More great links of varying interest.

[klauss]

Here are yet some more links, I have not gone thru all of them but they seem interesting and informative.

Early locks page
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vau.../Guns/Locks.htm

Swedish army museum collection. Interesting variety, unfrtunatley some pics are rather small and I can't read swedish.
http://www.armemuseum.org/foremal/e...kot/muskot.html

A page on military life in 1470
http://www.lahacal.org/armspicture.html

Another page on handgonnes
http://www.geocities.com/wolfram_vo...h_Handgonne.htm

Gunpowder weapons of the late 15th century
http://www.xenophongroup.com/montjoie/gp_wpns.htm

Various pictures, again can't read the language not even sure what it is lol. Good pics tho.
http://www.hortus-bellicus.de/gallerie.html

Another handgonne page, lots of pics of originals
http://www.geocities.com/whomisit/gonnes.html

That's it for now, i'll update as I find more if anyone is interested. I'm going to hunt around for some old cannon sites if I can find them.

[Rew]

Cool!! Klauss do you have anything on wheellocks, I need a firing reproduction. My daughter and I go to the renassaunce festivel every year and she has finlley talked me into dressing the part. She goes as a muskateer, so I will too, but you know me, it has to be correct (except I will take a shower before we go). All I have been able to find is non-firing repo's. If I can't shoot it I'm not going to buy it. ;)

[klauss]

There are a couple of guys I know of that make functioning wheelocks. I sent you a pm with their contact information. Here is a website that may help as well

http://www.albion-small-arms.freeserve.co.uk/home.htm

I contacted him a few months ago and he is hoping to be able to take new orders within a moth or two if I remember correctly.

Also their is the rifle shop, which I have heard mixed things about them. Some real horror storiers about waiting times. But here is their website
http://www.therifleshoppe.com/

Also you may want to look at a matchlock depending on what you may be looking for, as these would be suitable as well, and possibly a handgonne depending on the time period. Matchlocks are a lot easier to find, as there are some production guns.

That is all I know, If you have any other questions go to http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/ubbthreads/logout.php?Cat=0

My screen name is wheelockhunter.

The people here are some good folks who know a lot more about this than I will for some time. Hope this helps.

Also I asked the board memebers of the aove mentioned site why wheelocks are not made in large numbers. The explanation I got made sense, and in a way surprised me for the time period in which they were made. Here's the explanation I got.

The reason is that so few companies are making wheellock mechanisms is that they are complex items to produce reliably.

A flintlock has around 25 parts in the mechanism counting bolts and screws while a wheellock mechanism can have 40, and more if it has a backup ignition system. While a normal matchlock has only 12 parts at most in the mechanism.

The main problem with production of a wheellock is that every part must be custom fitted to the gun. If one little piece isnt in proper alignment, you may not have a properly functioning weapon, the trigger may move but you might not get the wheel to rotate or the pan cover to move...

There was a company that made them in large numbers, but these wheellocks had bad factory springs that could last a dozen shots or simply break the first time the mechanism was cocked.

So overall, the same reasons that prevented mass production in the past is still affecting the wheellock today.

If I find more links rew, i'll post them. I'm still hunting for them for myself as well.

[Rew]

Your right, for the time period I'm going for, the match lock was even more popular than the wheellock. But, this needs to be a pistol and I have seen very few matchlock pistols. My outfit will be more like a merciney, vagabond, cup hit rapier, with dagger in the boot, the whole 9 yards. I may even grow an Errol Flyn mustash and a gotee, still thinking about that. My hair however stays short. I picked this time priod because Tammy is into it and I already have some of what I am going to need. Next month I'll have the sword, I'll make the dagger. I have about a year to get it all togather. Thanks for the help.;)

[klauss]

No problem rew, trying to keep history alive. I have never heard of a matchlock pistol. I'll have to ask the guys on the other forum about it.

Edit to add

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Campground/8551/firearms.html


http://www.ambroseantiques.com/fpistols/japmatchlock.htm

Not much information from my quick search, looks like they were not popular in europe in that time period, moreso in japan and india.

I asked the guys o the other forum, hopefully they can help where sofar i've been unable to.