Converted matchlocks

[David R. Pennington]

In Peterson's "Arms and Armor in Colonial America" he mentions an historical reference to matchlocks being converted to flintlocks. Any known surviving examples of this? At the time of the first colonization the matchlock was evidently the most common battlefield firearm in Europe but quickly revealed it's inadequacies for frontier use in the colonies.
The special circumstances the first colonists experienced certainly led to the evolution of what we know as the longrifle, and I would think "converted" matchlocks would be an interesting link in American arms development.

[smart dog]

Hi David,
I've not seen any examples that are linked with American colonies but there are 2 examples of those conversions in Neal and Back's "Great British Gunmakers 1540-1740".  On one a flintlock lock plate identical to the original matchlock plate is used.  In the other, a late 17th century flintlock is cut into the old matchlock plate.

dave

[Levy]

In 1700, St. Augustine was split 50/50 between matchlocks and flintlocks.  I've seen many serpentine parts, lock bolts and a barrel recovered from Spanish Mission sites in FL.  The only flintlocks that I've seen that I suspected used repurposed matchlock barrels were a couple of heavy French muskets that were recovered from the Spanish 1715 Plate Fleet.  The barrels were the size of matchlock arquebus barrels and were tapered octagonal.  That doesn't mean that they were, but the size was appropriate.  James Levy

[rtc]

This is a topic that concerned be, too. And good evidence of matchlocks being converted and updated to flintlocks exist archaeologically in the horde of surviving muskets found in the shipwreck of the Massachusetts Bay warship THE ELIZABETH AND MARY, sunk in 1691 at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River as part of failed a Massachusetts Bay effort to take Quebec City. Asked by Parks Canada about a dozen years ago to be a consultant to them, I found that the wood, leather & paper of the cold water wreck site preserved several dozen guns, among them one that was converted to the English lock. You could still see the long rectangular mathlock plate mortise to the rear of the flintlock plate. The musket was of the "fishtail" form. Othe muskets showed that they used recycled matcklock barrels that still retained the dovetail mortise for the missing matchlock flashpan, but the musket was new and used a flintlock. Amazingly, cartridges and leather cartridge boxes were also preserved! There may be something online about it. I have some images I will look through.   The soldiers were from the Dorchester Regiment from Boston. All were lost in the wreck.    I am, Your humble servant,   Rich Colton

[David R. Pennington]

very interesting. Would like to see the images.