Landsknecht Arquebus and Petronel

I just received a snapping matchlock/tinder lock landsknecht arquebus and petronel from our resident master of the craft (who can reveal himself if he wishes)!



I originally commissioned the top arquebus, using a barrel from the builders previous gun.

As some of you may know, I have a bit of an obsession with petronels, so I had to purchase the bottom gun, when given the opportunity. It’s a petronel the maker originally built some decades ago.

The lock of the snapping arquebus is of a very early type, where the gunstock essentially serves as a lock plate:



Guns from this period (beginning of the 1500s) frequently had coats of arms or other painted decoration, so I commissioned this one with one of those made up coats of arms for American tourists that matches one of my family names:


The barrel is a dragon, which is just about the coolest thing ever:

WOW, that's all I can say, WOW.

TobJohn said:

The lock of the snapping arquebus is of a very early type, where the gunstock essentially serves as a lock plate:
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Guns from this period (beginning of the 1500s) frequently had coats of arms or other painted decoration, so I commissioned this one with one of those made up coats of arms for American tourists that matches one of my family names:
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The barrel is a dragon, which is just about the coolest thing ever:
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The snap lock arquebuss is very similar to the Behaime gun of a family of German Merchants tradeing into Russia which is now in the Hermatage Museum St Petersburg . The date they ascribe being c 1510. Or rather given in a modern book . Nice chiseled dragon who ever did it
. Not so sure about the Petronel . Ime told they where got up from surplus Hocky stick blanks and given to inmates of lunatic asylums to make sense of . I confess I find the supposed use of such guns rather hard to swallow , unless you where a Parisian Bell ringer perhaps .
Rudyard's View

Nice score!

And a big HUZZAH to the builder!

TobJohn said:

I just received a snapping matchlock/tinder lock landsknecht arquebus and petronel from our resident master of the craft (who can reveal himself if he wishes)!
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I originally commissioned the top arquebus, using a barrel from the builders previous gun.

As some of you may know, I have a bit of an obsession with petronels, so I had to purchase the bottom gun, when given the opportunity. It’s a petronel the maker originally built some decades ago.

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I hope you shoot the Petronel and get it on video. I can’t imagine how these were used!

PathfinderNC said:

I hope you shoot the Petronel and get it on video. I can’t imagine how these were used!

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Thats the plan! I have so many un answered questions about these, so I am hoping to find some enlightenment

TobJohn, wishing you godspeed in every sense of the word on your petronel journey. I am sure we all share a lot of question about this curious design. What calibers are the two pieces?

BillinOregon said:

TobJohn, wishing you godspeed in every sense of the word on your petronel journey. I am sure we all share a lot of question about this curious design. What calibers are the two pieces?

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I think the petronel is .50 and the arquebus is .45, but I am going to double check with some calipers when I order balls tomorrow.

PathfinderNC said:

I hope you shoot the Petronel and get it on video. I can’t imagine how these were used!

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Me neither , But if you use one like a jap M lock it can be fired with some hopes of hitting something .
I made one years ago for the gunner of the' Golden Hinde' as the crew spelt it along with a Caliver & the whole kit. they are now in a Winnipeg Museum .
Oddly I sent TobJohn pics perhaps he might run then. At least there on my Daughter's Phone thing Ime too E thick to send pics

There you are Majic! Rather poor pics of the guns taken in Winnipeg the coloured pics are fine .The one firing the Caliver is on Short Siberia Range Bisley before I went down to Devon to deliver the guns .I never did any deep water sailing , But I can sing off key sea shanties with the best of them .
Rudyard

Rudyard said:

Me neither , But if you use one like a jap M lock it can be fired with some hopes of hitting something .
I made one years ago for the gunner of the' Golden Hinde' as the crew spelt it along with a Caliver & the whole kit. they are now in a Winnipeg Museum .
Oddly I sent TobJohn pics perhaps he might run then. At least there on my Daughter's Phone thing Ime too E thick to send pics


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I’ve been very scatterbrained of late (more than my usual amount) with work and wedding planning. I can check what you have sent me and see if there are pictures to add.

TobJohn said:

I’ve been very scatterbrained of late (more than my usual amount) with work and wedding planning. I can check what you have sent me and see if there are pictures to add.

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The ones I show are the ones ide meant to send you .Its me who's mixed up with no wedding to complicate things .I did that years ago .
Cheers Rudyard

Congrats! Can’t wait to see how the petronel is shouldered

I don't think it is. Cyten.
(Shouldered, that is!)
Nice work as always, Mr T!

aside but related / have been having some fun making period related flasks

Brian Anderson said:

aside but related / have been having some fun making period related flasks

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An inverted horn! Looks great and very period appropriate!

Very nice work, Brian.
It looks very period correct with enough patina to look original.
Lovely job!

Brian Anderson said:

aside but related / have been having some fun making period related flasks

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For the benefit of us handgonne newbies, would you please explain the purpose of the round and the cross shaped containers? You are an excellent craftsman!

The Miner '49er said:

For the benefit of us handgonne newbies, would you please explain the purpose of the round and the cross shaped containers? You are an excellent craftsman!

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Mr. Anderson can add his own commentary, but the cross one is a wheellock spanner and priming flask combination. The round flask is a type of powder flask used in the first half of the 16th century.


Round flask:

Backwards horn:



Flask spanner combo: