Is it nock's form or knox form?

[jrhead75]

Is there any certainty the a Mr. Nocks invented it? Wasn´t it present in the first black powder firearms with attached barrels? I´m sure I´ve seen early flintlocks with a Nock´s form (if it really was a man named Nock, his form would require an apostrophe).

He did invent it, or at least was credited with inventing it...those first black powder firearms you refer to were breech loading flintlocks that Henry Nock developed. He lived from 1741 to 1804. As to the etymology of the word, we could be here all day...like a great many other words and family names, the spelling and usage changed over the years. The literature is unanimous (as near as I've ever found anyway) in referring to it as a "knoxform" or a "knox form". Blackmore concludes his chapter on the breechloading flintlocks (paraphrasing here): "Henry Nock's name lives on in the knoxform found on modern service rifles"...I've butchered the quote, but the spelling is his.

I think it's just a pretentious way of advertising that you really know where the term came from! To each his own...

Sums it up nicely I think...

[Surpmil]

Probably spelled that way because there was no apostrophe to bother with and every T, D & H knew the name Knox from that Scottish parson.

I see no reason to perpetuate an error.

Nock's Form.

[smellie]

The Scottish-parson Knox?

You mean the dedicated middle-aged Calvinist who railed against "that monstrous regiment of Women" whilst keeping (rather close) company with his 14-year-old girlfriend'?

The one all the churches are named for?

Well, if he ever knox on my door, I have a few things to tell him!

Or perhaps nocks on my door.....

I am becoming terribly confused...... time to czech the knocks-form of my Leigh-Enfiled....... and prehaps lern two spel.
.

[muffett.2008]

Hey smellie, are you keeping company with that good man? sounds like you pair are into the communion wine.