Interesting ... and in the interest of full disclosure, I'm updating the provenance ... as it turns out there isn't any!
Here's the build I had done to mimic the original that resides at the NRA Firearms Museum:
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/an-alden-inspired-‘mayflower’-wheellock-carbine.117212/
Today I received a nice call from Dr. Phil Schreier, the Director of the museum. It turns out that there is absolutely ZERO provenance that the 'original' of the wheellock carbine that I had built ever came over on the Mayflower, or was owned by the Alden family, or was built by Beretta, nor even having been built in circa 1560.
Dr. Beretta had toured the museum, examined the piece and didn't recognize the maker's mark but said, "Wouldn't it be great if it was made by our family?" Recall that the Beretta family can make the claim that they first began building arms in 1516. Phil believes that in their possession to be a later 1600s European build, still possibly Italian, however the touch mark on the barrel has been identified as that of a Danish optician (go figure!).
They are changing this info below on the museum card. Oh well, at least I still have a sweet and functional 'shootable' wheellock carbine! ... and one heck of a story to go with it!
Here's the build I had done to mimic the original that resides at the NRA Firearms Museum:
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/an-alden-inspired-‘mayflower’-wheellock-carbine.117212/
Today I received a nice call from Dr. Phil Schreier, the Director of the museum. It turns out that there is absolutely ZERO provenance that the 'original' of the wheellock carbine that I had built ever came over on the Mayflower, or was owned by the Alden family, or was built by Beretta, nor even having been built in circa 1560.
Dr. Beretta had toured the museum, examined the piece and didn't recognize the maker's mark but said, "Wouldn't it be great if it was made by our family?" Recall that the Beretta family can make the claim that they first began building arms in 1516. Phil believes that in their possession to be a later 1600s European build, still possibly Italian, however the touch mark on the barrel has been identified as that of a Danish optician (go figure!).
They are changing this info below on the museum card. Oh well, at least I still have a sweet and functional 'shootable' wheellock carbine! ... and one heck of a story to go with it!
