Matchlock Shooters?

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Panzerschwein

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Any matchlock musketeers out there?

I have been thinking of picking up a matchlock musket from Veteran Arms:

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http://www.veteranarms.com/ReproductionMuzzleloadersandFlintlocks/Matchlock.html

They seem pretty cool. Does anyone know the quality of Veteran Arms? Will this musket blow up and kill me, or is it safe to shoot with live rounds? Does anyone on here shoot matchlocks? Can you hunt deer or hogs with them? Thanks!
 
I knew better than to open this. I saw the title, I saw the originators handle, and I clicked it anyways like a dummy.

One more added to the list. I think the safe way to describe the list of wants at this point is to simply say one of each, but realistically I want an example of each major class of weapon made. This one makes the cut.
 
I don't think he has a problem, except that everytime he opens one of your threads, he wants a new gun! :) I know the feeling. Actually, I've wanted a Matchlock since I got to handle and fire one at a reenactment.
 
I don't think he has a problem, except that everytime he opens one of your threads, he wants a new gun! :) I know the feeling. Actually, I've wanted a Matchlock since I got to handle and fire one at a reenactment.
You are SO right Entropy!!

My bad to WestKentucky, I thought he was someone else who has made some rather... rude... comments to me before!! He is not and I should have read his post better. I misread his comment to be sure!! Sorry WestKentucky!!!
 
This is a really nice, simple design, very much like what would have actually been used instead of some silver and gold 20 pounds of fancy engraved version intended for royalty (or modern commoners acting like they are royalty). It's a true shooters gun. It's elegant simplicity is uniquely beautiful.
 
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I agree 100%. I am really glad that they decided to make a more plain, "soldier style" gun instead of some gaudy mess.

I did some further research on these Veteran Arms guns and it appears they are made in India... that gives me some concern. I have heard some bad stories about Indian muzzleloaders blowing up and not being made of the proper materials.

Does anyone know how safe this brand and specific model is?
 
I have this exact model (from India) but I bought it from Loyalist Arms. I was suspicious of its safety at first due to the bad publicity on the internet surrounding India-made muskets. I pulled the breech plug and had the barrel "magnafluxed" by a aircraft mechanic friend. There were no detectable flaws.

These guns are quite simple but require careful attention to safety procedures due to the exposed sparks from the burning match-cord. loading and firing it safely is almost a two-man process with one handling the burning match-cord and keeping it well away from the gun while it is being loaded.More than once, I have had a stray spark fall into the open pan before I could operate the serpentine lever. Quality match cord is less likely to spit sparks but there is no "national standard" on this item. These things are DANGEROUS--Captain John Smith of the Jamestown Colony was badly burned when a spark from his matchlock ignited his powder flask.
 
Safety tips for rope-burners:

1. Keep the lit end of the match in a metal container when not firing. Most MLAIC competitors use an empty soft drink can with a few holes punched in it.

2. Minimize the amount of priming powder on hand. I've seen proposals for single-use priming charge tubes (yes, priming). Definitely use pre-measured propellant loads.

3. Keep the muzzle under tight control. If you have a failure of the match to set off the priming charge, you can try to lift the serpentine and close the pan cover...but that's a delicate process. There was a reason why the Japanese matchlocks had a tail on the serpentine - it allowed the shooter to raise it safely, then reach under the gun to close the pan cover. The odds of doing this without a discharge are no better than 50%. So keep the muzzle under control.
 
Id love to HAVE one.. and SHOOT one... But hunt with it? And HOGS at that??? Nah... Im brave, not suicidal...
 
I enjoy shooting matchlocks, but they aren't for the inexperienced muzzleloader as they have their own set of quirks & you have to be ever vigilant.
My latest is a copy of the matchlocks found in the wreck of the Mary Rose (Henry VIIIs battleship) that was sunk in 1542. This one was built especially for target shooting at 50m, so the caliber was reduced to .40 to enable high velocity (required for accurate smoothbore shooting) with low recoil. I only acquired this one very recently (as in last week), but my first target, shot at 25yds off-hand, was very encouraging & I didn't embarrass myself too much shooting in a 50yd smoothbore musket match at my local BP club on the weekend, managing a 41/50, though I'm sure it's capable of much better (only hope I am, too!).

Maurices%20Matchlock%20lock%20LR_zpsqteulvk6.jpg
Maurices%20Matchlock%20lock%20detail_zpstx93rlls.jpg
Matchlock%20%2025yds%20OH_zpshblddkr0.jpg
 
I enjoy shooting matchlocks, but they aren't for the inexperienced muzzleloader as they have their own set of quirks & you have to be ever vigilant.
My latest is a copy of the matchlocks found in the wreck of the Mary Rose (Henry VIIIs battleship) that was sunk in 1542. This one was built especially for target shooting at 50m, so the caliber was reduced to .40 to enable high velocity (required for accurate smoothbore shooting) with low recoil. I only acquired this one very recently (as in last week), but my first target, shot at 25yds off-hand, was very encouraging & I didn't embarrass myself too much shooting in a 50yd smoothbore musket match at my local BP club on the weekend, managing a 41/50, though I'm sure it's capable of much better (only hope I am, too!).

Maurices%20Matchlock%20lock%20LR_zpsqteulvk6.jpg
Maurices%20Matchlock%20lock%20detail_zpstx93rlls.jpg
Matchlock%20%2025yds%20OH_zpshblddkr0.jpg
That's really cool! I like it!
 
20 some years back when a travelling Mary Rose exhibit was touring US museums I purchased a souvenier snuffbox/compass/sundial/mirror about the size of a Oreo Cookie.

I like your souvenier MUCH better!

SO that is an actual snapping lock rather than one that just pushes through levers?

I hope the poor Marksman made it off the boat, though to have lost something like that at the time, he might have wished to have gone down with the ship.

-kBob
 
kBob, yes it's a snapping matchlock. From what I understand, the muskets on the Mary Rose came from Venice which was quite the arms center of its day.
 
Thanks for the response.

The only firearms I remember from the exhibit was a sort of pole mounted hand held "Claymore Mine" made of iron. It was a flattened funnel or fan shaped very short bored device which was loaded with powder a bed of wadding a bunch of fragments, appearently cube shaped was popular, and a top wad and set off with slow match on a linstock while the pole was under an arm.

Appearently they were to be used on the deck crews of an enemy ship just before your guys went over the rail.

No thank you, very much.

The days when most ship to ship fighting envolved ropes with grapping hooks and hooked ladders never sounded like that much fun to me and less so after seeing that exhibit.

-kBob
 
I doubt the "marksman" survived to worry about the loss as the Mary Rose's anti-boarding netting trapped almost everyone aboard when she heeled over with her gun ports open.
 
Wow! A snapping matchlock from the mid 1500's? That's pretty advanced for the time, right?

I LOVE Bonza's Mary Rose matchlock... Bonza, were did you get this repro? Did you make it yourself?
 
A gentleman by the name of Maurice Taylor from the south island of New Zealand made this one a few years ago. He has a particular fascination for the earlier muzzleloaders & has made a number of match & wheel-locks in addition to the more 'evolved' ignition systems over the years.
He has authored a number of articles in various black powder publications around the world & has rubbed shoulders with some of the late & great MLAGB, MLAIC, NMLRA shooters.
 
Like once a year I get an urge to get one of these. I get fascinated by the crudeness of these things and the history. The rifle shop has some beauties. The newtowne musket repro they make is gorgeous. It comes with the firing hole not drilled out but once drilled they are fully functional. If I was blessed to win the lotto I'd have an English variant for shooting and the newtowne to display in my parlor. :D
 
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