 | |
| Artist |
|
|---|---|
| Year | 1540-45 |
| Medium | Steel, ivory, cherry wood, staghorn |
| Dimensions | 49.2 cm(19.4 in) |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art |
A double-barreled wheellock pistol was crafted by German gunsmith Peter Peck for Charles V in 1540. [1] It is one of the oldest surviving European pistols. [2] It is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The pistol was made by gunsmith Peter Peck of Munich for Emperor Charles V, a noted firearms enthusiast. [3] [4] The .46 caliber double-barreled pistol fires via the use of two wheellock mechanisms, one for each barrel; these were commonly used in custom-made firearms of the day, as while wheellocks were more expensive they were considered more reliable than early flintlock mechanisms or matchlocks. [5] The pistol's wheellocks are noted as being particularly precise, as Peck worked as a watchmaker in addition to being a gunsmith. [3] While it was mused that Charles commissioned a pistol with two barrels and two wheellocks as befitting his status as the sovereign of two empires (Charles V was emperor of both Spain and the Holy Roman Empire), similarly-dated firearms from Bavaria also employ a double wheellock firing action. [6] [7] [1]
In terms of aesthetics, the 5 lb. 10 oz pistol is elaborately decorated; the pistol's cherry wood stock is inlaid with ivory and staghorn, its metalwork is engraved and sheaved in gold, while the gun's grip is intricately carved. The bodywork of the gun is stamped with a double headed eagle (Charles' symbol as Holy Roman Emperor) and an image of the Pillars of Hercules, a symbol of the Crown of Spain. The weapon is inscribed with the Latin motto Plus ultra (More beyond), which is the national motto of the Kingdom of Spain. [1] [8] On the reverse side from the two wheellocks, the ivory inlay of the gun has been carved away to form a relief image of hunters and hunting dogs chasing game. [6] [7] [1] The gun's decoration was executed by German gunsmith Ambrosius Gemlich. [1]
Flintlock is a general term for any firearm that uses a flint-striking ignition mechanism, the first of which appeared in Western Europe in the early 16th century. The term may also apply to a particular form of the mechanism itself, also known as the true flintlock, that was introduced in the early 17th century, and gradually replaced earlier firearm-ignition technologies, such as the matchlock, the wheellock, and the earlier flintlock mechanisms such as the snaplock and snaphaunce.
The long rifle, also known as the Kentucky rifle, Pennsylvania rifle, or American long rifle, is a muzzle-loading firearm used for hunting and warfare. It was one of the first commonly-used rifles. The American rifle was characterized by a very long barrel of relatively small caliber, uncommon in European rifles of the period.
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, the snaplock, the snaphance, and the flintlock.
A snaphance or snaphaunce is a type of firearm lock in which a flint struck against a striker plate above a steel pan ignites the priming powder which fires the gun. It is the mechanical progression of the wheellock firing mechanism, and along with the miquelet lock and doglock are predecessors of the flintlock mechanism.
The pepper-box revolver or simply pepperbox is a multiple-barrel firearm, mostly in the form of a handgun, that has three or more gun barrels in a revolving mechanism. Each barrel holds a single shot, and the shooter can manually rotate the whole barrel assembly to sequentially index each barrel into alignment with the lock or hammer, similar to rotation of a revolver's cylinder.
A breechloader is a firearm in which the user loads the ammunition from the breech end of the barrel, as opposed to a muzzleloader, in which the user loads the ammunition from the (muzzle) end of the barrel.
The flintlock mechanism is a type of lock used on muskets, rifles, and pistols from the early 17th to the mid-19th century. It is commonly referred to as a "flintlock". The term is also used for the weapons themselves as a whole, and not just the lock mechanism.
A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds guns. The occupation differs from an armorer, who usually replaces only worn parts in standard firearms. Gunsmiths do modifications and changes to a firearm that may require a very high level of craftsmanship, requiring the skills of a top-level machinist, a very skilled woodworker, and even an engineer. Gunsmiths perform factory-level repairs and renovations to restore well-used or deteriorated firearms to new condition. They may make alterations to adapt sporting guns to better fit the individual shooter that may require extensive modifications to the firearm's stocks and metal parts. Repairs and redesigns may require fabrication and fitting of unavailable parts and assemblies constructed by smiths themselves. Gunsmiths may also renew metal finishes or apply decorative carvings or engravings to guns. Many gun shops offer gunsmithing service on the premises.
Henry Deringer was an American gunsmith. He is best known for inventing and giving his name to the derringer pistol.
Miquelet lock is a modern term used by collectors and curators for a type of firing mechanism used in muskets and pistols. It is a distinctive form of snaplock, originally as a flint-against-steel ignition form, once prevalent in the Spanish, Portuguese, and Ottoman empires, Italy, North Africa, and the Balkans from the late 16th to the mid-19th century.
A petronel is a 16th and 17th century black powder muzzle-loading firearm, defined by Robert Barret as a horsemans peece. It was the muzzle-loading firearm which developed on the one hand into the pistol and on the other into the carbine. The name was given to the weapon either because it was fired with the butt resting against the chest or it was carried slung from a belt across the chest. Petronels are found with either matchlock or wheellock mechanisms.
A combination weapon is a close-quarters gun hybrid combining the features of both a firearm and an edged melee weapon. Examples of gun hybrids include knife/pistols and pistol/sword combinations.
A handgun is a firearm designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun which needs to be held by both hands and braced against the shoulder. Handguns have shorter effective ranges compared to long guns, and are much harder to shoot accurately. While most early handguns are single-shot pistols, the two most common types of handguns used in modern times are revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, although other handguns such as derringers and machine pistols also see infrequent usage.
A pistol is a type of handgun, characterized by a barrel with an integral chamber. The word "pistol" is derived from the Middle French pistolet, meaning a small gun or knife, and first appeared in the English language c. 1570 when early handguns were produced in Europe. In colloquial usage, the word "pistol" is often used as a generic term to describe any type of handgun, inclusive of revolvers and the pocket-sized derringers.
The Kalthoff repeater was a type of repeating firearm that was designed by members of the Kalthoff family around 1630, and became the first repeating firearm to be brought into military service. At least nineteen gunsmiths are known to have made weapons following the Kalthoff design. Some early Kalthoff guns were wheellocks, but the rest were flintlocks. The capacity varied between 5 and 30 rounds, depending on the style of the magazines. A single forward and back movement of the trigger guard, which could be done in 1–2 seconds, readied the weapon for firing. The caliber of Kalthoff guns generally varied between 0.4–0.8 in (10–20 mm), though 0.3 in (7.6 mm) caliber examples also exist.
A pistoleer is a mounted soldier trained to use a pistol, or more generally anyone armed with such a weapon. It is derived from pistolier, a French word for an expert marksman.
The Colt M1877 was a double-action revolver manufactured by Colt's Patent Fire Arms from January 1877 until 1909 for a total of 166,849 revolvers. The Model 1877 was offered in three calibers, which lent them three unofficial names: the "Thunderer", the "Lightning", and the "Rainmaker". The principal difference between the models was the cartridge in which they were chambered for, these are the "Thunderer" in .41 Long Colt; the "Lightning" in .38 Long Colt; and the "Rainmaker" in .32 Long Colt. All of the models had a six-round capacity.
A toradar is a South Asian matchlock primarily found in the Mughal Empire, dating from the 16th century. It was a preferred firearm in India well until the mid-19th century because of its simple and cheap design.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a pair of late 18th century flintlock pistols belonging to Catherine the Great in its collection. Made from steel, brass and adorned with ivory and gold, the pistols are currently on display in Gallery 375.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a 16th-century combination weapon in its armaments collection. The weapon is an 89 3/4 inch boar spear with two wheellock pistol barrels fused to both flat sides of the spear's head; the intent of this design was to provide the wielder with the extra stopping power of two .41 caliber musket balls that could be fired at targets out of the reach of the spear. Some sources posit that such weapons were instead experimental pieces or curiosities. The 9 lb, German-made weapon was donated to the Met's collection by the Roger's fund in 1904.