Thomas Del Mar - Arms & Armour

370
A VERY FINE AND RARE SOUTH GERMAN OVER-AND-
UNDER SINGLE TRIGGER LONG WHEEL-LOCK PISTOL
FORMED ENTIRELY OF STEEL, AUGSBURG, CIRCA 1570-80
with slender tapering octagonal barrels fluted over the
forward half on each side, the upper with brass bead foresight,
fixed back-sight, and retaining traces of Augsburg
town mark over the breech (the breech and muzzle
retaining screws missing), flat lock with three side nails,
fitted with a pair of external wheels each retained by a steel
bracket pierced with a trefoil beneath, gilt-brass wheelcovers
finely pierced and engraved with scrolling foliage
and differing flowers, sliding pan-covers with fluted button
releases, pierced dogs engraved with serpent heads,
pivoting sprung rear safety-catch (the forward safety
missing), the interior mechanism with delicately filed bars
and retaining some early blued finish, steel full stock with
simple scroll mouldings opposite the lock, ‘fishtail’ butt
with cavity for pyrites and sprung cap, moulded grip,
trigger-guard with foliate finial front and rear, and original
steel ramrod with moulded finial and worm
79.2cm; 31D in
174
Detail
This pistol forms part of a group of decorated South
German over-and-under wheel-lock pistols stocked entirely
in steel. Other examples are preserved in the Musée de
l’Armée, Paris (inv. no. m.1625, 1634 and 1635), in the
Collection of the Princes Odescalchi, Rome (inv. no. 1513),
and in the Royal Armouries, Turin (cat. no. 328). The
example in Turin and one of those in Paris (inv. No. 1635)
are of particular interest as they are also stamped with the
Augsburg town mark. The Paris pistol is also stamped with
a maker’s mark which may be attributed to Alexander Beck
recorded active in Augsburg 1553-84/5. Beck specialised in
the production of combined wheel and matchlock firearms.
The present pistol is distinguished from the group in its
generally restrained decoration with the exception of the
wheel-covers which are of superior quality to other pieces
of this group. See N. di Carpegna 1969, C. Bertolotto et al
1982 and Mariaux 1927.
£20000-25000