Original Item: One-of-a-kind. Here we have a fantastic example of the direct ancestor of flintlock muskets, an arquebus matchlock musket purchased out of an old collection where it has been since 1965. These utilized a burning wick held in the arm of the lock, called the cock, which would then touch the flash pan when the large lever on the bottom of the weapon was pulled. This would then ignite the charge in the barrel and send whatever it was loaded with on its way. Matchlocks first appeared during the 15th century, evolving from primitive "hand cannons" that simply had a touch hole that one would put a lit wick into. This would still work great for heavy brass cannons for a few more centuries, but having to aim while holding onto a wick and not being able to sight it at all was hardly ideal.

The matchlock simplified this greatly, resulting in a firearm that was much easier to carry around and use effectively. The lock works became more advanced, and by the mid 16th century they were much more reliable, and typically had the form seen here. Some had a "fishtail" style butt stock, but this features a stock closer to the flintlock muskets that would succeed the design. It has a nice "bannister rail" on the top of the butt, with a bent sheet iron butt plate, and sheet iron nose band. The barrel is held in place by pins, much like flintlocks would be later. The style of construction greatly resembles those from the Flanders area of what is today Belgium. It measures 59 1/4 inches long with a 43 1/2 inch long barrel, which measures about .704", or close to 13 Bore.

This lovely example had been purchased in Belgium by the previous owner, and a scan of their record book is shown in the pictures. They make a reference to "Chapel pg 359", however we have not been able to obtain this reference material. Charles Edward Chapel wrote several books on antique gun collecting, however they were released in several different formats, so we do not know which book this refers to.

The arquebus is completely unmarked except for a 0 on the wing nut on the cock as well as other number markings on various components. There is a large CROWN over B on the right side of the "bannister rail" on the butt stock. This Cypher could be for any number of different countries, and there were many ranks of European nobility under Kings and Queens who wore crowns, and had them in their cypher. We did some research but were not able to make any definitive identification, and leave this as a lovely research opportunity for the future owner.

Condition of the arquebus is very good, and it looks like it definitely spent most of is life hanging in a collection where it was cleaned repeatedly over the centuries. The lock is fully functional, with an intact spring, and the adjustment on the cock to securely hold the wick works as well. We did note however that the pan cover is missing, probably broken off long ago and the base filed down. We checked the bore, and we can definitely see past oxidation and fouling, so it was at one point used. We can also see some past pitting on the sides of the barrel by the wood line.

A fantastic opportunity to pick up a very early European musket, most likely made during the mid 16th century in the Flanders area. A great candidate for further research, ready to display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: circa 1550
Caliber: 0.704"
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 43 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 59 1/4 inches
Action: Flintlock
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded

An arquebus is a form of long gun that appeared in Europe and the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. An infantryman armed with an arquebus is called an arquebusier. The term was applied to many different forms of firearms from the 15th to 17th centuries, but it originally referred to "a hand-gun with a hook-like projection or lug on its under surface, useful for steadying it against battlements or other objects when firing". These "hook guns" were in their earliest forms defensive weapons mounted on German city walls in the early 15th century. The addition of a shoulder stock, priming pan,[3] and matchlock mechanism in the late 15th century turned the arquebus into a handheld firearm and also the first firearm equipped with a trigger.

The exact dating of the matchlock's appearance is disputed. It could have appeared in the Ottoman Empire as early as 1465 and in Europe a little before 1475. The heavy arquebus, which was then called a musket, was developed to better penetrate plate armor and appeared in Europe around 1521. Heavy arquebuses mounted on war wagons were called arquebus à croc. These carried a lead ball of about 100 grams (3.5 oz).

A standardized arquebus, the caliver, was introduced in the latter half of the 16th century. The name "caliver" is an English derivation from the French calibre – a reference to the gun's standardized bore. The caliver allowed troops to load bullets faster since they fitted their guns more easily, whereas before soldiers often had to modify their bullets into suitable fits, or even made their own prior to battle.

The matchlock arquebus is considered the forerunner to the flintlock musket, and successor to the hand cannon.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.