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THBEnglish Civil War c. 1640 Wheel-lock Pistol + Used by American Colonies Settlers
Lot 254
Categories
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$9,000 - $12,000
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About Auction
Live
By Early American History Auctions
May 22, 2021
Set Reminder
2021-05-22 12:00:00
2021-05-22 12:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Autographs-Colonial-Political-Americana
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/early-american-history-auctions/autographs-colonial-political-americana-6913
302 Lots of Rare, Historic Autographs, Americana, Civil War Era, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Slavery & Black History, Revolutionary War Era, Colonial America, Federal Period, War of 1812, Colonial Currency, Indian Peace Medals & more... Early American History Auctions auctions@earlyamerican.com
302 Lots of Rare, Historic Autographs, Americana, Civil War Era, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Slavery & Black History, Revolutionary War Era, Colonial America, Federal Period, War of 1812, Colonial Currency, Indian Peace Medals & more... Early American History Auctions auctions@earlyamerican.com
View Full Catalog (302)
- Lot Description
Guns
English Civil War Period c. 1640 Wheel-lock Pistol
c. 1640, European Wheel-lock Pistol of the English Civil War Period and used by the Early European Settlers in the American Colonies, Choice Very Fine.
Early Wheel-lock Pistols were one of the primary weapons used in the English Civil War (1642-1651). They were used alongside the Matchlock Muskets and were also brought from Europe to America by the earliest Settlers. It is known that some who landed in Plymouth, Mass. had them as many remnants have been recovered from Colonial archaeological excavations, as well as in Jamestown, and other early 17th century American Colonial sites. Very few examples have survived. This example is possibly one of an original pair. It has a 13" long, .56 caliber steel octagon barrel, plud s steel trigger guard, ram rod pipe, ferrule, and a scalloped steel butt cap. This Pistol is all original, with no replacement parts. The trigger guard has a built-in trigger return spring. Flat lock with sliding pan cover overall has light rust surface pitting and is secured to the stock by 2 side nails (screws). The stock is missing a small piece of wood on the upper left edge mid-way along the fore-end, and has a period made repair just under the front of the lock, and also at a section along the right side of the fore-end. The stock is Inlaid with Decorative Twisted Brass Wire around the barrel tang and around the side nails, otherwise is solid with light scratches and dings from years of handling. The stock has a horn fore-end cap matching the wood ram rod tip. Measures: 21.5" overall. A great example in exceptionally choice condition and is in good mechanical working order. A handsome example that has the nice eye appeal required of museum quality.
A wheellock, wheel-lock or wheel lock is a friction-wheel mechanism which creates a spark that causes a firearm to fire. It was the next major development in firearms technology after the matchlock and the first self-igniting firearm.
Its name is from its rotating steel wheel to provide ignition. Developed in Europe around 1500, it was used alongside the matchlock and was later superseded by the snaplock (1540s), the snaphance (1560s) and the flintlock (c. 1610s).
The wheel-lock had its disadvantages. It was twice the cost of the matchlock, its complicated mechanism was difficult to repair, and some parts, like a small spanner wench that wound the spring, if lost, made the gun useless. Even though there was evidence of the wheel lock's use by the Spanish and English, including armament records of wheel locks listed at the tragic Roanoke Island settlement in 1585 and excavated sites at Jamestown, it never took hold in the American Colonies.
The North American east coast was settled by the Swedes, Dutch, French, and English, and as mentioned, their preferred weapon to meet the challenges in the New World was the matchlock. But by the mid to late 1600's, another weapon was developed that proved more dependable. It gradually cast aside the more archaic matchlocks. It was the Flintlock.
See Ref., "Revolutionary War Journal", issue of March 28, 2018. "Matchlocks & Flintlocks: Weapons That Tamed a New World & Claimed an American Revolution," by Harry Schenwolf.
Our Auction Contents:
Black History & Slavery: (Lots 1 - 63)
Abraham Lincoln Related: (Lots 64 - 74)
Historic Autographs: (Lots 75 - 235)
Colonial America: (Lots 236 - 261)
Revolutionary War: (Lots 262 - 304)
George Washington Related: (Lots 305 - 306)
Early American Guns & Weapons: (Lots 307 - 318) - Shipping Info
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