Massive German Wheellock Musket
When I picked this muzzleloader out of the catalog to feature in a video, I glossed over it's size. I was looking for a nice example of a wheellock musket to share with you. Imagine my suprise when this 60"+ Monster of a muzzleloader came in on the cart. Its big size aside, this piece is a great piece of firearms history and gives us a glimpse into the era of fortified warfare in Europe. The included spanner/powder measure adds a great look into how these pieces, even as simple and bulky as this one, were allowed to be artistic expression by their makers.
This massive musket is pictured and discussed on pages 39 and 40 of "American Military Shoulder Arms, Volume I: Colonial and Revolutionary War Arms" by George Moller. He dates it to between the late 16th-century and the mid 17th-century and notes that the only markings are "AX" engraved inside the lock at the tail and a deep but illegible cartouche on the bottom of the barrel. It is 64 1/4 inches in overall length. The barrel has a bead sight on the cannon style muzzle, double bands at the transition point, a dovetailed notch rear sight with decorative finial, and lined border on the breech plug. The large lock has some simple scroll designs on the wheel. The iron trigger guard is a rougher version of the finger groove style used on German wheellock sporting rifles, and the full length stock has a sheet iron band at the muzzle and no side plate or buttplate. A spanner with an adjustable powder measure in the handle is included. Provenance: The George Moller Collection