Matchlock gun
Category
Arms and armour
Date
1600
Materials
iron, wood, brass, mother of pearl
Measurements
1500 mm (Length)1175 mm (Length)
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Cotehele, Cornwall
NT 347355
Summary
Firearm. Matchlock musket, English or Dutch, c1600.
Full description
Matchlock musket, English or Dutch, c1600. Heavy octagonal iron barrel, the muzzle slightly flared, the breech forged with an integral square-shaped flashpan with fence, the pan cover missing. A rear sight with a long finial is fixed at the breech, the muzzle having a large blade fore-sight. The barrel is retained to the stock by 2 brass barrel bands (later - originally fixed by 3 wooden pegs). Barrel length: 117.5cm. Calibre 20mm. Wooden full stock with “fish-tail” form butt, and a deep thumb groove formed at the wrist. Each section of the stock divided with brass wire into panels and each panel inlaid with mother-of-pearl, shaped to represent animals and birds. Short wooden ramrod (modern). Long iron trigger guard, the rear formed with a finger rest. Iron trigger plate and curved iron trigger. The left side of the stock with a later (?) iron side-plate. Later brass fore-end cap. Matchlock with a long flat plate with inscribed vertical lines, each end with a decorative finial. Rounded serpentine. Retained to the stock by 2 sidenails. Overall length: 150cm