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Old 26th July 2020, 06:26 PM   #19
rickystl
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: St. Louis, MO area.
Posts: 1,621
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Hi Philip

The Swedish lock is an exact replica made from castings from the original lock as the prototype. I show this only for comparison purposes. The lock is now mounted to an exact replica of the complete original gun from a private collection that was dated to the early 1600's. As you mentioned, it operates like a snaphaunce, but the pan cover must be manually moved to expose the priming powder. Likely a carry over from the matchlock.

Baltic Locks: Agreed. I'm also more familiar with the type you describe. The one I posted here is a mystery. I've never been able to trace the owner/maker. And it's the only photo I have. Found it in an obscure place having nothing to do with firearms. The matchlock pivoting style pan cover is interesting. I suspect it's not that old due to the screw head styles and the lack of lock plate screws. Don't know without further photos. Wish I owned it in any case. LOL

About the lock on the OP: The small nub and pin on the frizzen plate would in fact interfere with the priming powder, not allowing the frizzen to fully close - assuming you filled the entire pan with powder. But that was not usually done since it would often act to smother the vent hole of the barrel directing the "flash" upward instead of inward towards the main charge in the barrel. Thus iqnighting the priming powder, but not the main charge in the barrel. I know this to be true from my own shooting experience. For optimum shooting the pan would contain just a small pinch of powder. So in that instance, the small nub and pin would not interfere.
Anyway, the more I look at this lock, I am beginning to agree with Fernando K and Corado. As Philip mentions, it certainly not a Victorian era copy. Too much quality and expertise for just decoration. On the other hand, the lack of a trigger mechanism makes me think this lock was simply a styling exercise from some very skilled maker maybe 100 years ago. Hmmm. The threads on the screws are very well done. More like early 19th Century versus early 17th Century. The lock is definitely a forging, not a casting. While replica made not be the best term, it's probably good for discussion. In any case, it makes a novel addition to my lock collection. And I want to thank you all for your inputs. Here is an interesting quotation:

"According to M.L.Brown the first evidence of snaplocks was in the 1540's and in 1556 they were refitting German matchlock arquebuses to take them"

I'll start a new Thread on another lock I won at the same auction.

Rick
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