• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Unkown Flintlock?

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Lars.

32 Cal.
Joined
Jan 6, 2018
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Hi everyone,

Recently I bought a flintlock mechanism, I have no idea from what period it is and from which country? There a couple of very vague markings but it does not ring a bell to me. Does anyone has a clue? Many thanks in advance!
rGyFo63.jpg

9Eb4VuV.jpg

MjeLk0M.jpg

Here you can see two markings? I cant find anything about the markings online:(
zkQCX0O.jpg

CXy1otf.jpg
 
Hi Lars, Good to see your back. I can't help
with identification but it looks pretty fair.
Put a flint in it and see how it sparks. I could
not read any markings on it...

Wulf
 
Thanks for all the replies. i will try to make better photos this weekend! Does anyone has a clue where it could be from? :confused: :wink:
 
I was able to blow the pictures up to a larger size, but don't know enough about locks to give you any information. The screws on the inside of the lock are somewhat buggered up and it appears to be an old lock, but I really don't know.
 
The fact that it is stamped inside makes me suspect that it is a modern-made lock. It isn't one of the ones that I am familiar with, though.

Looks like a nice one, though. I keep wanting to say English, but then I look at the pan and say Continental, so hard to tell. I'd like to see more pics, though.
 
Claude said:
Original size: https://i.imgur.com/MjeLk0M.jpg

Just open them in a new window.

Thanks to this pic from Claude, you can see the "teeth" on the bottom side of the top jaw. These were usually made with a punch that upset metal points and they were for grabbing the tops of the leather or lead flint wraps.

You don't often see those on repro top jaws, but that alone does not mean the lock has great age.

Gus
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for all the replies, i really appreciate it!
I made some extra photos of the stamps that i found.
9NKofGI.jpg
https://imgur.com/9NKofGI

It looks like a DD only mirrored or upside down??

y1DnlmT.jpg
https://imgur.com/y1DnlmT

Cant make anything out of this.... :(

If you have a clue or hint to find more info the stamps i would really appreciate it:)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Another link to a ”˜DD’ builder, but of later revolvers:

“DD: it is most probably about the mark of DEBOUXTHAY Dieudonné, street Saint Léonard n° 447-449 and registered with the proofhouse of tests from 1879 to 1934.”

Source = http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge/artisans%20identifies%20d/a%20debouxtay%20gb.htm
 
In my view it is certainly original not modern, Germanic, and late18th century. It is not uncommon to find makers stamps inside original flintlocks.
 
Thanks for the reply! I had contact with the seller and he told me that he found some original wood en parts that should match with lock... I'm very curious and i will keep you updated!
 
In conclusion to the previous post, the seller send me some parts that maybe fit with the flintlock. I made pictures of the parts and tried to fit it all together. And i have still not have any clue what this is.... A cemetery gun? Booby trap? If anyone has a clue it would be really appreciated!


MeuJjoT.jpg

0is8bj8.jpg

z28F4s9.jpg

GFVd2o5.jpg

SIexqIR.jpg

t52Thci.jpg

OQoc4mY.jpg

apXT475.jpg

s7m8nRn.jpg

HCE64Co.jpg

EjypBih.jpg

JmgP6CJ.jpg

s4kYmjT.jpg

78lpkGx.jpg

b3g7DAz.jpg
 
I feel pretty sure it is an alarm gun.
The two rods should run through the iron loops and the way they are rigged, the scear would be raised and lock fired from either direction. ( I Think! :) )
Wires on twine would attach to the rings and act as trip-wirs to fire it.

I think this was more for mere alarm than for creating injury, but I might be very wrong!

Lock with separate pan appears Germanic, and later 18th C to me.

Best,
Richard.
 
Richard thanks for your reply. That makes al lot of sense! Germanic could also be true because i live in The Netherlands.

The woodwork is terrible, is it sensible to restore it?
 
Lars,

If it were mine, and wanted to restore it, I'd make a new 'stock' for it and age it down. I would keep the original of course, so it could be swapped back.
It is possible that the lock is local to you, the style was used across todays international borders.
I didn't see exactly how this piece was mounted. Some were hung from a tree or building, and some had a swivel that could be stuck in the ground, and barrel parallel with the ground.
Any signs of a swivel fitting?

Best regards,
Richard.

Edited to say, that on looking again, I'm pretty sure that the cut -out on the off side and same below lock on lock side, is where the swivel mounted. This would be an iron piece, like a rowlock in a boat, with a sharpened rod attached for placing in the ground.

R.
 
I am pretty sure it is an anti poachers gun, trip wires are fitted and some were even able to pivot around to the point of trip contact and send off a charge of shot. So you were quite correct about a booby trap. I could use one or two of them nowadays but for the pc crowd !!
 
Thanks for the replies! I really appreciate it. Now i'm looking for a piece of walnut to restore it. And of course not forget to put the iron bars in the 'hoops ;-)
I'm also curious whats something like this is worth?
 
G'day Gordon,

Yes, with the swivel it does look like a trip gun.

Only thing is the double rings on those rods, as if it could be fired from either direction. Made me think "alarm". It Would be alarming, especially if you were looking at the business end when she let fly!

Lars,
Check that 'stock ' out, as it may well be ash or something, maybe elm. A lot of these were built by blacksmiths so 'proper' wood wasn't used. Even birch would do, and I know you grow that!

I'd check past auctions for price.

Richard, (Pukka, Gordon)
 

Latest posts

Back
Top