Matchlocks are alive and well

[Thornezilla]

Various 16th and 17th Century reenactment groups use matchlock muskets all over the world, including the USofA.

<img src="http://www.luckhardt.com/grgmatchlk1web.jpg">

Check out these sites for interesting links and photos -

http://www.luckhardt.com/ecwsa.html

http://www.luckhardt.com/capgray13.html
(closeups of three different commercial lock designs)

http://www.ecwsa.org/

From the UK - http://www.sealedknot.org/PUBgallery.asp

http://www.fairfax.org.uk/

 

[musketman]

Great links Thornezilla:

I'll add them to our links page and welcome to the forum...

 

[SquirrelsaurusR]

Hey, Thornezilla! I was hoping you'd join in. Welcome aboard!

 

[Thornezilla]

Here's that image I tried to post earlier...

Spanish-style matchlock with external spring, made by George Silva of the SF Bay Area. George shoots at the Chabot Rifle Range, and most of his pieces have snapping locks and rifled barrels.

 

O.K. I give up. What's THORNESILLA mean?
Inquiring minds don'cah'know!

 

[bigmusket]

That is pretty! Wow! What a lovely piece /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Teleoceras]

Thornezilla:

I have to say that is one nice Matchlock!

It is an interesting piece since I haven't seen any of the button trigger Snap-Matchlocks outside of old drawnings.

 

[SquirrelsaurusR]

I saw a home-made snapper a while back when I was shooting at Chabot range. There was a guy there, you may know him. Short, bald, retired, always shooting matchlocks, very nice (helped me pull a stuck ball once in my flinter). I've seen him there a few times and always gotten good advice from him. I don't know his name, maybe it's the same guy...? He was shooting something interesting, and he let me shoot it. It was a creation of his own, with his own push-button lock, a .50 rifled barrel he had laying around, and an interesting blonde-colored laminated stock. I asked him what kind of wood it was. He said he made it out of an old pallet. Talk about creative!