Matchlock Rifles

[shortbarrel]

 Is there a good book on the construction of a matchlock musket. Diagrams, picture and good text. Have searched this site and many more,and have come up empty.

[rich pierce]

Probably not rifles, but smoothbores.  I believe Eric Von Aschwege made a matchlock from scratch.  He's a fanatic for drawing plans so might be your best bet.

[conquerordie]

I'd say you'll have to find a picture of one you like and have it scaled up at a store like Staples. I'm looking for the picture on the internet but I did see a French matchlock rifle. It actually looked a lot like TRS English military matchlock from the 1680's. Had a round surface plate that was nicely decorated with a long swamped octagon barrel. If memory serves me it was more wallgun size than the,type carried around.

[Daryl]

It's really quite simple. Here's a wheellock's, lock that Taylor built.



The gun in parts.



and together, but of course, it is just a pistol with ebony stock.



Polished steel lock plate, with the sterling 'parts' are 'set off nicely' with a black background.

[dmb25]

I have always had and interest in wheel locks and that pistol is likely one of the most beautiful firearms i have seen 

[Daryl]

This pistol is very special - made expressly for a very close friend, now departed - Rest in Peace, Peter. Peter shot it very well indeed.

[Kermit]

It's really quite simple...it is just a pistol with ebony stock.

Yea, right. 

[Daryl]

LOl - the VERY best feature of this lock - is the ignition seems instantaneous - just as fast as a percussion lock. As soon as the single set trigger jumps away from your finger - the gun has fired. There is absolutely no perceptible lag as with any flintlock. Wheel locks are wonderful ignition systems.

[bob in the woods]

What kind of matchlock?  English ?  Simple lever /bar operated or the later trigger operated mechanism?
You can find some examples at "The Rifle Shop"    I have a book that gives parts lists and has drawings of a number of different lock types, from matchlock to flintlock to percussion etc, but that is only the locks.
I fully intend to build a matchlock in the near future, for my own use . Since I live in an area where Champlain travelled, it would be nice to have and use a firearm of the period.  If you are in need of a lock or even a matchlock musket "in the white", I would heartily recommend Jeff Miller as a maker.

[Acer Saccharum]

This is primarily a site for the American Long Rifle. Your quest is a bit like looking for dugout canoes on a motorboat site. We have seen an occasional matchlock or wheel lock, but they are not the norm.

Search 'Raszpla' for his postings on his wheel lock work.

Eric von Aschwege built a matchlock pistol.

[David Rase]

Here are a couple pictures of a matchlock action I built.  As you can see, it is not very complicated and there are really no high wear bearing surfaces to tend with.  This action works by squeezing the tiller.  All the parts were cut out of from 1018 mild steel except for the one spring which is 1084.  Acquiring suitable cotton cord and the potassium nitrate to make match cord was harder than building the lock.
David

[smart dog]

Hi Shortbarrel,
Matchlocks, even snapping matchlocks are very simple devices.  You can get castings for authentic copies from The Rifle Shoppe but in reality, you don't really need them.  Anyone with rudimentary metal working skills can make the lock, even the snapping versions.  Find books on the history of firearms by Claude Blair, Robert Held, Dudley Pope or even George Neuman' s "Battle Weapons of the Revolutionary War" to find drawings of the lock mechanisms sufficient to build one from scratch.  Your biggest problem is finding an appropriately shaped barrel but even a big musket barrel from Getz and Colerain will do.  Look at the books by the authors I mentioned for the shape of stocks and go for it.  There may even be some good imagery on the internet.

dave

[Chris Treichel]

If your on facebook Bolek has a group called Matchlocks and Wheelocks where he and others post their work which is to say the least, amazing. https://www.facebook.com/groups/90460842974/

[Daryl]

Sorry about that- I read matchlock in the opening post and immediately thought wheel lock. My bad.

[conquerordie]

David,
Does the tiller thread onto tho lock? It looks that way when I zoom in on it

[shortbarrel]

Thanks for all the info folks. Used an old drawing by Bill Newton to make the German lock, so this Matchloclk will be German design. If anyone has anything else to ad, please post it. thanks again DICK

[David Rase]

David,
Does the tiller thread onto tho lock? It looks that way when I zoom in on it

You are correct.  The tiller is threaded into the lever.
David