Musket
Category
Arms and armour
Date
circa 1665 - circa 1675
Materials
Iron, Wood
Measurements
1515 x 60 x 210 mm
Order this imageCollection
Dunster Castle, Somerset
NT 725972.8
Summary
Rare English-Lock flintlock musket, English, c1665-75
Full description
A rare English-Lock flintlock musket, English, c1665-75, the barrel and the stock stamped with the ownership mark of Francis Luttrell. Attached label reads : No 4. Flintlock butt broken off. Lock in place. Rod missing. Iron barrel, formed in 2 stages, octagonal at he breech, then round to the muzzle, separated by a turned moulding. The breech with decorative chiselled banding and stamped with the initials FL, together with an unidentified mark (possibly a crowned G). The muzzle with a bead fore-sight; the breech with a decorative raised rear sight. Retained to the stock by 3 barrel pins. The ramrod is missing. Barrel length: 115cm Calibre: 20mm Wooden full stock, the club-form butt is of 2-piece construction and stamped on either side with the initials FL; the forestock has been broken at the lock area. The trigger guard and ramrod pipe are missing. The curved trigger is suspended from a pin inserted above the rear of the lock. English Lock (Type 2 with lateral sear) flintlock with flat and bevelled plate, the tail of the plate with a button-shaped finial. Flat form cock with reinforced neck, the lower rear with a V-shaped cut for the dog-catch. It has a V-shaped facetted pan, and the facetted frizzen has a narrowing upper portion. The frizzen spring has a decorative finial. Retained to the stock by 2 sidenails. Overall length of the musket: 151.5cm References Brian Godwin, “The Armoury at Dunster Castle”, 14th Park Lane Arms Fair catalogue, London 1997 Brian Godwin, “Dunster Castle – The Armoury Revisited”, London Park Lane Arms Fair catalogue, Spring 2008
Marks and inscriptions
Top of barrel: initials FL, together with an unidentified mark (possibly a crowned G). Each side of butt: initials FL
References
Godwin, 2003, Brian Godwin, “The English Flintlock: Its Origins and Development”, (with John Cooper & Michael Spencer) 20th Park Lane Arms Fair catalogue, London 2003.