Looking for the most knowledgeable history buffs in this time period

[djaproperties]

So I am not really sure which area of the forums to post in to get the information I am seeking, but this is the right time period. I am looking for those with deep, detailed information that can help me understand the world of the 17th century gun makers and the evolution of flintlock pistols and muskets as would be used by pirates as well as well to do merchants defending themselves from say 1650 to 1700. I've been doing lots of research, particularly into ahead of their time type inventions, but there's lots of conflicting information. I am looking for historians and history buffs that can help me figure out what is most probably true either by community consensus and/or historical documentation.

In particular, I have been researching Italian and German smiths of the era, at least where I can find information. Particular smiths that interest me are Lorenzoni, Kalthoff, Oerter, Zenobio, and Pignone, though possibly anyone else who might have been working on ahead of their time developments like rifling and multi-shot systems. Though these are all German and Italian makers, and I am going to focus a little bit more there, developments in other parts of the world that might add to, or otherwise influence these developments are also of interest. If there's any possibility of crossover through trade or other means of knowledge exchange with say the London or Belgian makers of the time (or really anywhere), I would like to know about it too. What's the most interesting thing you know about in Flintlock development in the 17th century?

If this is better asked somewhere else, by all means let me know. Also, if there's something I am missing, I am all ears. Thank you in advance....

 

[djaproperties]

I have been looking further into the name Kolthoff, or Kalthoff (and several other variations), and this family in particular is becoming more and more interesting the further I dig. It seems that they moved around a lot, with the patriarch, Herman Kolthoff having some involvement and wealth in creation iron foundries in Danish held parts of Germany kicking things off in the late 16th century. It seems his many sons then went and made mechanical works of art for half of Europe:

• Peder Hermansen Kalthoff — Served Frederik III of Denmark as Head of Armory, 1600–16721
• Caspar Hermansen Kalthoff the Elder — Served Charles I of England, 1606–1664
• Matthias Hermansen Kalthoff — Gunsmith Denmark, 1608–1681
• Henrick Hermansen Kolthoff — Founded Foundries in Sweden and Norway, 1610–1661
• William Hermansen Kalthoff — Patented repeating gun in France, birth and death unknown

Even a grandson, Caspar Kalthoff the Younger served as armorer to both King Charles II of England and Tsar Alexis of Russia in the later 17th century.

They seem to have built many repeating flintlocks from around 1630 or so through the end of the century at least. However, I cannot find any actual accounts, nor timelines of when they were actually active. In fact, almost every reference I can find seems to be copying verbatim, this same set of facts without anything else. I can find many references to them in auction listings for guns with their repeating mechanism and some fairly good animations of how it works. I want to know more about the family, and the times they were serving these different monarchs or communities, and anything else I can learn about them though.

Does anyone know anything, or are you able to point me to a source to learn more than these basic facts? I appreciate it.

 

[Rancocas]

Sorry, but I know nothing about which you speak.

However, I do have an original 14 ga. fowler made by Jacob Sanger in Wein (Vienna, Austria) during the first decade of the 1800's. It uses a roller frizzen that I believe was a new innovation at that time. The carving on this gun is exquisite, in the European manner. But, what I really would like to know is more about Sanger. I do know that he apprenticed in the 1790's when he was already in his 30's, and that he worked through the first decade and a half of the 1800's, but that is all that I have been able to find out about him.