Wheellock pistol

[JoeG]

The antique gun store I go to in Slat Lake City had this wheellock pistol kit for sale. All the parts were wrapped and  greased ,had never been opened.It even came with three pieces of Iron Pyrite The price was right so I bought it.

I have only seen one other like it but that was many years ago.
The lock works great, the barrel is  .45 smooth 7/8 x 16 inches long and way too heavy. I’m thnking about just using the lock and building a Fowler around it or replacing the barrel with shorter .50 .

Does anyone have any information on this kit ? the best I heard they were imported in the 1970's ? the box is marked MENDI made in Spain.

[volatpluvia]

I'd have a hard time NOT putting the pistole together. 
You can always build your long gonne and interchange the lock on the two gonnes.
Looks like a nice kit.
volatpluvia

[Daryl]

Absolutely - you MUST build it as intended- a pistol. They are really wonderful to shoot. If anything, put a rifled barrel on it- TRACK sells quick twist pistol barrels.
make it look like this

[JoeG]

That is one beautiful pistole
what are the specs on your barrel?

The barrel on this kit makes it too barrel heavy to shoot one handed
my choice would be to re-barrel to a .50 and maybe cut it back a few inches.

I could turn it oct-rd ,but that would reguire filling in the forward portion of the barrel channel inlet unless I restock.



 

I like volatpluvia's idea of building it as is and also a long gunne and interchange the lock

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Razpula is the wheellock authority but I will add my thoughts FWIW.

Most originals have smoothbored barrels of large calibre...like fowler barrels.  They are thin at the muzzle making the dagg handle very quickly.  Remember, the favoured man's weapon of the era was the rapier, which accounts for the grip shape, and being light and fast at the muzzle was the fashion.

My pistol has a rifled .40 cal barrel that started out life in Les Bauska's shop.  It has a 48" twist, but I suspect that because of its length, shoots remarkably well.  I turned it round and swamped for two thirds of its length, and filed the octagon to blend at the wedding band.  That gives the breech a nice chubby dimension, and makes the muzzle fine.

I'm of the opinion that the pistol should be finished as is, or you could turn the barrel to a nicer profile, taking away a lot of the muzzle weight.  It would mean a new stock though...no biggy.  It's a pretty decent looking lock, by the way.  A great buy.

[JoeG]

Thanks for the information

I'm going to look into reshaping the barrel'
I've got a friend that can do it
Restocking should be simple as I have the old stock as a pattern

 I only paid $150 for it so it was a great buy ,I was mainly looking at it for the value of the lock

The more I look at it I want to build it as a pistole


Does anyone know the history on these kits?

[Levy]

I think some wheel locks were sold years ago by a company called Markwell.  A co-worker of mine had one.

James Levy

[smart dog]

Hi Joe,
I have the same lock (just the lock) and I think it is pretty good.  It worked fairly well but I had to harden the wheel a bit better.  My chain link eventualy broke but will make a replacement link with no problem.  You may find it necessary to fiddle with the dog and dog spring.  On my lock, the dog would not drop down reliably so the pyrite hit the wheel as the pan cover slid forward. I had to grind the toe a little to get it to continue to fall as the cover exposed the pan and wheel.  I intend to finally build my lock into a pistol this winter but it will be modified a lot.  The plate will be smaller and taper more in the rear.  I also will replace the dog with a modestly sculpted one, add a decorative wheel retainer, and engrave it.

Taylor's pistol and guns made by Razspla are great inspiration and models.  Many of the French and Flemish pistols had relatively small bores (<50 cal.) and nice cannon muzzles.  Germanic ones usually were bigger.  Have fun with the kit.  I think you got a bargain.

dave

[Steve Bookout]

Your lock is almost the same as mine.  I suggest you do as Volatpluvia suggests as build it as is.  I like mine.  It fires faster than a flinter and is a turkey grabber.  If I can remember how to post a pic, I'll do so.

[rhmc24]

For additional info I recco a visit to therifleshoppe.com who has quite a lot of wheellock kits, parts, etc.   They publish a catalog an inch thick.

Meanwhile back at the ranch --- I was visiting memory lane couple days ago and ran across this I did 25 or 30 years ago.   A wheel lock from ca. 1580 ----

[lost arrow 801]

Hello I also live in salt lake city, and would really appreciate the address of this antique gun store.

[Hungry Horse]

 I would find it hard to believe this kit was produced by Markwell Arms. All the kit by this company, that I have seen, would need a couple of upgrades to be rated as junk. Their kentucky kit made the offerings by CVA, and Jukar, look like fine antique Kentuckys. One of these rifles, a kid brought in to be fixed, didn't have any rifling in half of the barrel. 

               Hungry Horse

[Cory Joe Stewart]

What a score!!!

Coryjoe

[JoeG]

I would find it hard to believe this kit was produced by Markwell Arms. All the kit by this company, that I have seen, would need a couple of upgrades to be rated as junk. Their kentucky kit made the offerings by CVA, and Jukar, look like fine antique Kentuckys. One of these rifles, a kid brought in to be fixed, didn't have any rifling in half of the barrel. 

I agree the lock and other parts are too good  to  have been from markwell

Hello I also live in salt lake city, and would really appreciate the address of this antique gun store.

PM sent with address

[Bob Roller]

 European makers of muzzle loaders and components for them
are very capable of furnishing whatever level of quality needed
IF the buyer is willing to pay for them.
I was told by a well known dealer here in the USA of a visit he made
to one of the top Italian makers and saw a line of very fine percussion
single shot pistols that were getting packed for a German customer.
He said he inquired about them and the obvious high quality and was
told that NO American dealers would have them because of the prices involved.
I have also seen these guns and recall the price as being over $600 and that
was 30 years ago.

Bob Roller