Matchlock\Flintlock Musket

[Teleoceras]

Yesterday, I received a Musket built by John Buck based on a late 17th Century French design. She is 61" overall with a 44" barrel. The wood is Walnut.




At the range I used a .690RB with .015 patch with 85grs of GOEX Fg.

The first shot was as a Matchlock and she went 2" from the bullseye at 7 O'Clock. The next shot was as a Flintlock and it was a BULLSEYE touching the 10 ring at 12 O'Clock!

That put me in a good mood and I got down to seeing which was more accurate, A Matchlock or a Flintlock?

As a Matchlock the average was 2"-3" groups at 25 yards.

As a Flintlock, she shot 1"-2" groups at 25 yards.

Overall, I am very satisfied with her! I'm calling this one Wilma.

Information

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[Embalmer]

always wanted to try a flintlock... Very nice looking rifle. Maybe I should show off my rifles...

[Teleoceras]

Matt:

always wanted to try a flintlock... Very nice looking rifle. Maybe I should show off my rifles...

Sure, it would be nice to see what you have!

The majority of my muzzleloaders are military oriented. I am a big fan of my smoothbore Muskets although I also shoot a P53 Enfield Rifle-Musket. I just love the clean spartan lines of the old style wood stocked military arms.

BTW, you ever think of shooting a Matchlock?

[Embalmer]

At the moment I have 3 1853 enfields (euroarms and armisport), a 1861 springfield (euroarms), a 1859 sharps (berdan) rifle by armisport, and a uberti 1860 colt army.

Ill try to get pics of them up later, thought had some on my pc but guess not

Not too interested in the matchlocks. nice to look at, but wouldnt care to shoot one.

[2571]

But then, I never turn down an offer to shoot a gun.

How'd you get intertested in technology that old?

[Bilbo]

Teloceras,
THAT is one interesting musket! I've seen dual ignition guns before, percusion/rimfire, rimfire/centerfire, but never flintlock/matchlock! Is the trigger guard the trigger for the matchlock wick holder? Leave it to the French to back-up the "New Fangled" technology of a flintlock with a matchlock system!

Thanks for sharing that!

Bilbo

[Teleoceras]

Bilbo & 2571:

Yes, the trigger guard also serves as the trigger for the Matchlock.

How'd you get intertested in technology that old?

I've been shooting muzzleloaders for 28 years but only got my first Flintlock, Matchlock, and Handgonne (Hand Cannon) 10 years ago. I got my Wheellock a few years later.

I was interested in trying all of the older military tech. When I noticed that there were people building the arms, I just had to satisfy my curiosity. It figures that my curiosity changed into full blown obsession once I started shooting them!





My website shows all of what I have the use Black Powder from my Handgonnes to my Trapdoor.

[KentG]

According to an article in the American Rifleman (Dec 1974, p.32) by Elliot Minor, the French military actually forbade the use of flintlocks by their troops during the reign of Louis XIV. S. Vauban, the great military engineer, designer and destroyer of fortresses, hated the matchlock, and invented the dual lock to get the improved flintlock into the hands of troops while at the same time appeasing the retrograde boffins. Louis approved the dual lock in 1688, and it served until Louis banned the matchlock entirely from military service in 1699. By the way, the main objections to the flintlock by Louis XIV's generals were "too much ammunition consumption" and "unreliability." Vauban had a special objection to the matchlock himself - lit matches caused many accidental fires in the fortress establishment he built and maintained for the king.

Vauban's geometric system of fortifications lasted in use until the smokeless age, and you can find him mentioned frequently by Mahan and H. Halleck in their pre-US CW texts on fortifications.

[Teleoceras]

KentG:

According to an article in the American Rifleman (Dec 1974, p.32) by Elliot Minor, the French military actually forbade the use of flintlocks by their troops during the reign of Louis XIV. S. Vauban, the great military engineer, designer and destroyer of fortresses, hated the matchlock, and invented the dual lock to get the improved flintlock into the hands of troops while at the same time appeasing the retrograde boffins. Louis approved the dual lock in 1688, and it served until Louis banned the matchlock entirely from military service in 1699. By the way, the main objections to the flintlock by Louis XIV's generals were "too much ammunition consumption" and "unreliability." Vauban had a special objection to the matchlock himself - lit matches caused many accidental fires in the fortress establishment he built and maintained for the king.

Vauban's geometric system of fortifications lasted in use until the smokeless age, and you can find him mentioned frequently by Mahan and H. Halleck in their pre-US CW texts on fortifications.

Very interesting, I heard too that the Austrian forces also had some dual-lock muskets during the siege of Vienna in 1683.

One of the other reasons the Matchlock was finally supplanted by the Flintlock was due to the rate of fire of about a 3 to 2 ratio. Flintlock armed troops were able to keep up a higher rate of fire which was devastating if their opponents were Matchlock armed troops.