Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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gamekeeper
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Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by gamekeeper »

I watch this channel a lot, you can almost smell the smoke.

https://youtu.be/tbkkfy6Wx1U
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by Pitchy »

Dern cool,always wanted one. 8) :)
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by piller »

Looks like fun.
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by Walker »

Wow, I like that.
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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Deleted.
Last edited by Ray on Fri Feb 11, 2022 5:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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The indigenous natives of North and South America thought firearms were never going to make a difference. :lol:
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by hfcable »

i have a wheelock rifle, a total copy of the one that belonged pilgrim John Alden. it is a marvel ---the lock time is very fast. it is a .62 and has a real wallop !

have to post a picture if i can find one.

[ i guess i am kinda the collector of all things odd and unusual .... actually i dont have a collection, its is more of an accumulation ]
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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hfcable wrote: Fri May 07, 2021 11:29 pm i have a wheelock rifle, a total copy of the one that belonged pilgrim John Alden. it is a marvel ---the lock time is very fast. it is a .62 and has a real wallop !

have to post a picture if i can find one.

[ i guess i am kinda the collector of all things odd and unusual .... actually i dont have a collection, its is more of an accumulation ]

Now THERE'S a moose rifle for you!

Collections are for folks with a narrow range of interest. Accumulations for folks with more eclectic tastes. :D What I've seen (in pics) of your accumulation shows you to be the latter. If I had the financial means and storage area I'd have an accumulation ranging from the ancient handgonnes to tracked armored vehicles and everything in between and even remotely related. If it goes BANG and launches a projectile I find it fascinating. Shucks, even if it goes pfffft!!! and launches a projectile... or just launches a projectile!
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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hfcable wrote: Fri May 07, 2021 11:29 pm i have a wheelock rifle, a total copy of the one that belonged pilgrim John Alden. it is a marvel ---the lock time is very fast. it is a .62 and has a real wallop !
You too?

My twin had one custom made too -- he loves shooting it, almost as much as he loves showing it to guys at the range.

I'll have to share that site with him.

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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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Wheel locks are something that I have never seen at a gun show around here.
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by hfcable »

here are some quick pics of mine:

Image

Image

it has fitted barrels easily interchanged: a .62 smooth bore and .62 rifle barrel

hope to take the smooth bore out to shoot a turkey, ' pilgrim style ' , some day
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by gamekeeper »

John Alden was extremely well armed for day, matchlocks were so primitive by comparison. I have always found the story of the Mayflower fascinating.
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by AmBraCol »

Fascinating. Interesting to see how stock styles have changed over the centuries.
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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gamekeeper wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 3:41 am John Alden was extremely well armed for day, matchlocks were so primitive by comparison. I have always found the story of the Mayflower fascinating.
me too. one interesting tidbit i found recently reading the back of the Norton India stone box is that the pilgrims forgot their abrasives and could not sharpen their axes or knives until the message got to europe and the stones got back. that's what the box says.
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by Grizz »

Cable, nice rifle. Watching the guy shooting the pistols, it seems like there is an extra step compared to a "regular" flintlock. is the payoff in the lock time? accuracy?
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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Grizz wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 9:57 am Cable, nice rifle. Watching the guy shooting the pistols, it seems like there is an extra step compared to a "regular" flintlock. is the payoff in the lock time? accuracy?
Grizz, the wheel lock predated the flint lock. It was more complicated and delicate than the later flint locks were. So the pay off by going to the later style locks was more robust design and no extras to carry or lose like the key needed to wind up the wheel lock.
Paul - in Pereira


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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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Grizz wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 9:57 am Cable, nice rifle. Watching the guy shooting the pistols, it seems like there is an extra step compared to a "regular" flintlock. is the payoff in the lock time? accuracy?
lock time mostly, but the wheelock was in use before the typical flintlock, and was really competing with the match lock

the wheelock could be kept ready to fire at a moments notice, like the flintlock. the matchlock couldnt be left ready to go .

alden's wheelock was discovered when his house had to be disassembled and moved [ ? because of road construction or some such ] back in the 1920s i think. it was behind a hidden panel in the library and ready to fire , as i recall.

wheelocks were expensive [ and complex ] and not owned by most people.
Last edited by hfcable on Mon May 10, 2021 12:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by Pitchy »

That`s a beautiful rifle hfcable. 8) :)
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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Pitchy wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 11:56 am That`s a beautiful rifle hfcable. 8) :)
thank you. it is a very handy size and handles well.
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by Grizz »

thanks guys. i thought the wheel lock was older, but then the flint is carried the same way as on a flint lock. i didn't know you have to wind up the lock every time, and decock the flint before ready to fire. it does eliminate the mass of the flint and hammer from moving before ignition. so interesting, and of course an improvement over the matchlock, although if piezo technology had only been a little more advanced, . . . :)
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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The people who invented those guns had some very real creativity.
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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piller wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 8:54 pm The people who invented those guns had some very real creativity.
Both gun smith and clock maker.
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by gamekeeper »

The wheel lock used pyrite instead of flint because flint is too hard and wears the wheel down too quickly.
1280px-Wheellock_mechanism_explained_2.jpg
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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I wonder if ferrocerium, that stuff that camping fire making sticks are made from, would work? It is not as hard as steel and it throws some good sparks.
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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piller wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 10:51 am I wonder if ferrocerium, that stuff that camping fire making sticks are made from, would work? It is not as hard as steel and it throws some good sparks.
Smart !!

yes, it does, quite well. the builder [ leonard day ] made a little holder to insert instead of the pyrite, and it holds 3 little ferrocerrium pieces [ probably from the 'sparkers' that welders use ]

and it is easy to use and very reliable
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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gamekeeper wrote: Fri May 07, 2021 9:13 am I watch this channel a lot, you can almost smell the smoke.

https://youtu.be/tbkkfy6Wx1U
I watch his channel a lot too. Have a couple of his paper cartridge formers too. :D

I want a wheel lock so bad I can taste it! :mrgreen:
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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There is a limited edition replica of the NewTowne matchlock being currently made and I am sorely tempted
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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barbarossa wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 9:05 am There is a limited edition replica of the NewTowne matchlock being currently made and I am sorely tempted
That's a handsome piece.. 8) when I was at Westley Richards we sold a lot of genuine antique matchlocks from India, many were still loaded :shock: I never fancied owning one of the Indian types. Lately though I have looked at a couple of European reproductions but still not sure if I really want to go back so far in time.
Photo-Fishtail-Matchlock.jpg
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

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gamekeeper wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 11:39 am
barbarossa wrote: Thu May 13, 2021 9:05 am There is a limited edition replica of the NewTowne matchlock being currently made and I am sorely tempted
That's a handsome piece.. 8) when I was at Westley Richards we sold a lot of genuine antique matchlocks from India, many were still loaded :shock: I never fancied owning one of the Indian types. Lately though I have looked at a couple of European reproductions but still not sure if I really want to go back so far in time.

Photo-Fishtail-Matchlock.jpg
i have a repro that looks quite similar, a .75 bore. it is interesting to play with and in one sense lock time is very fast: if the pan is opened and primed, and that match is lit, just squeeze that lever and boom !!

i dont think it would be very practical to hunt with. Smokey the Bear would not approve.
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by gamekeeper »

A typical made in India Matchlock.
I can't even imagine hunting with one like this, I suppose you could poke a squirrel out of the tree with it.
indian-toradar_0.jpg
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Re: Wheel Lock Pistols anyone ?

Post by Grizz »

that fishtail is interesting. the trigger looks like it came off of a crossbow. which makes me wonder how hard would it be to use the striker off of a propane torch as the ignition source?

a piezo lock? would it fit the India matchlock squirrel stick? or perhaps convert a crossbow?

1st cupa. second cup will be better. i hope.

:lol:
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