a matter of taste. Obviously the amount and extent of restoration undertaken personally must be determined by the collector's skill. If he lacks the appropriate skill the only right course is to find someone else to do the job. There are few more depressing sights than a badly restored piece. A poor restoration is frequently much worse than the condition it sought to remedy and means that more work is involved in renewing the poor-quality work and in refurbishing. Even if the collector lacks the requisite mechanical and technical skill he can still do a great deal. It must be emphasised that the first action on acquiring any muzzle-loading weapon should always be to check that it is unloaded, for it is not uncommon to find weapons still charged with powder and shot gunpowder does deteriorate with age but is still capable of producing a nasty explosion. The easiest method of checking is to push a piece of dowel down the barrel until it will go no further. Mark off the length of dowel inside the barrel, and if this measurement corresponds with the outside length of barrel it may be taken that no charge is present. Should a charge be found the greatest care must be taken in drawing the ball and shaking out the powder. It would be as well to wash out the barrel with warm water. Assuming that the weapon requires some attention the first useful job is to strip the whole thing down, but taking the greatest care with each step. The procedure will vary slightly for each weapon, but, in general, the lock should be removed first by unscrewing the one or two screws passing through the stock. Often the screws are stubborn and rusty and the importance of a correct sized screwdriver cannot be over-emphasised.
has had this full treatment
71
Repairs and Restoration
A well fitting head can make all the when trying to loosen a screw, and it screwdrivers and
worth buying several snugly into the most the screw refuses to move, pene-
the blade until
filing
common-sized screw heads.
difference in the world
If
is
it fits
trating oil can be used as well as a very gentle tapping of the
screwdriver.
the screw resists every effort, then
If
have to be drilled out After the lock,
as a last
barrel
tiie
it
may
well
desperate measure.
next to be removed by undoing
is
the tang screw and tapping out the securing pins, or removing
The
the securing bands.
trigger guard,
butt cap and ramrod
pipes are usually held in by pins or screws and these can also be
When
removed.
tapping out the pins, a blunted metal dart forms
Very great care
a useful punch.
pin rusts and fuses to the
knock can break
When
oft
wood
is
necessary, for sometimes the
of the stock.
A
hard, incautious,
quite a large piece of the stock.
weapon has been stripped as far as possible one can amount of restoration and cleanini^ required. The first step is usually the removal of rust. The collector soon learns to recognise two kinds of rust, the easily-removed, reddish layer the
assess the
and the tougher, more-penetrating, blackish film. Both require some form of abrasive and, in general, the least abrasive material which is effective should be used. Jewellers' emery paper is very useful indeed, the grades varying from mildly coarse to one so fine that
are If
it
feels
still less
work
is
almost like ordinary paper. The coarsest grades most grades of emery cloth or paper.
abrasive than
started with a coarse ^rade and replaced with finer
grades as the rust finish.
Much
is
reduced the
final
result will be a
mirror
labour can be saved by soaking off the worst of the
rust with a mixture of oil
and
paraffin.
The mixture may
be wiped on, or small pieces immersed and
left
either
to soak.
There are certain proprietary rust-removers on the market which are very effective, but they must be handled with care. If
the metal
^n^\,
is
in eftect,
left
too long in the solution the surface
etched.
When
is
attacked
taken out from the rust-remo\er
72
Repairs and Restoration the surface
with very
When
often a rather leaden colour, but further polishing
is
fine
emery
will restore a shine.
the metal surface has been brought to the desired
degree of finish a thin layer of oil should be applied and handling with bare hands avoided, for grease from the pores can leave quite a corrosive deposit which will lead to rusting.
If oil
is
undesirable certain proprietory dusters can be obtained. These are impregnated with a silicone preparation and,
when wiped
over a surface, leave behind a thin protective film. The stock will also require cleaning, and one of the best methods here is to work the surface gently and carefully with linseed oil and fine steel wool. Properly applied this process will remove most of the old varnish and dirt. Once a good finish has been achieved it will probably require little more than an occasional wipe over to maintain a good surface. Polish may be used, but aaain this is a matter of choice. Dents can be removed, or at least greatly reduced, by the steam method. A piece of cloth, soaked in hot water, is placed over the dent and a hot iron applied until steam is given off. The hot steam causes the wood to swell, so reducing the dents.
Improved polishes now available will give a fine finish to ^old, pewter and brass. Normally nothing more than a good
silver,
clean
is
required to bring out the beauty of the decorative effect
of these
metals,
but
the
collector
advisability of lacquering the surfaces
The lacquer polished
may wonder about the when they are cleaned.
has a tendency to reduce the brilliance of a finely
surface
but,
of course,
it
does mean that cleaning
problems are greatly reduced. If lacquer is used it should be the very best quality otherwise it will darken and so defeat its own purpose.
Cleaning and stripping really present no serious problems, but the restoration of a broken or missing part easy.
The
Of course,
first it is
is
not quite so
must be to decide exactly what is missing. easy to say that the top jaw or cock is broken and
step
73
Repairs and Restoration
must be replaced, but before anything can be done it is essential to know exactly what the missing piece looked like. Reference
made
should be
to photographs,
museum
items or similar pieces
Measurement and sketches must be made or else photographs taken. A working sketch must then be produced and shaping started. Nowadays it is possible to obtain cast blanks of cocks and top jaws and this has removed a lot of the drudgery from the job of making these pieces, but it is still very much a matter of working slowly, shaping and checking on the pistol and on the diagram to ensure a reasonably finished in other collections.
piece.
A
great deal of skill
is
required to manufacture a spring;
own they would an easy business. The temper must be just right or the spring will snap after one or two compressions. In general it is more satisfactory to have the job done by a
although
many
collectors
certainly not claim that
do make their
it is
professional spring-maker. If ordering a spring
it is
essential to
give the fullest possible details as to dimension and strength.
Preferably the lock should be sent with the order.
Ramrod
and butt caps can all be obtained fit. As pointed out in the chapter on fakes, the brass tends to be slightly different in colour since brass is an alloy and its composition may vary pipes, trigger guards
pre-cast and, usually, need only be filed to
considerably. Barrels normally require little in the
way of
restoration apart
from cleaning. In the case of octagonal barrels the cleaning cloth should be wrapped round a flat stick to ensure the whole surface is
evenly cleaned.
When
removed from the stock some of brown colouring will often be seen on the
the barrel has been
the original blue or
underside. This particular effect was obtained by a controlled rusting process which left a surface that would not easily rust any further. The effect is rather pleasing and the collector may well feel that he would like to re-brown the barrel. There are
74
Repairs and Restoration dozens of formulae and most collectors have their own favourite, but with all of them two things are essential before the solution is applied the barrel must be given a fine mirror finish, though if :
the surface started;
not recommended that browning be been obtained the surface must grease. Strong detergent or stain-removing
pitted
is
when
it
is
a fine polish has
be cleansed of all fluid may be used, and once the grease has been removed the metal should not be touched again with the bare hand. It is useful to push a wooden stick down the muzzle and use this as a convenient handle. The solution is then applied evenly over the whole surface and the barrel left until an even layer of red rust appears. This layer of rust is removed and the process repeated a large number of times. After a recommended time the barrel is washed in hot water and polished, and if the procedure has been successful a fine, deep brown colour will appear. The process can be rather chancy but if it is unsuccessful there is no damage since the barrel can easily be restored to a bright polished state with no harmful consequences. Blueing is both easier and less effective. The original blueing is distinctive and was obtained by a process involving heat. Patent preparations are available to provide a cold blue and, once again, it is imperative that the surface be absolutely free from grease.
The
resultant
blue
is
nearly always a
much
deeper,
darker blue than the old original colour but, nonetheless, many collectors would sooner see this than a plain polished surface. Stocks are often cracked or split and once again technology
many fine impact adhesives which form an bond. Some of these preparations are instantly immensely strong adhesive and great care must be taken to ensure that an accurate join can be made before uniting the pieces. If a piece of the stock Plastic is broken the job is obviously much more complex. has
made
available
wood, in general, should be eschewed for it is seldom satisfactory and gives a poor amateur look to the job. If a new piece of wood is to be inserted it is essential to study the grain and it can be a
75
Repairs and Restoration long and tedious process finding just the right piece of wood to match the stock. The result of a successful search, however, will always repay the
Missing ramrods of
time and trouble spent.
wood
taperina steel ramrod of
are easily replaced, but the gradually
long arm
a
is
a
much
trigger
problem
and unless there are extensive machine-shop facilities to hand it is probably best to compromise with an ordinary parallel -sided
ramrod. This very general survey of restoration cannot possibly do ^ive a few general hints and suggest possible lines of
more than
approach. The bibliography gives the titles of several books which may prove of use, and many of the periodicals often include
which contain
articles
One
final
useful tips.
word of caution -
if at all in
to restore or not, the best advice
piece
is
much
the latter
is
less attractive
missina
some
is
doubt about whether
'don't!'
A
poorly restored
than an untouched item, even
if
essential part.
An example of
restoration or a fake
—
it is
impos-
sible to say. This strange but very interesting pistol
basically of Scottish manufacture but at some time it has been fitted with a wooden stock and an ivory butt and fore-end. A trigger guard has also been added, and the lock and barrel were probably is
associated.
7 BOOKS AND COLLECTIONS The
literature of guns
Many
continuously.
and shooting
is
extensive and growing
of the books are of a very specialised nature
and others are outdated and almost worthless. Every collector will need a certain number of reference books, and since there are at present something like 3,000 titles listed, it is often difficult for a beginner to decide which are of value. list of suggested titles is divided into two sections, the comprising those still in print and readily obtainable, and the second listing out-of-print titles. Many of the titles in Section II are very rare and, in general, of antiquarian value rather than practical use. For those anxious to build up a comprehensive library the most likely sources of supply are the few booksellers who specialise in books on arms and armour. Antiquarian
This
first
catalogues are always worth studying, and find a bargain.
It
is
rooms often contain tion.
Many
worth noting
it
is
still
possible to
that catalogues issued by sale
fine-quality plates
and much useful informa-
of the larger collections also issue catalogues, and
these, too, are valuable reference books.
The
titles listed
below are
many other
languages,
all
of books in English, but
it
should
wealth of material available in notably German, Danish, French and
be pointed out that there
is
a
Swedish. I
General Books Blackmore, H. L. -Firearms (London, 1964)
77
Books and Collections
— European and American Arms (London, 1962) Boothroyd, G. - Gun Collecting (London, 1961) Hayward, J. F. - Art of the Gunmaker, VoL I (London, 1962 second edition, 196^) Hayward, J, F. - Art of the Gunmaker, Vol. II (London, 1963) Hayward, J. F. (Victoria & Albert Museum) - European Firearms (London, 19^^) Held, R. — Age of Firearms (London, i95'9)
Blair, C.
;
National Rifle Association of America
(Washington,
19^9);
reprints
of
- Gun
Collectors
selected
Handbook
articles
from
American Rifleman L. (Editor) - Encyclopaedia of Firearms (London, 1964) Peterson, H. L. - The hook of the Gun (London, 1964) Riling, R. - Guns and Shooting, A Eihliographj (New York, 19^1)
Peterson, H,
Recent books of a more specialised nature - Duelling Pistols (London, 1964) J. A. Blackmore, H, L. - Guns and Rifes of the World (London, 196^) Blackmore, H. L. - British Militarj Firearms, i6jo-i8jo (London, Atkinson,
1961) Carey, A.
M. —
English,
Irish
and
Scottish
Firearms Makers (re-
printed London, i960) Dillin, J.
19^9) Dowell,
G. - The Kentucky Rife (fourth edition:
W. C. - The W. B. -
Edwards,
New
York,
Wehley Storj (Leeds, 1962) The Storj of Colt's
Revolver
(Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania, 19^3)
George,
J.
N. - English Guns and Rifes
(Plantersville,
South
Carolina, 1947)
— English Pistols and Revolvers (Onslow County, J. N. North Carolina, 1938; London reprint, 1963) Gyngell, D, S, H. - Armourers' Marks (London, 19^9) H. M. Patent Office, London - Abridgments of the Patent Specif ca-
George,
78
Books and Collections Relating
tions
to
Firearms and Other
Weapons, Ammunition and
Ij88-i8j8 (London reprint, i960) Kauffman, H. J. — The Pennsylvania- Kentucky RiJJe (Harrisburg, Accoutrements,
Pennsylvania, i960)
— History of Spanish Firearms (London, 1965^) Lenk, T. — The Flintlock — Its Origin and Development (Stockholm, 1939; London reprint, 1965) Lister, R, — Antique Firearms — Their Care, Repair and Restoration
Lavin,
J.
(London, 1963) Logan, H. C. — Underhammer Guns (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, i960) Neal,
W.
K. — Spanish Guns and
Partington,
R. —
J.
y4
Pistols
(London, 19^^)
Historj of Greek Fire and Gunpowder
(Cam-
bridge, i960) Riling,
R.
—
The Powder Flask Book
Roads, C. H. — The
(New Hope,
Pennsylvania,
18^0—1864 (London,
British Soldier^ s Firearms,
1964) Serven,
J.
E.
-
Colt Firearms,
i8j6-ig^8
Ana, California, i95'9) Winant, L. — Early Percussion Firearms
(third printing: Santa
(New York,
195^9
;
London,
1961)
Winant, L, — Firearms Curiosa (London, 195:6) Winant, L. — Pepperbox Firearms (New York, 19^2) II
— Remarks on Rijle Guns (second edition: London, 1804) Beaufoy, Capt. H. (Corporal of Riflemen) - Scloppetaria (London, Baker, E.
1808)
— y4 Centurj oj Guns (London, 1909) Borworth, N. - ^ Treatise on the Rijle, Musket and Fowling
Blanch, H.
J.
(New York,
846) The Volunteer Rijleman and the
Piece
1
Boucher, J. Busk, H. - The Rijleman
s
Rifle (London, 18^3) Manual (London, 18^8)
79
Books and Collections
Deane, J. — Dcane's Manual of the History and Science of Firearms (London, 1888) De Gheyn, J. — Exercise oj Arms for Calivers, Afuskets and Pikes (The Hague, 1607) Dove, P. E. — The Revolver (Edinburgh, 185^8) Ffoulkes, C. J. — Arms and Armament (London, 194^; reprinted, 1947) Ffoulkes, C.
Ffoulkes, C.
J.
J.
— Armour and Weapons (Oxford, 1909) — The Gunjounders oj England (Cambridge, 1937)
- Inventory and Survey oJ the Armouries oJ the Tower cj London (two volumes; London, 1916) Freemantle, T. F. - The Book oJ the Rifle (London, 1901) Greener, W. — Science oJ Gunnery (London, 1841) Greener, W. — The Gun (Edinburgh, 183^) Greener, W. W. - Modern Breech Loaders (London, 871) Greener, W. W. — The Gun and its Development (eiahth edition: London, 1907) Grose, ¥. — A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons (London, Ffoulkes, C.
J.
i
1786)
Hawker,
—
Young Sportsmen (London, 1814) Our Engines oJ War (London, 18^9) J. Jewitt, L. — Rifles and Volunteer Corps (London, i860) KaufPmann, H. J. -Early American Gunsmiths, i6^o-i8jO (HarrisP.
Jervis, Capt.
Instructions to
W. —
burg, Pennsylvania, 19^2) Page, T. - Art of Shooting Flying (Norwich, 1766) Pollard, H. B. C. — LListory of Firearms (London, 1926)
Stonehenge (J. H. Walsh) — The Shot Gun and Sporting Rife (London, 1859) Thornhill, R. B. — The Shooting Directory (London, 1S04) Wilkinson, H. -Engines of War (London, 1841) Section
III
has periodicals
which cater
for firearm enthusiasts,
and section IV those which contain an occasit)nal article on antique firearms.
80
Books and Collections III
The American Rifleman (Washington, U.S.A.)
Canadian Journal of Arms Collecting (Mount Royal, Canada) Gun Digest (annually; Chicago, U.S.A.)
Gun Report (Aledo, U.S.A.) Guns Review (Leeds) Gun World (California, U.S.A.) Journal of the Historical Firearms Societj of South Ajrica (Cape S.A.)
Town,
Shooting Times (London)
IV The Connoisseur (London) Appollo (London) Collectors
Guide (London)
Country Life (London) Journal of Arms and Armour Societj (London) Journal oj the Societj for Armj Historical Research (London)
V Collections of Small Arms Only a few of the collections are listed below, and many smaller museums — provincial and regimental — also contain items of interest; details are given in reference books.
Great Britain
Birmingham London
City Museum and Art Gallery H.M. Tower of London
Rotunda, Woolwich Victoria
and Albert Museum
Wallace Collection Enfield
Pattern
Room
(special permis-
sion required^
Lincoln
City
Museum
(small collection
of firearms^
Canterbury 8i
West Gate
Museum F
Books and Collections
G.B.
(cont'd)
Yeovil
Wyndham Museum
Glasgow
Kelvingrove Art Gallerj and
Edinburgh
Scottish
Museum United Services
Museum
Austria
Graz
Steiermarkisches Landeszeug-
Vienna Vienna
Kunsthistorisches
Heeresgeschichtliches
Liege
Musee D'Armes
Brussels
Porte de Hals
haus
Belgium
Denmark
Copenhagen
Tojhusmuseet
France
Paris
Musee de
Italy
Turin Oslo
Armeria Reale
Norway Spain
Museum Museum
V Armee
Haermuseet
Madrid Madrid
Museo
del Ejercito
Armeria Real
Sweden
Skokloster
Switzerland
Stockholm Bern
Bernisches Historisches
Geneva
Musee
Solothurn
Zeughaus
Zurich
Schweizerisches Landesmuseum
California
Anaheim
Disneyland
Connecticut
Los Angeles Hartford
State Library
Hartford
Wadsworth Atheneum
Castle
Kungl Livrustkammaren
Museum d^ Art et d'Histoire
United States County Museum
Newhaven
Winchester
Georgia
Fort
Chickamauga- Chattanooga
Oglethorpe Chicago
National Military Park
Illinois
82
Museum
George F. Harding Museum
Books and Collections Massachusetts
Boston
First Corps Cadets
Springfield
Worcester
Nevada York
New
Reno
New
Armory Armorj Museum John Woodman Higgins Armorj Harold's Club
York
Metropolitan
Museum of Art
West Point
United States Military
Ohio
Cleveland
Museum of Art
Virginia
WilHamsburg
Academy
Washington, D.C.
The Powder Magazine Smithsonian Institution
83
84
PART
II
A Sequence
of Photographs
85
THE MATCHLOCK This was the earliest form of mechanical ignition for firearms, originating in Europe at the beginning of the fifteenth century.
The serpentine replaced the manual use of a glowing match which had previously replaced the heated wire and glowing ember. The mechanism reached its ultimate form by the third quarter of the fifteenth century. In Europe the matchlock for military purposes was abandoned during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, although it lingered on for some time among the peasantry. Slow match
was used to
common The
to
early
the cannon for
fire fit
many
years,
until
it
became
these weapons with flintlocks.
European explorers introduced the matchlock to
the East, and here the system continued well into the nineteenth
century long after Europe had adopted newer systems. Indian weapons
were
usually long-barrelled and fairly light,
Some Tibetan and Chinese weapons are found with a swivelled bipod attached to the stock, but this was for aiming rather than a support necessitated by weight. The locks are usually of the trigger type where the requiring no rest to steady them.
serpentine
soon
falls
as pressure
when is
the trigger
is
pressed and then rises as
released.
Japanese weapons tend to have a shorter, though heavier, barrel. Snaplocks are
matchlocks
The
it is
common, and
in
both Japanese and Indian
unusual to find a trigger-guard
fitted.
great majority of matchlocks are long arms of various
sizes,
including a few repeating weapons. Matchlock pistols were
made
in Eastern
Europe and Japan, but
they were intended as serious weapons
it
—
seems unlikely that rather as models or
toys.
Cheapness and simplicity were two great advantages of the matchlock, but its serious inherent disadvantages were so many that it was inevitably displaced by more efficient systems of ignition.
86
:%:_
PLATE
I
An example of
a very
sixteenth-century matchlock which has an octagonal barrel of bronze. A rear sight is fitted. The lock is missing, but was probably of the hand-operated, early,
serpentine type, for matchlocks
such as this are commonly shown in engravings of the period. A hole pierces the butt and was no doubt for attachment of a lanyard. Overall length 42 in. Barrel length
295
in.
Bore
-625.
PLATE 2 Lock of a seventeenthcentury matchlock with pan uncovered. The pan, which w^as filled with fine priming powder, is rectangular; a short length of match is gripped between the jaws of the serpentine. This weapon is very much plainer than that in plate 4 and is almost certainly a
common
military pattern.
I
PLATE 3 This harquebus of the late sixteenth century is beginning to assume the characteristics of later models. The barrel is circular for the greater part of its length, but becomes octagonal at the breech. A large V-shaped rear sight is fitted. There is no trigger-guard, but the stock is shaped to fit the hand. The lock mechanism is of the snaplock type. Decoration comprises ivory inlay of mermaids and scrolls. Barrel 48 in. Calibre -58 in.
PLATE 4 The lockplate is from a very finely restored specimen of a seventeenth-century matchlock. The tube peep sight can be seen above the breech. The priming pan has the cover in the safety position.
A screw
and
would normally have been tightened
this
is
lacking from the serpentine, to
hold the match firmly in place. Mother-of-pearl is used to decorate the stock. The trigger is the same shape as those found on north-African weapons two centuries later. Weight of the weapon is 16 lb. Overall length 61-5 in. Barrel length 47 in. Bore -7 in.
m
m
m,
PLATE
Group of four high-quality Japanese i matchlocks. The butts all have the highly characteristic Japanese shape and the barrels bear typical inlay decoration. In each weapon it will be seen that the serpentine moves forward i.e. away from the stock. The bottom matchlock of the group is a repeating weapon with hand-rotated barrels.
—
E^---'
fi<^
l«-.-
V
*
-i^ll
'»
1**
•
SM.5 J*
PLATE Indian
A fine specimen of an matchlock known as a
6
Bandukh
Torador.
straight butt
is
The
long,
characteristic of
these weapons, and the stock of
PLATE
7
matchlock
A
miniature, Japanese
pistol,
probably made
in the early nineteenth century
and
possibly intended rather as a toy
than a weapon. The ebony stock is decorated with small inlays of brass and mother-of-pearl. The octagonal barrel is pinned into place on the stock which is also drilled to hold the missing ramrod. The lockplate, spring and match holder are all in brass. Overall
48
in.
Barrel
23
in.
Bore
j
in.
rosewood is decorated along its whole length with tigers and other animals. The trigger is shaped and the serpentine moves forward towards the pan. Dating of these weapons is extremely difficult since the
pattern changed
over the centuries. This particular weapon is probably but
little
eighteenth-century. Overall length 64 in. Barrel
468
in.
-6
calibre.
PLATE weapon
8
Detail
of
to that of plate
a
similar
showing the fine ivory inlay. The two spikelike objects attached by a chain 6,
are prickers to clear the touch hole of any clogging. The barrel is
decorated and damascened, and silver decoration has also been added. Probably late eighteenth century. Overall length 68-2
some
in.
Barrel
4875
in.
Calibre
55.
PLATE
An unusual
9
repeating
matchlock from India. The six chambers were loaded separately through the opening seen at the top of the swelling. Each chamber is fitted with its own pan and cover, and as each was fired the cylinder was rotated by hand and locked into position by a steel spring situated on top of the barrel. The top of the barrel and ribs of the chambers are decorated with silver-wire foliate patterns. The redwood stock has a few simple inlays of white bone. Possibly
Overall
seventeenth length 40-2^
length 155
in.
Calibre
century. in. -52.
Barrel
THE WHEELLOCK This complex and mechanically intricate system was probably first developed in Italy, early in the sixteenth century. Leonardo
da Vinci had produced an idea for a wheellock mechanism, but it is not clear whether any were actually constructed. Basically the system relies on the friction between a rotating, rough-edged wheel and a piece of pyrites. The friction produced sparks which fired the priming and thus the main charge. The main spring which supplied the motive force was usually mounted inside the lockplate, although it was occasionally fitted
on the outside. Since the mechanism was complex and thus expensive, not normally
fitted to
it
was
poor-quality weapons, and the majority
of wheellocks tend to be ornate and decorative.
By the mid-sixteenth century the wheellock had become
common among the wealthier members of society, but by the middle of the seventeenth it had been displaced by the cheaper, more robust, flintlock. In Germany, however, hunting and target rifles utilising the wheellock continued to be made fairly
well into the eighteenth century.
The wheellock represented several reasons
could in
;
possibly the
a very
important step forward for
most important was
now
that
weapons
be loaded, primed, then put aside for long periods complete safety, and yet be quite ready for instant use.
96
PLATE lo Extremely fine pair of double-barrelled wheellock pistols. Each barrel is fitted with its own lock although both are operated by a single trigger. The front lock is fired with the first pressure and the rear lock operates
when
further pressure
is
applied.
The stock is entirely of steel etched with floral scrolls. Cord or wire was originally bound around the circular section of the butt. These pistols were made in Nuremberg about 1570. They bear the mark of the guild of that city as well as the initials, P.D. Overall length 20 in. Barrel length of the top pistol is 12-5 in., of the bottom 10-5 in. Bore -4 in.
PLATE
—
fine wheellock pistol made in Augsburg, Germany, The stock is of walnut, beautifully inlaid with engraved stag's horn. The large, spherical butt was not designed to be used as a club, but was most likely to provide a firm grip for a horseman. Overall length 19-5 in. Barrel length iii in. Bore -55 in. Middle one of a pair of similar German pistols dated 1577 and 1578. These are fitted with belt hooks. Overall length 21 -8 in. Barrel length 127 in. Bore '5 in. Bottom similar German pistol (c. 1580) but with the doghead in the safety position well away from the wheel. It will be noted that all three pistols are fitted with safety-catches on the lock plate. Overall length 21 in. Barrel length 11*9 in. Bore -65 in.
about
II
Top
1590.
—
—
igin*Tiwwtr7 -Ti^
PLATE PLATE
Wheellock pistol from Augsburg, Germany, c. 1590. The shape
is
13
characteristic of its period.
The mark of the maker (Anton Krugg), a tankard, is stamped on the breech together with the fir cone of Augsburg. A chiselled and gilt steel case
completely encloses
the wheel. Overall length 19-5
in.
Barrel length 14 in.
y^
A
12
wheellock
pistol,
or
petronel, with carved stock inlaid
with mother of pearl and staghorn. All
fittings
are
steel,
including
the butt cap. The lockplate
and
the
wheel
has
no
is
plain
cover.
Probably made in Brescia dating from the early seventeenth century. A maker's mark is on the inside of the lock. Overall length 2075 in. Barrel 15 in. Bore -5 in.
T^l^asj^
PLATE 14 An example of a weapon being converted from one system of ignition to a newer one. The barrel bears the date 1624 and at this time it would have been a matchlock. Around 1680 the lock was changed, so prolonging the weapon's useful life. This weapon was Flemish or Dutch, but the lock was made in Dresden by a member of the famous gunmaking family, Ertel. Overall length 607 in. Barrel length 487 in. Bore 75 in.
PLATE IS The barrel of this wheellock is rifled with 8 grooves to give greater accuracy. Silver decoration covers the lock plate and it will be noticed that the safety-catch seen on many earlier specimens is no longer fitted. The stock is again of walnut and inlaid with horn in the form of classical scenes, and bears the date 1563. Recent research has
shown
that the
of lock on this weapon was from Lithuania and dates from about 1620. Overall length 46- 5 in. Barrel length 346 in. Bore 5 in. style
a
ft-
HHHBIHHHHWK
mws^mi^mfumtmsmfm^
r.
PLATES i6 AND 17 One of a pair of wheellock pistols of about 1620. The wheel is totally enclosed by a gilt cover. A bar has been fitted from near the base of the butt to the trigger guard and it is difficult to see the purpose unless it was to provide a firmer grip for the hand. The butt plate is of steel, and the fore-end of horn. The engraved wheel cover and pierced, pan-release button can be seen in detail below. Overall length 19 in. Barrel length 11-7 in. Bore 55 in. Diameter of the pan cover
i-6 in.
0^' ,v
If;-
»
IBRH^Ii^MnB^a^^
PLATES
'^^t^w-y^.'ii'^--
i8
AND
19
Wheeliock pctronel of about
:.«^.*:"^va£SMeasaE
1600.
The walnut
stock has a simple bone inlay, some pieces of which are engraved in straightforward patterns. The barrel is octagonal at the breech and
then circular. Rear-sights and fore-sights are fitted. The lock plate is very plain and the wheel is completely unenclosed. Overall length 33'3S ^"' Barrel length 2475 in. Bore -45 in.
PLATES 20 AND 21 One of a pair of wheellock pistols of about 1640. The barrel is octagonal for 45 in. and then becomes circular and is secured by a screw which passes from inside the trigger-guard up through the stock and screws into a metal bar, or tang, protruding from the rear of the barrel. The stock is completely plain except for a rather crude figure 5, cut into the underneath of the wood. The plainness of the weapons suggests that they were for military service. The doghead, or arm, has a moveable lower jaw, and this was adjusted by the screw so that the pyrites was gripped firmly. Overall length 20-5 in. Barrel 14 in. Bore -45 in.
PLATE
22
Fine leather holster of
early seventeenth century. Inside is considerable wear where lock rubbed as the pistol, either wheellock or flintlock, was drawn and replaced many times. The cap which normally covered the top is missing. A pair of these holsters would have been carried, one on either side of the saddle. Length 17-75 »"• Width 6-75 in.
there
the
PLATE 23 The lock of a late vvheellock seventeenth-century hunting rifle. Despite the introduction of the flintlock many hunters preferred the vvheellock, and manufacture continued for some long time. The lockplate is engraved with a classical scene and the wheel
is
situated
on the
inside of the lock, a characteristic
of many of these later weapons.
PLATE 24 Detail of the butt showing a fine, horn patch-box cover approximately 6 in. long. Set in the walnut stock is an engraved horn inlay showing the huntsman with his hounds. The trigger guard is indented to take the fingers. In front of the normal carved trigger is
the hair trigger adjusted to set
off the
mechanism
at
a
touch.
PLATE
25
Reverse side of the butt of plate
24,
showing a fine inlay. These weapons were not fired from the shoulder, and the butt is, therefore, recessed to fit against the cheek. The metal ball at the end of the butt served to protect it when the weapon was rested on the ground. Overall length of
weapon 44
in.
Barrel length 33 in.
Detached wheellock of late manuprobably eighteenth century. The entire mechanism is fitted behind the plate. There are examples of wheellocks being made as late as the nineteenth century, but they are unusual. Length of
PLATE
26
facture,
lock
65
in.
^•-:s:^.ia«5Si:.
PLATES
27
AND
28 (two views)
for a wheellock; the loop
is
Combination tool
for attaching the tool
to a carrying thong. The shaped end is a screwdriver and also has a square-cut hole which fits over
the spindle to span the lock. The body is a tube which slides over a central block; the size of the container can be adjusted by means of a springloaded clip mounted on one side. This container also served as a
(closed)
75
in.
powder measure. Overall length Outside diameter of tube 4 in.
PLATE
29
Powder flask fashioned antler. One
from a section of an
is still in the natural state, but the opposite side has been roughly
side
engraved with a man and woman whose bodies form part of a quartered shield. One of the four carrying rings
is
missing.
century. seventeenth length 9 in. Nozzle 2-7
Early
Overall in.
long.
I
'^y.
30 A similar powder flask to plate 29, with brass mounts and
PLATE
a plunger charger instead of the cut-ofT.
may be
Dated
1610,
though
spurious. Length 7-5
this in.
PLATE
An
specimen of the The body is covered with red velvet, is pierced and has gilded copper fittings. The medallion in the centre bears the arms of the Goldsmiths' Company. It dates from the 31
unusually
musketeer's large
powder
sixteenth century.
fine
flask.
PLATE bone
32
inlay.
An example of
Two
the annular flask with carrying rings are fitted, and the
pourer is of ivory. The stopper is missing. Probably German, seventeenth century. Diameter of flask 5 in.
PLATE 33 Another and more common type of whccllock key, serving only as a screwdriver and spanner.
THE FLINTLOCK By definition the experts make no distinction between the snaphaunce and the flintlock, but as far as collectors are concerned the snaphaunce is the lock in which pan-cover and steel are
Most
separate.
would describe
collectors
a flintlock as having
the pan-cover and steel united into one L-shaped piece, but the full definition
the cock
block
is
of a flintlock goes a
cut with
two notches which
When
metal tongue, or sear.
notch the
it
is
further.
known
as a
Connected to tumbler; the
are engaged in turn by a
the sear
is
locked in the
first
described as being at half-cock and in this position
weapon cannot be full -cock,
the cock is pulled further back notch and into the second. This
fired. If
the sear slips out of the
second, or
little
a shaped block of metal
is
first
position means that the lock
is
now
set
for firing.
The
and pan-cover were united as early as the i ^8o's, and with half- and full -cock positions were in use by 1600, though the two ideas do not appear to have been united before the period 1610-161^. The credit for the union is usually ascribed to a Frenchman, Marin de Bourgeoys. By the middle of the seventeenth century the flintlock was fairly common and continued as the main system until well into the 1830's. Spain produced a variant knowTi as the miquelet lock with the mainspring most commonly mounted on the outside of the steel
Italian locks
lockplate.
The
sear
also
operates
horizontally
rather
vertically.
11^
H2
than
PLATE
34
hauncc
An outstanding Scottish, all-metal, snap-
pistol.
The Scots had certain idiosyncrasies
of pistols. Generally they are all metal gilt brass is common; the trigger is often of the ball type and usually there is no trigger-guard. A pricker for clearing the touch-hole usually screws to the pommel. This particular pistol is engraved overall with Celtic patterns and bears the mark, l.G. just below the cock. It dates from about 1625 and, as is common, is fitted with a long belt hook. Overall length 17 in. Barrel 1 1-8 in. Bore -^ in. in their design
—
PLATE
35 The flintlock mechanism soon displaced the snaphaunce, but in Italy pistols with separate pan cover and steel were
made
until
well
into the eigh-
teenth century. This pistol is one such, with all furniture trigger-
—
guard,
butt
cap,
ramrod
and
—
escutcheon plate made of steel. The inside of the lock is signed // BrentO. This type of weapon originates from Central Italy. Overall length 8-6 4-7 in.
Bore
in.
-45 in.
Barrel length
ail:
PLATE 36 Another Italian snaphaunce, one of a pair, probably earlier than plate 35, but similar in
many respects. A belt hook is fitted. Overall length
length
8-2 in.
13-6
Bore
45.
in.
Barrel
M'
37 An English flintlock made between 1650 and 1660, by J. Tarles, whose name appears on the lock. The fluted
PLATE pistol
butt cap of steel is fixed to the butt by means of two screws. The barrel,
octagonal at the breech
and then round, is cut with 8groove rifling. To load these pistols the barrel was unscrewed and powder and shot placed in the breech.
These
turn-off
barrel,
were not uncommon and thereare several contemporary rifled pistols
Some have a between the barrel and stock
references to them. link
as a precaution against the loss of
the barrel. Overall length 14-^ Barrel length 8-5 in. Bore -5
in. in.
PLATE 38 Detail of a singlebarrelled, Spanish, 12-bore gun with a barrel by Caspar Fernandez of Madrid, dated 1699. ^t the breech is set the gold mark of the maker. Spanish barrels were highly esteemed and commanded high prices
in the eighteenth nineteenth centuries.
and
-^
PLATE
Flintlock from the time of James II. The rounder than previously, for the lockplate was usually flat. The brass butt cap is plain and lacks side spurs. The barrel is stepped and the tang screw passes through the stock from the triggerguard. London view and proof marks are stamped on the left-hand side of the breech a common practice with British gunmakers. Overall length i8-2j in. Barrel length ii-6 in. Bore -j^ in.-^
lock
39
is
—
'n'^isrjif^.
'.r^:
PLATE 40
A
fine pair
of double-barrelled
The two
flint-
one above the other, usually described as over and under, have separate pans and frizzens. When the pistol was fully loaded and primed the top barrel was discharged first and then the small lever in front of the trigger guard was pressed. This released the barrels and the lower one could be rotated into a position ready for firing. Each pistol has a steel-tipped, ebony ramrod housed at the side of the fluted barrel. A short belt hook (25 in.) is fitted to each pistol. Overall length 22 in. Barrel length 14 in. Bore -45 in. locks of about
1
690.
barrels,
PLATES
AND
42 Pair of Engof about 1680. The stock is of field maple. The barrel and furniture are of brass and bear lish
41
pistols
London proof marks and the name I. Hall. The ramrods are also
the
brass-tipped, one being fitted with a
worm
other
the
plain
(see
frontispiece). Overall length 18 in.
Barrel length
1
1-25 in.
Bore
-6 in.
^w^-^w
—
PLATE
Top late seventeenth century fusil, or 43 musket. The lock plate is flat like many weapons of the period and bears the Royal cipher, W.R., below a crown. The cock is flat and is cut with a notch into which slips a catch which then holds the cock in a locked safe position. The dog-lock was common on English weapons. Barrel length 465 in. Bore -79 in. Bottom early eighteenth-century musket similar to the one above. The dog-lock was abandoned at about this time, and by 1720 the army was issued with a normal flintlock. The lock plate bears the name R. Wolldridge. The furniture triggerguard etc. is often nailed, rather than screwed. Barrel length 45-5 in. Bore -79 in.
small
—
—
—
v:***-:'
:w
3'Tj*.-:''ias
r^'
ft
PLATE 44 Pistol, late seventeenth century, from the famous gunmaking town of Brescia in north Italy. The barrel bears the signature of Lazarino Cominazzo, one of the most renowned of all barrel-makers. His name was so highly revered in the trade and outside
it
that
barrels
made
in
Belgium and elsewhere were fraudulently stamped with his signature. The barrel is octagonal at the breech, and the tang screw enters from below. Overall length 17-5 in. Barrel length 12 in. Bore -5 in.
PLATE 45 44.
The
Lock of
pistol in plate
fine chiselling
can be seen
on the cock and steel triggerguard. This work was characteristic of Brescian firearms. The signature here is that of Diomede Barent.
PLATE 46
silver-mounted pistol with a carved stock. The lock bears the name of I. Reed and was made flintlock
about
Fine,
holster
1710.
PLATE 47
A
marked stock of burr maple and make this a rather eyecatching piece. The ramrod is brass-tipped, but the other end is fitted with a worm which can be removed, revealing a screw. The barrel is fitted with a gold-lined touch-hole. Gold is a very inert metal and was well suited to resist the chemical corrosion produced by the powder. On the top of the barrel is the mark of Geronimo Fernandez, a Spanish gunmaker who worked from about 1690 to 1720. Overall finely
the plain steel furniture
length 17-6
in.
Barrel length ii-2 in. Bore -68 in. I
PLATE 48
Pocket flintlock pistol, by John Harman of London. There is no trigger-guard and a ball trigger, unusual on these weapons, is fitted. Another un-
c.
1690,
usual feature
is
that the fore-end
unscrews from the barrel. Length in. 525 in. Barrel 2-9 in. Bore 1
PLATE 49
One of a pair of late seventeenth-century by W. Hawkes of Oxford. The barrel has a small lug underneath and over this fitted a barrel wrench togive leverage when removing or replacing the barrel. The lock plate, as is typical of early weapons, is convex not flat. A safety catch engages with a notch at the base of the cock. Since these were intended to be breech-loaded, no ramrod is attached to the pistol. The butt is embellished with silver-wire inlay, steel escutcheon and butt cap. Overall length 75 in. Barrel 375 in. Bore 4 in. pistols
PLATE
Top
50
—
fine,
all-metal, Scottish flintlock
The lock is stamped D.H. Decorated with silver leaf and rosettes it also has brass furniture. There is another pistol in the Glasgow Museum and Art Gallery which almost certainly makes up a pistol of c. 1700.
pair with this one. Overall length
length
1
2-
25
in.
Bore 625
in. Bottom
17 in.
Barrel
—an outstanding
snaphaunce no restored parts at all, with the possible exception of the jaw screw. The first ramrod pipe has been worn through, perhaps by friction in a holster. The pistol was, at one time, in the possession of the family of Graeme of Garvock. The marriage of a James Graeme of Garvock is recorded in 1678, and it is possible that this pistol originally belonged to him. The lock is engraved and bears the name of I O Stuart. The weapon is inlaid with silver bands, a panel, rosettes and scrolls. Overall length 1975 in. Barrel length 14-5 in. Bore 625 in.
example of a
late seventeenth-century
Scottish pistol.
The
pistol has
PLATE
51
Details of locks of
two
pistols in plate 50.
—flintlock
holster pistol by Barbar of London. The but the masked butt cap is silver. The breech of the barrel bears the name, Barbar, in gold, but is slightly unusual in that it is in script rather than block letters; it is possibly a copy of his signature. Overall length 19 in. Barrel length 12 in. Middle one of a pair of flintlock pistols by I. Wilson of Dublin. Furniture, barrels and even lock plates are of brass. Overall length 185 in. Barrel length II in. Bottom fine, early English pistol, c. 1650, by Ralph Venn. The
PLATE 52 mounts are
Top
steel,
—
—
of the barrel bears the crown and R.V. The stock is rosewood and all mounts are steel. The lock is attached to the stock by two side nails only. There is a catch to hold the cock in a safe position common feature on English pistols of this period. Overall length 17-25 in. Barrel length 10-625 in. flat
—
PLATE
Butt and lock of a fine sporting gun by The barrel is richly gilded with monsters' heads, etc. Silver filigree work decorates the full stock, and the lock is gilded and chiselled, as are the mounts. The lock is dated 1723. 54
Foulon of
PLATE
53
52. Middle
^
Right
Left
—side view of Barbar pistol in plate
— side
—side
Paris.
view of Wilson pistol in plate view of the D.H. pistol in plate
52.
50.
PLATE 55 Print from an cightecnth-ccntury military hand-book, showing two movements of the musket. The one on the left is closing the pan cover and the other, rather surprisedlooking soldier is presenting, immcdiatelv prior to firing.
PLATE
56
Superb chiselled lock
bearing the name of Johan Stockl, Ncustat. The lock is on a flintlock
fowling piece,
c. 1730.
H V
:v.. .
'o;?:^/
PLATE
57
Barrel of the fowling
piece in plate 56. The barrel
is
of
manufacture (made of Damascus steel) and is encrusted with silver and garnets (semiprecious stones). The maker's signature is on a gold stamp set
Turkish
in the barrel. Overall
length 56
in.
Barrel length 41
Bore
in.
in.
-65
-V *'
PLATE 58 Powder tester of late seventeenth century. A small quantity of powder was placed in the breech and fired with a match. The force of the explosion rotated the wheel, and the number (i to 8) which stopped opposite the poin-
gave a purely comparative reading of strength. The grip is of walnut and the rest is brass. Overall 6 in. Diameter of wheel 1-4 in. ter
—
PLATE 59 Top one of a pair of Brescia pistols from the second half of the seventeenth century, inscribed Filtpiis Spinodus Fecit JJhe stock is inlaid with pierced and engraved
steel
and brass; the trigger-guard and
—
lock are chiselled. Middle an unusual, }-barrelled which was hand-rotated. The mounts flintlock are engraved, and the lock is signed Lorenzoni.
—
The escutcheon bears the arms of Cosimo De Medici who was Grand Duke of Tuscany between 1670 and 1723. Bottom a mid-eighteenth century
—
fowling piece with the lock signed Galvarino. The whole weapon is beautifully decorated with Italian
silver
and
gilt.
'\
.L,
PLATE
60
Top
— fine flintlock fowling piece bearing
the arms of Saxony and inscribed Tanner 1724. Bottom
—another fowling piece, with
A Gotha
gilt barrel
and mounts chiselled from the workshops of J. N. Stockmar. The Stockmar family was for years Court Gunmakers to the Electors of Saxony.
^.aam
PLATES 6i AND 62 Flemish pistol, one of a pair, with brass furniture including a sighting rib along the top of the barrel. The barrel also has a small brass grotesque mask (see detail). The lock bears the inscription, G. De Cologne. The shape of the lock plate long spurs descending to the butt cap and backward curling trigger indicates a date during the first quarter of the eighteenth century. Overall length 21 in. Barrel length 13-5 in. Bore -6 in.
—
—
PLATE
^!?—
-•'^^.,'-^--
63
Brass side plate of pistol in plate
61
PLATE 64
Dutch
pistol
from the
quarter of the eighteenth century, with brass furniture including a rather unusual brass lock plate. Inscribed on the lower edge of the lock plate is Christof Wenner Mastrich. Overall length first
17 in.
Barrel
107
in.
Bore
-6 in.
«#*-*j!^*«*v::.:
PLATE 65
Brass side plate from
of pistols from Liege; they date from the first quarter of the eighteenth century. Overall
one of a
jiair
length 19 in. Barrel length 1225 Bore 625 in.
K2
in.
PLATE 68 Another military pistol, this time with Royal Horse Guards inscribed on the barrel the lock is stamped with the royal cipher and Tower 1756. It will be noted that there is only one ramrod pipe unlike the others on the page. The side plate is flat and there is a grotesque mask on the butt cap most unusual for military pistols. Overall length of the gun 16-5 in. Barrel length 10 in. Bore -6 in. ;
—
PLATE 66 (top left) cavalry pistol from the first quarter of the eighteenth century with brass butt cap and fittings; it was made by I. Johnson. Overall length of the gun 17-9 in. Barrel 11-7 in. Bore -6 in. PLATE 67
Royal Dragoon pistol the brass butt cap
has very long spurs.
;
On
the lock
is
inscribed the
crown over G.R., the maker's name, R. Edge and 1730. Overall length 19
in.
Barrel 12
in.
Bore
-6 in.
PLATE 70 A blunderbuss, or musketoon, with brass barrel and furniture, dating from about 1750. The blunderbuss was a very popular weapon for
self-
defence, since the dozen or so balls that
fired
it
reduced the need for aiming. This weapon is fitted with a small sliding bolt, situated on the lock plate. When the bolt is pushed forward it engages in a slot at the rear of the cock and locks the weapon at half-cock. 20 in.
PLATE 69 maker
is
Bore
Overall length (at
muzzle)
355
in.
-9 in.
Similar to plate 67, but this time the 1744. Overall length
Farmer and the date,
of weapon
19-2 in. Barrel
length
i2
in.
Bore
-6
in.
Barrel
length
PLATE
71
Holster
pistol
by
Shuter, dated 1776 and bearing the East India Company mark. The is now flat-sided unlike previous ones which were curved in section. Overall length 15-7 in. Barrel length 9-2 in. Bore -7 in.
cock
PLATE
72
pistol by Although very
Military
Vernon, dated
1760.
similar to that of plate 67
it
will
be seen that the spurs of the butt cap have shortened considerably. Overall
length 9
length in.
Bore
14-6 -7 in.
in.
Barrel
PLATE 73 An attractive military blunderbuss pistol with a brass barrel, bearing the name, Galton, the date, 1760 and the Royal Cipher. The sideplate of brass is quite flat. Overall length 12-5 length 6-8 in. Bore (at muzzle) 115 in.
PLATES 74
AND
75
in.
Barrel
So-called
Queen Anne
pistols:
although many were made long after her reign, these date from around 1750. The upper one is by T. Richards. Silver-wire inlay
is
used to embellish the
butt as well as a silver side plate and grotesque butt cap. Overall length ii-8 in. Barrel length 4-8 in. -6 in. The lower pistol is very similar to the but was made by Covers of Dublin. The butt cap and escutcheon are of silver but there is no
Bore
first,
silver-wire inlay. This pistol has a sliding trigger-
guard which
is
Overall leui^th
designed to serve as a safety-catch. Barrel length 5- j in. Bore -6 in.
12 in.
^
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AND 77 Massive, double-barrelled French pistol of c. 1800. The barrels are mounted side by side, each with a separate lock one lefthand and one right-hand. The butt has no butt cap a feature common in pistols of this period. at all PLATES 76
—
—
The front portion of the trigger-guard narrows into more common on
a pillar shape, this design being
French pistols. Overall length in. Bore .7 in.
9
15 in. Barrel
length
PLATE 78 A pocket pistol with over and under barrels. This is a tap-action pistol; the barrel to be fired was selected by turning a projection on one side of the breech. The two barrels were loaded and primed; after the first was fired the pistol needed to be cocked again, and the tap turned to the second position. There is a silver butt cap bearing assay marks for 1789. The breech is inscribed on one side Meredith and on the other Chester, both in script. Overall length 85 in. Barrel 26 in. Bore 5 in.
PLATE 80 Rather an unusual, large, over and under holster pistol, probably dating from the second half of the eighteenth century. The butt is of brass with engraved scroll work. Pans and frizzen are secured by an ornamental strip which is screwed to the barrel. It seems very likely that the weapon originally had much longer barrels and that these were shortened during its working life. The lower barrel bears a partly illegible signature impossible to reproduce. Overall length 95 in. Barrel 48 in. Bore 65 in. ^^
PLATE 79 Another example of a side-by-side pistol. The locks this time are built into one breech, the whole being known as a box lock. Overall length 6-3 in. Barrel i-2 in. Bore -35 in.
Double-barrelled, over and under pistol, PLATE 8 by Durs Egg. This is a very fine quality weapon made by one of the outstanding gunmakers of his time. Egg, Swiss born, was to become one of the most famous of London's gunmakers. The locks are fitted with sliding-bolt safety-catches which also lock the pan cover into position. The barrels retain much of their original browning. Overall length 1} in. Barrel length 75 in. Bore -7 in. 1
PLATE
82
gold-inlay
showing a and two gold bands. platinum-lined. The small hole is the point at which the safety-
Detail of the pistol in plate 80,
name
(the maker)
The touch-hole is visible on the steel
catch engages to lock
down
the cover.
PLATE 83 One of a pair of double-barrelled pistols made by Wilson of London. The ramrod is of the swivel type whereby the metal rod is affixed permanently to the barrel by a link which still allows it to be used freely. Both this pistol and the one in Plate 81 have patent pans designed to ensure that the priming stayed dry even in rain. Many of the later flintlock pistols have small wheels or rollers fitted at points where smooth movement is essential. Both pistols have such the one by Egg, on the spring and this one, on the pan. rollers fitted Both pistols were made early in the nineteenth century. Overall
—
length 12
in.
Barrel 7 in. Bore
y^
-j in.
7-yf777^d!gl^Hf>tt.'
PLATE
Yet another type of double-barrel this time they are side Here the box lock is fitted with one steel and one cock. The barrels have separate pans; a slide covers the left-hand pan whilst the right-hand is left open ready for firing. The trigger-guard is the sliding safety-catch type. The breech is marked Joiner, London. Overall length 1-6 in. Barrel 4-3 in. Bore -45 in.
by
84
side.
1
;
%"^^ ^r
^^>^-i
r ^^^'"nJ
f?r-.sg.-;
^
^'
t4t-
^*?r***••,
4.\ S«^
^^
PLATE
85
Detail
showing
silver inlay
and the butt
cap of the pistol in plate 84. Such inlay work is very typical of English weapons of the eighteenth century. The stud for operating the slide cut-off can be seen in the bottom left-hand corner of the illustration.
PLATE 86 Small pocket pistol with 4 barrels, bearing on one side G. Devillers, and on the other A Liege. A small stud releases the barrel block so that, as the top barrels are discharged, the lower two can be turned up into the firing position. A double safety-catch locks both cocks by engaging in notches at the rear. Overall length of pistol 6 in. Barrel length 1-3 in. Bore -35 in. -^
PLATES
Many
87
AND
pistols,
88
Pistol
and
with a detachable stock. were made with
later revolvers,
the idea of converting them into carbines for cavalry use. Here the stock has been cut to reduce
weight and the ring
at the side
enabled the user to
weapon when on horseback. The stock and were both made by Egg. The barrel is blued.
sling the pistol
The stock engages in a slot cut into the back of the butt and is locked into place by means of a spring clip operated by the projection below the stock. overall length 15 in. Barrel length 9 in. Bore Pistol
—
•6 in.
Stock
10-5 in.
PLATE
Large blunderbuss pistol by P. Bond, about 1790. The butt 91 not rounded but flat, or slab-sided. Although the barrel is brass the trigger-guard is of steel. On one side of the breech is the maker's name and on the other side is his address 45, Cornhill, London. Philip Bond was one of a family of gunmakers which produced pistols over a long period. A sliding safety-catch is missing from the top of the breech. Overall length 125 in. Barrel length 72 in. Bore at muzzle -9 in. is
—
PLATE
—military
pistol fitted with a patent Nock lock, of lock, invented by Henry Nock, a prominent London gunmaker, was completely enclosed and had only one screw in the whole construction. It was easily dismantled. This pistol is unusual because of its very large bore. Overall length 15 in. Barrel length 8 in. Bore -8 in. c.
89
Top
left
1795. This type
^ PLATE
90 Sea-service flintlock, the stock is stamped with the date, The trigger-guard, butt cap and ramrod pipes are all of brass. These pistols were usually fitted with long belt hooks. Overall length i9'75 in. Barrel length i2 in. Bore -6 in. 1803.
^5^
if
d PLATE
Steel-barrelled blunderbuss which has had an interesting The weapon was made originally by I. Gill for government for it bears the Tower mark and G.R. with a crown. At some
92 existence.
service,
time it passed into native hands, for the weapon is now decorated with steel-headed nails hammered in the stock. Some native characters are inscribed on the barrel with a passable imitation of the East India Company's mark. Most unusual is the inscription, presumably the reverse of TOW(ER) 1790. Overall length 2875 in. Barrel 18 in. Bore 1-6 in. at muzzle.
PLATE 93 Details of plate 92 showing marks on the barrel and some of the hammered nail decoration. The East India Company sign differs from the usual mark onlv in that it has I.I. instead of E.I. -^
PLATES 94 AND 95 Brass-barrelled blunderbuss with a spring bayonet mounted on top. The bayonet is held down by a catch above the breech. When the catch is released the bayonet flies forward and locks into position. This spring-bayonet system was patented in 1781 by John Waters although the idea was not new. The lock plate is marked Wiggin & Co. Overall length 27 in. Barrel 1 1-75 in. Bore 1-5 in. at muzzle. Bayonet 10 in.
PLATE 96
Brass-barrelled pistol with a spring bayonet. Here the bayonet is fixed beneath the barrel (unlike the blunderbuss) and is held in position by the trigger-guard. When this is pushed back the bayonet springs forward into position. A top safety-catch locks cock and pan cover. Made by Twigg of London, c. 1780. Overall length 8 in. Barrel length j in. Bore -45 in. Bavonet 35 in.
PLATE Nock c.
97
Brass-barrelled
1800.
pocket pistol bv H.
The trigger normally
fits
into a recess
underneath the breech. When the cock is pulled back the trigger snaps down into the position shown here. The slab-sided butt is inlaid with silver wire. A top safety catch is employed. Overall length 6 in. Barrel 1-7 in. Bore •£ in.
PLATE
98 Duelling pistol, one of a pair by R. Clarke of London. The butt is cross-hatched (i.e. incised with a series of criss-cross lines) to afford a more secure grip. On the top plane of the octagonal barrel is No. 62 Cheapside, London. As with the Key pistol (plate 99) there is a set trigger. Overall
length 14
PLATE
in.
99
Barrel length 9-2
Duelling pistol,
c.
in.
Bore
1800,
-65 in.
by A. Key of St.
Andrews. The maker's name is set in a small gold panel on the top of the barrel. The pistol is halfstocked, i.e. the wood does not extend the full length of the barrel. The trigger is a set one (see above), whereby the pull can be adjusted by the screw set just in front of the trigger. All furniture is blued as is the barrel. Overall length 14 in. Barrel length 8-1 in. Bore -6 in.
PLATE
Large-bore pistol by H. Nock. This breech where the barrel terminates in a hook-shaped projection which engages with a metal plate affixed to the stock. To remove the barrel a wedge near the front of the stock is pushed out and the barrel is then lifted up, disengaging the hook and so freeing it from the stock. The touchhole is platinum-lined. Overall length 10-5 in. Barrel length 5-9 in. Bore -8 in. 100
pistol has a false
8.A.
M
loi One of a fine pair of duelling pistols of around 1815 by the very famous London gunmaker, Joseph Manton. The pistol is half-stocked with a horn fore-end. The browned barrel is ribbed underneath, with two ramrod pipes fitted. Touch-hole and panel bearing the maker's name are both of platinum. The frizzen spring is fitted with a cam which engages a roller on the frizzen itself. To ensure an accurate shot these fine-quality pistols were fitted with very thick and heavy barrels and this pistol is heavier than similar pistols of the period. Manton went bankrupt in 1826. Overall length 15 in. Barrel 10 in. Bore 5 in.
PLATE
^
PLATE
102 All-metal pocket pistol of the mid-eighteenth century by H. Devillers of Liege. The butt is of silver and there is no trigger-guard. Overall length 57 in. Barrel 1-9 in. Bore '4. in.
PLATE
103
All-steel, Scottish pistol.
Despite the
—
—early
ninteenth century this pistol still exhibits many characteristics of earlier types, such as the ball trigger and the lack of a triggerguard. The butt is of the ramshorn type with the later
date
screw-in pricker set between the inward curves. The lock is engraved with the name, Macleod. The barrel is Birmingham proofed. A 4 in. belt hook is fitted on the side of the pistol. Overall length 12 in. Barrel 7-4 in. Bore
4
-7 in.
PLATE
Although the shape suggests a Belgian one was made by Shuter for the East India Company. The lock bears the maker's name, the mark of the Company and the date, 1776. Overall length 1^-7 in. Barrel 9-2 in. Bore 7 in. 104
pistol, this
'i^.xm^^
^ PLATE
One of a pair of silver-mounted holster by Stanton of Holborn, London. Although this pistol was made at approximately the same time as that of plate 104 the difference is obvious. Overail length 13-75 i"' Barrel length 7-75 in. Bore -65 in. pistols
105
PLATE 107 Spanish pistol of mid-eighteenth century with typical miquelet lock. In this type ot lock the mainspring is mounted on the outside and the sear operates through the lock plate. Brass and silver are used to decorate this pistol,
and a long The barrel is octagonal at the breech and bears the mark of Pedro Esteva. Overall length 10-7 in. Barrel length 6-j in. Bore -7 in. ^' belt
hook
is
fitted.
PLATE
106 French holster pistol of the mid-eighteenth century. The stock has some carving and is fitted with a small butt cap which has a short spur at the rear. The slightly convex lock plate bears the inscription, A St. Etienne. The ramrod
has a horn
tip.
of weapon 13.7s
Overall length *"•
Bore
-68 in.
PLATE
1
08
plate 107.
browned sight
is
Barrel of the pistol in
Gold inlay barrel.
is
set into a
Around the
fore-
a sunburst then a light-
ning flash. The word, Tordu, inlaid round the barrel, refers to a method of
construction using twisted Below the rings or balusters appears a trophy of arms. metal.
PLATE
109
Large Continental holster pistol fitted
with a left-hand lock. Occasionally pairs of pistols were made with left and right-hand locks and this is the left-hander of such a pair. Brass fittings are used, including a strip at the fore-end. On the triggeris deeply engraved Zes No. 33. Originally, there was probably a D-ring attached to the bar at the pommel. Overall length 18 in. Barrel length
guard
10-7 in.
Bore
-8 in.
'i(i
PLATE no pistols
and
An unusual 2
initials, T.A.,
case
is
set
containing
2
pocket
holster pistols. Each pistol has the
on the
silver escutcheon. Also in the
a red leather wallet containing a series of
and
The two pocket marked Stokes and Co., and the two holpistols Stokes and Hunt. Pocket pistols: overall
flints
a pair of bullet tweezers.
pistols are ster
length 6-5 in. Bore -5 in. Holster pistols: overall length 14 in. Barrel length 9 in. Bore -6 in.
PLATE
III
A
grenades. The
way and
hand weapon for discharging weapon was loaded in the normal
small
a grenade, instead of a ball, placed in the
The barrel
is of brass and 2 in. in diameter. The lock bears the name, Jourson, and almost certainly dates from the mid-eighteenth century. '^
barrel.
PLATE
1
12
A group
are of good quality
Red Indian
Chiefs.
of three rifles made by Tatham of London. They and traditionally were made for presentation to There are some 28 of them; the majority have
engraved on the patch-box cover. Barrel lengths are 29-5 and they all have lo-groove rifling. Bore of each one is -59 in. stags
in.,
PLATE
113
Flintlock musket by
Ransford. The lock bears a crown, G.R. and 1717. Overall length 4 ft. 9 in. Barrel 42 in.
PLATE 114 Powder horn with an engraved scene depicting the withdrawal of the British forces from Havana
in
1763
when Cuba was
returned to Spain. The arms of a member of the Peyton family are also engraved on the horn.
PLATE 116 Rifle made by D. Egg of London, c. 1780. The weapon is breech-loading using the system patented by Captain Patrick Ferguson in 1776. The trigger guard was rotated, so unscrewing a plug at the breech, allowing powder and ball to be inserted.
PLATE
115 Powder horn for use by gunners. The brass tip has a
simple
The
spring-operated
sling
is
a
modern
cut-oflf.
restoration.
Overall length of horn 13
in.
PLATE
A
revolving-cylinder shotgun made by The five-shot cylinder w^as rotated by hand. Overall length 465 in. Barrel 27 in. 117
Collier, c. 1825.
r.w>«v*>SBSK«iwi»SMwa'
PLATE ii8 Silver-mounted, flintlock holster pistol. Basically it is a mid-eighteenth century pistol which has been embellished with silver wire and panels of embossed silver, and has had a silver triggerguard
substituted.
There
is
a
simulated ramrod replacing the original one. The decoration suggests a Turkish origin. Overall 20 in. Barrel 13-7 S.A.
in.
Bore
-6
in.
fSrr.ifi'-^'!
i^^
Unique combination weapon comprising two flintlock which have been fitted to an arm piece. The knife is spring-operated rather like those fitted to the weapons shown in plates 95 and 96. The pistols were made in India. Length of
PLATE
119
pistols
and
a dagger,
barrels 2-4 in. Bore 4 in. Length of blade 8-5 in.
^-^a^MJ^:
sX7
PLATE
120 Superb pair of early nineteenth-century Turkish flintThe lock plate and barrel are blued and encrusted with gold foliage whilst the touch-hole and pan are lined with gold. Sumptuous silver-wire inlay, scrolls and foliage, decorate the walnut stock. All locks.
the silver-gilt furniture
is
chiselled in the shape of acanthus foliage.
The escutcheon bears the name of Hamadan Ibrahim. Overall length 20-1 in. Barrel length 129 in. Bore -6 in.
N2
PLATE
121
Afghan stocked gun. The barrel
is
ridged for the greater
of outstanding quality. The muzzle and breech are decorated with gold, including the owner's name. The stock is of ebony. The barrel is rifled 8 grooves. Overall length 6o-6 in. Barrel length 43-75 in. Bore 5 in. part of
its
length and
is
—
PLATE
122
typical lock
Top
—Turkish
and circular
gun of the eighteenth century with a The barrel is rifled 8 grooves. Overall
butt.
—
—
length 535 in. Barrel length 41 in. Bore 52 in. Bottom left similar. Overall length 2875 in. Barrel 186 in. Bore -52 in. Bottom right cartridge case: tubes of ebony tipped with ivory.
I m^
iiii litiiiiiii^'
—
—
PLATE 12} Top one of a pair of flintlocks, probably North African. The wooden stock is overlaid with plaques of metal gilt. Overall length 1975 in. Barrel length 12-3^ in. Bore -6 in. Bottom flintlock pistol from the Caucasus, dated 1788 on the barrel. The strongly curved stock is of mahogany and is decorated overall with silverheaded rivets as well as plaques of silver with niello decoration. The
—
barrel
is
inscribed Bortolo Comiiiazzi- Overall length 18-25
length 12-5
in.
Bore
in.
Barrel
-6 in.
—
PLATE 24 left Turkish or Circassian gun from the early nineteenthcentury. The stock is decorated with embroidered cloth, and there 1
decoration on the barrel bands and lock. Three large tassels, mounted, arc fixed near the trigger. Middle eighteenth-century Persian rifle. The barrel, with 9-groove rifling, is octagonal and fitted with a peep back-sight. Overall length 455 in. Barrel 31 75 in. Calibre •6 in. Riijht Turkish gun from the nineteenth-century. The stock is decorated with velvet. The barrel appears to be European and bears is
silver
—
silver
—
an armourer's mark. Overall length 59-7
in.
Barrel
448 in. Calibre
62
in.
PLATE 125 This fire-carriage is a mid-eighteenth century forerunner of the machine-gun. Each set of barrels (15 per set) was fired simultaneously by separate locks. The barrels are
London proof and
are octagonal for approximately one third of their
took just about four minutes The plates are mostly of brass as is the frame. The unit has been mounted on a carefully reconstructed carriage. King Edward VII presented the firing unit to the Royal United length. After firing
it
to re-load the weapon.
Services
Museum, Whitehall.
THE PERCUSSION LOCK The
internal
mechanism of the percussion lock
is
the same as
the flintlock with half- and full-cock positions. This fact enabled easy conversions to be made from the flintlock system to the cap lock. The simple copper cap offered much greater reliability - in one test, one misfire in sixteen shots compared with one
Moreover, priming was no longer directly ignited the main charge. Percussion locks were in vogue at the same time as mechanisation was becoming commonplace, and the variety of uses to which the system was put was enormous. Percussion locks were fitted to weapons varying from tiny pocket-pistols to cannon. Repeating weapons became a feasible idea and started the era of the revolver. Lar^e numbers of all types were produced and each claimed some intrinsic advantage. At the same time rifles became much more common, and armies all over the world were in
six
using the flintlock.
necessary, for the
first flash
equipped with percussion rifles. Basically the lock remained unaltered throughout its working life of some fifty years, and there is little to distinguish a percussion lock of 1830 from one of 1870. The percussion cap was soon incorporated into the cartridge, and although many systems were developed it was the centre fire that proved the most successful. Here the cap was set in the centre of the base of a metal-cased cartridge. This system in use today.
PLATE 1820.
126
Double-barrelled
The two locks are
fitted
is
still
the
fowling piece, c. with swivel, Forsyth
scent-bottle primers. These containers held a small amount of fulminating powder and were rotated to allow a small quantity to enter the priming
The hammer struck the small plunger which, in turn, detonated the fulminate. Smith, the maker's name, appears on the lock. Overall length 46 in. Barrel length ]o in. Bore -65 in.
section.
202
.
\^
>m -r iitwSi5k i
PLATE
129
Nock of powder was made
Half-stocked, 8-bore fowling piece by Samuel
Regent Circus. In
up into small
this type of lock the fulminating
pellets. Overall length 50 in. Barrel length 33 in.
—
PLATE 127 Top left a tube lock by John Cox, 7, Bernard Street, Southampton. This fowling piece is mounted in silver which bears Birmingham hallmarks for 1847. The weapon is supplied with an ii-bore fowling barrel and a hexagonal rifle barrel of -577 calibre. The lock is fitted with a set trigger. A pistol grip is fitted to the half stock. Overall length 49 in. Barrel length 32 in.
PLATE
Fowling piece by Geo. Fuller, 104, Wardour Street, Soho, The 8-bore barrel is octagonal at the breech, changing to circular. On this weapon the fulminating powder was contained in small copper tubes which were placed in the hole with one end facing
c.
128
1820.
the touch-hole; the
hammer crushed
the tube, thus exploding the
fulminate. Overall length 50 in. Barrel length 35 in.
PLATE
I
30
in the 1820's
When
the percussion cap was produced
many owners had weapons converted take the new cap. In this eighteenth-
from flint to century pocket pistol the
steel has been removed and a large hammer has replaced the cock. The j>istol is marked with T.
and
a
ni|)|)le
inserted,
Jackson, Maidstone. 0>erall length length 2-3 in. Bore 45 in.
79
in.
Barrel
PLATE
Another type of conversion to a duelby Diirs Egg. The touch-hole has been drilled out and a pillar inserted, into which is screwed a nipple. The cock, frizzen and spring have been removed from the lock and all screw-holes filled in. The pistol is a duelling pistol with a set trigger. Overall length 13 in. Barrel 8 in. Bore -5 in. i}i
ling pistol
A similar conversion of a pistol. The original pair dated }2 from the mid-eighteenth century and the owner obviously valued them sufficiently to have them converted, even though they were probably some 60 to 70 years old. The barrel is circular with a top rib bearing the silver-inlaid name. J. Christoph Kuchenreuter, one of a family of gunmakers from Regensberg in Bavaria. The butt is cut to take a stock and the locking hole is covered with a brass disc. Overall length 16 in. Barrel 10 in. Bore .^^ in. PLATE
I
PLATE 133 Typical back-action percussion pistol by Nock from the mid-nineteenth century. The lock plate extends down the butt, and since the mainspring, etc., is arranged behind the hammer the lock is described as a back-action. Overall length i o in. Barrel 5-7 in. Bore -5 in.
PLATES 134 AND 135 Heavy, military, rifled pistol, dated 1859. ^^^ pistol has a lanyard ring and the butt is slotted to take the stock. The barrel is rifled with 4 grooves. The lock is dated 1859 '^"^ bears the Tower mark and the initials, V.R., under a crown. A sling swivel is fitted to the stock which bears an arrow and the initials, fV.D. Pistol: overall 157 Barrel 10 in. Bore '6 in. Stock 11 in.
in.
PLATE
I
Norwegian
36
rifled pis-
an 83 model, converted to percussion in 1846. This pistol has
tol
1
;
several
1
interesting
features.
The
barrel bears English proof marks
and has shallow, 4-groove rifling. The hammer is fitted with a catch which engages in a notch at the
—
a feature of English seventeenth-century weapons. The tang screw also goes through the stock from the trigger-guard. The butt
rear
was originally cut to take a stock, but this has been filled in. Like many Continental weapons, especially military ones, the barrel is secured by a nose cap fitting over the barrel and stock, held in place by a spring clip. Overall length
165
in.
Barrel
99
in.
PLATE
Large percussion pistol by Joseph Wil137 son of Birmingham. The lock bears a crown over the letter, EIG and the date, 1871 a very late date. It is not rifled, but is fitted with sights. Overall length 14 in. Barrel length 8 in. Bore 65 in.
—
PLATE j8 Double-barrelled percussion pistol with swivel ramrod. The butt is fitted with a small compartment for holding percussion I
caps.
On
the strap joining the barrels
Hiah Holborn, London. Overall length
is
engraved John BUssett, 321 38 in. Bore 45 in.
8 in. Barrel
PLATE barrel
139 is
All-metal, saw-handled pistol,
browned
whilst the
hammer
situated in the base of the butt.
is
c.
1850.
blued.
A
The octagonal
small cap-box
is
The barrel bears Birmingham proof
marks, the only ones on the pistol. Floral engraving embellishes the butt. Overall length 8-3 in. Barrel 35 in. Bore -5 in.
PLATE
140 One of a pair of percussion pocket pistols with blued, fluted barrels. The
hatched butt has a diamondshaped escutcheon. There is a top safety catch, and the breech is inscribed Manton and London. There is a concealed trigger. Overall length
Barrel
2 in.
Bore
-6 in.
62
in.
PLATE
Pepperbox revolver;
141
the cylinder block
is
drilled for six
The nipples are guarded by a shield which encircles them all except for the topmost under the hammer. The German silver body is marked Colson and Stowmarket. The top safety-catch engages in shots.
the
of the
slot
Length
8-
1
in.
hammer
Barrel 6
in.
bar.
Bore -4
in.
PLATE 142 Percussion W. Parker of London, c.
pistol
by
1830. This
is sometimes described as an overcoat pistoL The octagonal barrel is fitted with a fore-sight
size
and
is
inscribed
Maker
to
His
Majesty, London. Overall length 8 in. Barrel 4 in.
Bore
-5 in.
PLATE 143 Transition revolver. In effect it is a truncated pepperbox with the barrel fitted. This type was produced in quantity, especially in Birmingham, in the mid-nineteenth century. rifled barrels. Overall
length 11-7
in.
Many have
Barrel 5-5 in. Bore -45 in.
PLATE one
144
Transition revolver. The design
in plate 143
—the barrel
is
fitted a little
an improvement on the more securely, and it has
is
hammer. The cylinder reciprocates as the revolver is moves forward slightly to ensure a good fit against the barrel. The barrel itself has both rear- and fore-sights and also 16groove rifling; it is marked Mortimer London. Overall length 15 in. Barrel length j in. Bore -45 in. a reasonable fired, i.e. it
1
PLATE
146
The Colt Navy model of
1
851.
—One
of
the most popular of Colt's percussion revolvers. A six-shot weapon with a high reputation for accuracy
and
reliability.
The revolver was manufactured
in
the U.S.A. and England. The cylinder was loaded and the bullet, conical or round, was pressed home
beneath the barrel. This on the barrel Address Col. Colt London, and each part bears the number 51 54. The cylinder is engraved with a sea-battle scene. The lanyard ring at the base of the butt is a little unusual. Barrel length 7-5 in. Bore 36 in.
by the loading lever
particular
model
is
fitted
inscribed
1
Heavy Colt of the type known as the Dragoon. Some 700 of these weapons were made in Hartford for sale in England around 1853. This weapon bears English proof marks and the cylinder is engraved with Indians
PLATE
145
Hartford
English
fighting soldiers. Barrel length 7-5 in. -44 calibre.
PLATE 148 New Model pocket pistol made by Colt in London was weapon. The cylinder is engraved with a scene of a stagecoach hold-up. This model was made from 1 861-1872, serial numa 5-shot
ber
1
7 179.
Bore -136
Barrel length 6-5 in.
in.
PLATE
147 Revolver patented in England by Robert Adams in 1851. These revolvers were cocked and fired by pressure on the trigger and did not require cocking manually (as did the Colts). This particular
weapon during
has had the grip replaced its
life,
since the normal
grip has cross hatching and a metal It was used on escort duty for shipments of gold on the West Coast of New Zealand during the
cap.
period, i860 to 1870.
S.A—
i?^
PLATE Adams
149
Five-shot, self-cocking,
-
^:-.-'f,Jlg'Ka.?-
,"*'
g.-..^
54-bore revolver by Robert
—the second model of 1853. Like many English revolvers
it is
only a five-shot weapon. The barrel, which has been considerably shortened, is marked Deane Adams & Deane {Makers to H.R.H. Prince Albert) 30 King William St. The serial number of the weapon is 8608. The revolver is cased and complete with all its various accessories.
PLATE
150
Deane Adams, 5-shot
Unlike plate 149 could be cocked by the thumb or by pressure on the trigger. This revolver,
c. 1855.
it
Birmingham made; others, were made in London. one
is
differing slightly,
Ma ^
—
PLATE 151 lop double-action, j-shot, 54-bore revolver by Daw, serial number 1270. Engraved on the top strap is Alex R. Henry Edinburgh. MiJJk another double-action, 5-shot, 54-bore revolver by Daw; on the top strap is engraved A. Henry
—
—
Edinburgh. Bottom self-cocking, 6-shot revolver by Daw, but this time with the very unusual calibre of -28. This revolver has 7-groove shallow rifling, unlike the other two which have five grooves only.
t
PLATE
Dual-system (No. 855-) 6-shot, 120-bore 152 Webley. Cased with accessories and alternate percussion cylinder. On the top strap and case label is engraved W. & J. Kavanagh, Dame Street, Dublin. Webley's Patent is stamped on the right side of the barrel. There is a Kerr-type rammer on the left, as well as a loading gate and ejector for use with cartridges.
<" »>
'mmiz-*
—
PLATE 153 Top revolver from plate 152; a view of the other side, showing the rammer on the side of the barrel, and the ejector under it. Bottom Beaumont-Adams revolver made under licence by C. Dandoy of Liege. It has a 7 mm. (-276) calibre. The makers name is in gold on the top strap. The weapon has a chiselled-silver butt cap, and the silver trigger-guard is chased with a hunting scene. The frame and cylinder are lined out and engraved with stags and trees.
—
PLATE it
154 Webley, first model, percussion revolver, patented 1853; has a detachable loading lever and all the accessories sold with the
gun; these include driver, nipple key,
mould, a cleaning rod, screwand metal oil bottle.
a typical bullet
powder
flask
^
smiM^S^
PLATE
1
55
Cased, double-trigger, Tranter revolver.
The mahogany case
is
lined with green baize and
retains all the original tins
Inside the lid
is
and other
accessories.
the trade label of Stephen Grant.
PLATE
The Tranter double-trigger, five-shot weapon was cocked by pressing the lower trigger and fired by pressing the upper trigger. Thus the weapon could be held in the cocked position indefinitely until ready to fire. The 156
revolver. This
loading lever
is
mounted
at the side
of the barrel
and the double-armed spring at the side is a safety device which holds the hammer clear of the nipples. The octagonal barrel is six inches long and has five-groove rifling.
PLATE
157
Left
— military
percus-
sion musket of 839. Overall length 47 in. Barrel length 39 in. Bore 1
•753
in.
Right
—sealed
pattern of
1842; the dimensions are the same as
above, but the lock
PLATE
158
differs.
Percussion knife-pis-
and sheath. Many of these combination weapons were made with tol
pistols fitted into purses, knives
and
knuckle dusters. This is probably French, from about i860.
PLATE 159 A double-purpose weapon usually known as a Le Mat revolver. Basically it is a percussion revolver with nine chambers, but beneath the normal barrel is fitted a second smooth-bore barrel. This was loaded with buckshot and was fired by setting the adjustable nose of the hammer. This revolver and many others like it were used quite extensively by the Southern States during the American Civil War.
PLATE 160 Holster and belt for a Navy Colt. The leather belt is 42 in. long with a brass hook to secure the loop when adjusting for waist size. On the end which loopsback to shorten the belt is stamped Rock Island Arsenal T.C. The holster is made to be worn on the right, and is held on the belt by a loop secured at the top and bottom by copper rivets. There is no top flap, but the top has been cut on the curve. Wear from long use is very apparent. ^
—
m PLATES
i6i
AND
162
Interesting
superimposed, i2-bore, doublebarrelled shotgun. It was made in Amiens and was presented to a Maori chief by the New Zealand Governor, Sir George Gray, in
The two loads were inand the forward ones first. The wadding was
1853.
serted fired
sufficient to
prevent a flashback
fir'ng the rear charge.
Underhammer rifles by Nicanor Kendall 163 of Windsor, Vermont, U.S.A. This maker was one of the first to produce repeating underhammer guns. These two weapons are very similar, varying only in overall length 3 ft. 9 in. Barrel length 2 ft. size. Top 4 in. Bore -j in. Bottom overall length 3 ft. 6 in. Barrel length 2 ft. 4 in. Bore -5 in. PLATE
—
—
PLATE 164 Group of commonplace, mid-nineteenth century accessories. The powder flask is a three-way flask in that
it
has compartments for powder, flints bullets. The bullet mould has the
and a number of
below the rivet The shot measure can be set for five different amounts. The shot charger holds two charges of shot and was always carried full, ready for use. built-in cutter clearly visible (just
head).
d^'j^'itiHA
Wmm
165 Brass capper with the lid removed. The percussion capS'' were loaded into the circular channel and, impelled by the springloaded arm were pushed through the top. Diameter 2-i in.
PLATE
PLATE
166
Enfield
rifle.
Steel mould for casting a 557, belted bullet to fit the The top, flat section serves as a simple funnel and also as oz. and had a circular groove a sprue cutter. The bullet weighed •3 in. up from the base. Overall length 8-5 in. ^ i
,*-,';v>^<
V ^,Vr "^»'^y^^!^^-;TT^g^*^'^^^5^^^:^y^y^^ ^ ;
'!
j'/'f-^'J. 'a^j^J '/ 'J.'/'/*f^fA/A^A'j>A
PLATE 167 Mainspring clamp and combination tool {left). The clamp was used to compress the main spring, allowing its removal from
A
the lock.
pricker, nipple key,
screwdriver,
worm
are
PLATE
168
oiling
probe
and
contained in the Enfield combination tool (bottom). The second tool (top centre) is less complex and has fewer gadgets. all
Top— Paton and Walsh combination nippleprimer, enclosed pricker and capper. Centre a very small capper by patent,
—
Sykes, i'4
in. in
diameter. Bottom
—
combined capper and nipple primer by Gertner today, an extremely rare and unusual piece. a
—
l^iv% i-'-f^
—rather a different type of capper from those in — small brush for cleaning revolvers, etc. —bar capper, 8-5 long. Top —comparatively small nipple primer. —ordinary nipple cleaner. PLATE
169
Top
left
plate 168 by Beetz. Bottom
in.
Centre
^
left
right
Bottom right
PLATE 170 Patent waterproof lock by Charles Jones, fitted to a 13bore shotgun. The internal mechanism was arranged concentrically. Overall length of the shotgun 46-5 in. Barrel length 30 in.
PLATE
171. Top
century. Top
century. century.
Centre .
—three cartridge pouches from India — nineteenth — three cartridge pouches from Turkey— nineteenth —Persian powder horn of ivory — nineteenth
left
right
left
—white-metal
—
bullet pouch from the Caucasus. Bottom of steel with a silk hanger to which is attached a gold inlaid ramrod; it is of nineteenth-century Persian manufacture. Centre right
powder
flask
Group ol combination 172 of various types. The Tshapcd one at the top and the thrcc-armed one at the bottom are almost certainly those issued to sergeants for use with the Enfield
PLATE
tools
rifle.
PLATE 173 Lock of a pinfire, double-barrelled rifle by James Purdey, a famous London gunmaker. Overall length 46 in. Barrel 30 in. Bore
-5 in.
INDEX Plate
numbers are
in
bold face
Ch 3; 154-5, 164, 167171-2 Adams, Robert 29; 147, 149, 153 Afghan stocked gun i2i
Book of Field Sports 47, §j
annular
flask 32 antique markets 53-4
breech-loaders (earlv) 46, 48; 49,
armour 14
Brescia 44-5, 59
accessories
books 64 Bourgeoys, Marin de
9,
armourers 32 arquebus (harquebus)
j
army 24, 30 'Brown Bess' 24, 30 browning 39, 74—5^ British
i
5
3
;
46; (moulds)
bullets 3
i
116
auctions ^j, 63 authenticating 6j
automatic weapons
i
box lock 79, 84
i
146,
154,
164,
166
Busk, Lieutenant Hans 47, £j butts 22, 23 (caps); 24-5, 91, 102 back-action percussion pistol 133 Bacon, Roger i 1
bandolier 45
calibre 151
Bandukh Torador 6
caliveer 10, 42
Barbar 52, 53
calivers 10
Barent,
Diomede 45
cannon 2, 86 cap-box 139 i
barrels 17-8, 24-5, 3^ (Damascus), 36-7 (manufacture), 72; 11 1
capper jo, ^i
;
165, 168, 169
carbines 87-8
(grenade), 140-1 (fluted)
bayonets 24, 26, ji-2; 94-6 Beaumont- Adams revolver 153
cartridges 31, 45-7, 202
Beetz 169
cased pistols 49, 67;
hooks 48 Birmingham 30, 33-4, 37
Caucasus 123-4, '7*
cartridge pouches 47; 171
belt
Black Bcrthold Blissett,
1
cavalry
China
John 34; 138
bloom 36 blueing 39, yj blunderbusses 26; 70,
(see
pistol
pistols) 66,
2
1
1,
no,
152, 155
also
military
88
86
Clarke, R. 98 cleaning 72-3 73,
cocks 21, 28, 61
91-2,
,
74
collecting 17 (matchlocks), Ch. 4 collectors 7, 8, Ch. 4, 62, 63
94-S Bond, Philip 91
2^2
Index Collier, E.
1
Farmer 69
17
Colson 141 Colt, Samuel 28, 30, 49, ^7 Colt weapons 68; 146, 160 (Navy Model), 145 (Hartford English Dragoon), 148 (New Model) combination tools 27-8, 167, 172
Ferguson, Patrick 116 Fernandez, Caspar 38
Fernandez, Geronimo 47 'Filipus Spinodus' 59
Firearms Act j8 fire-carriage
combination weapons 119, 158 Cominazzi, Bortolo 123 Cominazzo, Lazarino 44 commission buyers jj
flint
125
21,27
flintlocks
22,
27-8,
2f,
58,
11^;
34-125 Forsyth, Alexander 27; 126 Foulon 54 four-barrelled pistol 86
conversions 28; 14, 130-2, 136
Cox, John 127 craftsmen (various) 34, 38
fowling
pieces
57,
59,
60,
126,
128-30 Dandoy, C. 153
France
dating 22
French weapons 54, 76-7, 106
Daw, G. 151
frizzen
2 2
dealers jj, 57, 62
Fuller,
Geo. 128
Deane, Adams
& Deane
decoration 20, 66, 8j. 97, 108 Devillers, G.
149, 150
73;
15,
2 2
128-9 musket) 43
fulminates 27, 31
23-5,
tusil (see also
86
;
Galton 73
Devillers, H. 102
German weapons
Diderot, Denis 40-1 display 60-1
13-4, 60, 132 Gertner 168
Dixon 4j
Ghevn, Jacob de
doghead
Gill,'
19, 20
dog-lock 43 duelling pistols
I.
12,
9,
34,
10,
if
92
gold inlay 108
26-7; 98-9,
lOi,
Covers 75 Grant, Stephen 155 Great Exhibition of iSji
East India
44;
Company
71, 92, 93, 104
grenade weapon
Edge, R. 67 Egg, Durs 81-2, 87, 116, 131
Grose, Francis
9,
30
1 1
10
Gunmakers' Company 33 gunpowder (see also powder, etc.)
ejector 153 Enfield rifle 39; 166, 172
1
engraving 66
gunsmiths Ch.
eprouvette 46 Ertel family 14
hackbut
Esteva, Pedro 107
Hall,
^5}
I.
i
3
41, 42
2
Index hammers
2 2,
loading
28, 61
20-1, 28, 48
i^^,
haiuli^uns 13-4, 32, 42
London
'hnn^tire' 27
Lorenzoni 59
30, 33-4, 37
Hardintj 34
Harman, John 48 Hawkes, W. 49 Havvkslev 4f Henry, Alex R. 151 holsters 48-9; 22, 160
Macleod 103 makers' marks 66 Manton, John and Joseph Mastrich, Christor
holster pistols 71, 80, 105, 109-10,
I
3
horsemen 49 hunting weapons 20-1
piece),
Miles, H. 47, S7 military pistols 67-8, 72, 89, 134 miquelet lock 24, iif; 107
(see also fowling
(wheellocks),
Wenner 64
matchlocks 14-8, 24, 86; 1-9 Meredith 78
118 hookfiun
jacket,
loi, 140
2f,
Monck, T. J4
41, 96; 23-s
Mortimer, H. 144
museums 64 Hamadan i2o
Ibrahim,
musketeers 15-6, 42, 4j
hidia Pattern 24
Indian Italy
weapons
musketoon 17, 86; 6, 8, 9, 171
(see also blunderbuss)
muskets 17 113, 157 Muslims (see also North African)
70
;
14
1
muzzle-loaders 48 Jackson, T. 130
Japanese weapons 17, 24; 5, 7 Johnson, I. 66
Napier, David 46 Navy Colt 146, 160
Joiner,
nipple
84
J.
Jones, Charles 170
Jourson
1 1
Kavanagh,
Krugi^,
1
accessories)
also
50
141, 168 (primers)
W. &
J.
Nock, Henry 25^, 27, 39; 89, 97, 100 Nock, Samuel 129, 133 North African weapons 22, 24; i2i,
152
Kendall, Nicanor 163 Key, A. 99 knights
(see
(gauge), i> (guards); 8 (pricker),
123
1-3
Norwegian
Anton 13
Kuchenreuter,
J.
pistol
136
Christoph 132
Orient (see also China, India, Japan) left-hand locks 109
17, 24 over and under (barrels) 40, 78, 80-1, 83
Le Mat revolver 159 Liege 34; 65 Lithuanian weapons 15
overcoat pistol 142
2^4
Index pan-cover
1
1
W.
Parker,
saw-handled pistol 139
£
sear
shot 4j (containers), 47 (belt) shot-gun 161, 170
124
Shuter 71, 104
6
pinfire rifle
side-by-side (barrels) 76, 79, 84
173
pocket pistols 26, 48 140
pommel
;
97, I02,
1
sights
10,
i
slowmatch 14-6, 86 Smith 126 snaphaunce weapons
7
42 42-3, 4j, 48; 31-2,
11, 12, 16, 20, 27, 31, flasks
144
silver-wire inlay 85, 97, i2o skelp 36
23
Portuguese
powder powder
g
Shaw, Joshua 28
rifle i
i
serpentine 14-6, 18, 86; 2-9
126-73 Persian
50, 103
screwer 38
Paton and Walsh 168 pepperboxes 28-9; 141, 143 percussion system 27-31, ji, 202;
pikemen
weapons 34,
Scottish
142
21,
1
i
j
;
34-6,
164, 171
powder horns
9,
10,
snaplocks 15, 18, 86
42-j; 29, 30,
societies (arms)
14-5, 171 powder measures 43 1
powder
testers, jacket,
46
;
58
Spinodus, F. 59 Stanton 105
prickers 8, 34
priming 16, 20-1 proof marks 66 Purdy, James 173 pyrites
i
8-9,
2
steel
(hammer or
2,
i
i
j
J.
N. 60
stocks 14, 38, 73, j£, 86; 10, 15, 87, 121
74-5
rammers 152-3 ramrods 16, 41, 48; 138, 171 Ransford, M. 113 Reed, I. 46 repeating weapons 28-31, 2o2; 9, 141, 143-73 revolving-cylinder shotgun 117
Stokes and Co.
no
stripper and finisher 38
stripping Stuart,
down
7
i
O
50 Suhl (Germany) 34 suma 48 171 Swivel ramrod 138 Sykes 168 I
;
Richards, T. 74 rifling
2
stocker 38
i
pistols
frizzen)
Stockel, Johan 56
Stockmar,
Queen Anne
64
Spain 24, 34; 38, 47, 107 spanners 43
39
Royal Charter (1638) 33 Royal Horse Guards 68
tap-action pistols Tarles,
37 Tatham, H. 1 12
rust 72
2^^
J.
jacket,
78
Index Tower
of London 12, 27, 33
transition revolvers 28-9;
Venn, Ralph 52 Vernon 72
143-4
volunteers 30
Tranter 29; 155-6 triggers
i;,
22,
27
(hair or set);
wall piece
48 (ball), 140 (concealed), 156 (double) tube lock 127 Turkish weapons i20 (flintlocks), 34,
2if
Waters, John 94
Webley 29
;
wheellocks
10-33 Wiggin & Co. 94 Wilson, I. 52 Wilson, Joseph 137
122, 124, 171 turn-off-barrel pistol 37
Twigg, T. 96
Wogden, R. underhammer
rifles
152, 154
18-21, 32-3,
26
Wolldrldge, R. 43
163
2s6
J8,
96;
1
i
(continued from front fapj
Frederick Wilkinson began his
own
private collection of small
arms soon after World War II and in twenty years has built up a substantial
and
A he
schoolmaster by profession,
now
is
known
well
of antique weapons
field
his
reserve of practical
academic knowledge.
many
articles
in the
—
for
on arms and
armour in various journals, his participation in volunteer movements, and to his position as Honorary Secretary of the Arms and Armour Society in Great Britain.
FRONT COVER: A
powder
John Manton and one of
tester
by
a pair of brass
framed, tap -action pocket pistols by Jackson of Market Harborough. Both pistol
and tester are from the Rabett collection.
BACK COVER Silver butt cap from a mid-eighteenth century, Queen Anne type Hint-lock pistol by Covers of Dublin (see :
plate js)-
HAWTHORN
BOOKS, INC.
Publishers ;'
I
Avenue, Primed
in
New York
City looii
Great Britain ( l)
S
-'
