Repair of an original Japanese Tanegashima matchlock

Just picked this up! It is missing the serpentine (and one inlay is missing), the pan guard and pan cover, but I have a Miroku version to copy, as well as having 'The Bible' on these arms, as written by Shigeo Sugawa. The book is written in Japanese, but the pictures are detailed and wonderful. This model apears to be one of the shorter ones, being that of a highly tapered lightweight 40-caliber barrel. In watching YT videos of Tanegashimas, the larger ones, like the 50-cal Miroku, were often fired as 2-man Teams, where the stock was rested on the shoulder of the 1st soldier kneeling down in front of the shooter, who also fired them from the kneeling or sitting position.

Can't wait to shoot this one!

I can get that translated, neat piece

Put up any other writings and I will get it translated as well

Thanks! Mine doesn't have the 'hole' to hold the matchcord as shown.

I had bid on a RARE English version of Sugawa's book on G-Broker, but it went for $100s over my highest bid, LOL! Now I wish I had sprung for it!

Hi Flint

Great looking project !!!!! The lock, stock, and barrel should clean up wonderful. Just love viewing the muzzles on these barrels. Speaking of which: Now would be a good time to remove the breech plug and examine the threads on the plug and breech of the barrel. And please take photos of same. And a couple of questions:
1 With the barrel mounted in the stock, how much does she weigh ?
2 Does the front of the lock plate just butt up to meet the brass band ? Or does the plate fit "slightly" behind the band ?

Would be great if Mule can get translations. Again, congratulations. Please keep us posted on your progress. Thanks for posting.

Rick

Tanegashima is the island where the Portuguese introduced firearms to the Japanese.

"Made by Saihoh Morishima beautifully made real island" Is what my wife can read

One I spied on my trip back to Japan in 2017

I will add that I had consulted with RickyStl prior to this purchase and I cannot thank him enough for his expertise, opinion, and willingness to share what he knows!

old guard mfg. in poland makes a lock for these , they may also sell the parts. they are only on facebook, no site. maybe this will help.

2 shots said:

old guard mfg. in poland makes a lock for these , they may also sell the parts. they are only on facebook, no site. maybe this will help.

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Yes, I'm aware of them, thanks. Have bought plans from them. Rick is helping me track down possible originals, otherwise I intend to make my own parts from mallable brass.

Will be selling books in the English version?And we buy the Japanese version now?And where?

quite the interesting project! i wish you good luck and hope to see the results soon

That was the 1st and only English version of the Tanegashima book by Sugawa that I've seen offered for sale and I've been searching for years, where I have a few noted book Sellers (Abe Books, for example) looking for me.

One can get the Japanese version from eBay for pretty reasonable.

Flint62Smoothie said:

That was the 1st and only English version of the Tanegashima book by Sugawa that I've seen offered for sale and I've been searching for years, where I have a few noted book Sellers (Abe Books, for example) looking for me.

One can get the Japanese version from eBay for pretty reasonable.

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Google has an app for your phone that can translate text using the camera. It’s much better than the iPhone’s built in app. Generally, they both struggle with gun terms, but it’s useful as a starting point.

Got some info …

“That Japanese matchlock Tanegashima barrel is marked ‘Mimasaka Mashima’. It originates from the Mimasaka Province of the Mashima County and was likely used by the troops of the 'Takeda Domain’. This was later changed to be the Katsuyama Domain, which is how feudal warlord Shogunate clans were referred to back in those Edo period days (1600s to mid-1800s).
The 40-cal musket matchlock probably dates to the late 1700s to early 1800s.”

Kind of ironic now and cool … in that I work for Takeda Pharmaceuticals, which began in Japan in 1781 by making herbal medicines.

Flint62Smoothie said:

Got some info …

“That Japanese matchlock Tanegashima barrel is marked ‘Mimasaka Mashima’. It originates from the Mimasaka Province of the Mashima County and was likely used by the troops of the 'Takeda Domain’. This was later changed to be the Katsuyama Domain, which is how feudal warlord Shogunate clans were referred to back in those Edo period days (1600s to mid-1800s).
The 40-cal musket matchlock probably dates to the late 1700s to early 1800s.”

Kind of ironic now and cool … in that I work for Takeda Pharmaceuticals, which began in Japan in 1781 by making herbal medicines.

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That’s a really cool connection! A lot of the samurai families became industrialists/business owners during japan’s modernization.

Flint62Smoothie said:

Yes, I'm aware of them, thanks. Have bought plans from them. Rick is helping me track down possible originals, otherwise I intend to make my own parts from mallable brass.

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Hi Flint

I sent the word out to my network. I'm not optimistic that anything will turn up in this case. But thought it was worth a try. Nothing to loose. You just never see any original "loose parts" for these guns offered anywhere.

There are many original Tanegashima matchlocks on the market for sale. Thus, it's probably not worth the effort to make a complete replica from scratch. Even a plain version. Restoring one (if needed) to shooting condition is probably much easier and less costly. Plus you get the benefit of any decorations on the stock and barrel along with Japanese markings. As well, the often beautifully fluted barrels with the decorative tulip-shaped muzzles. If you could even find a barrel maker to make a similar barrel, imagine what the cost would be.

Again, great find Flint. My gut tells me you will be happy with the outcome.

Rick

It looks to be in beautiful condition. The stock is a fruit wood I am guessing? Love all those chrysanthemum inlays

Thanks! Yes, which species I am not sure, but that is what it appears to be (extremely fine grain, even texture, tight/closed or no pores, etc.). The bore is great too, it cleaned up really well with J&B Bore Paste on a patch wrapped around a brush. The touch hole is wallowed oversize, so that needs to be addressed, prior to shooting (as well as checking the breech plug, etc.).

As a small bore arm, I have had it identified to be either a Tatami (target musket) or a Tori (musket used to hunt small birds and/or game) model.

Hmmmmmmm … but does the absence of any matchcord hole (Hinawa-toshi-no-ana), to hold/store the cord 'in use', tell us anything or provide a clue? As a ‘wannabe’ experimental archaeologist with my original/replica BP shooting arms (dating to 1360), I could reason that one wouldn’t be necessary on a strict Tatami arm, but might be highly desirable on a Tori for use in the field?

Some pictures of the lock for RickyStl to follow:

Did the Japanese make any Tanegashima as large as the British wall guns or the Wildfowler Punt guns?If so what was the bore size?Because most British Wall guns and Punt guns were 1'' in bore size.

Big Al1 said:

Did the Japanese make any Tanegashima as large as the British wall guns or the Wildfowler Punt guns?If so what was the bore size?Because most British Wall guns and Punt guns were 1'' in bore size.

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They did:

O-zutsu (great cylinder)​

Guns of the O-zutsu caliber (20 momme (≈ 75 g) and more) were practically portable hand cannons and were used as siege weapons, employed to knock down the hinges of gates, as well as powerful anti-personnel and anti-cavalry weapons.


O-zutsu
A gun of this size was typically hard to operate (though varying on the momme), requiring plentiful amounts of gunpowder and proper training. One of the issues of operating such device was the powerful recoil and the difficulty of transporting, where sometimes larger O-zutsu were either rested on rice bales, hung from trees using ropes, or installed on a carriage (similar to European cannons).