I was hoping some of the resident firearms enthusiasts around here could shed some light on the following item for me.

I honestly don't know what else to say about this thing. It looks as though Salvador Dali created it.

From the card I know that it resides in the Dresden Historisches Museum and dates circa 1588.

What is it? I'm curious if it is supposed to rest on the stand on which it sits in the photo. Is this some sort of target shooting firearm? Do tell!

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An unusual firearm

It looks to me like an early Petronel, which is I believe a gun of French origin. These were designed to be held against the chest, and the example I have a diagram of is dated from 1575, is matchlock and is highly decorated. But the stock is not quite so large at the butt, so I assume this may just be a difference between makers.

EDIT: Actually, I found a page displaying almost exactly the same weapon I was describing to you, which came from a description in Weapons, An International Encyclopedia... Here's the page I found: French Petronel

[ Linked Image ]

Continuing my research, in George Stone's Glossary... of Arms and Armour there's a decent description of these weapons~

Petronel, Petrinal, Poitrinal. A firearm of the 16th century intermediate in size between the pistol and the arquebus. It was short but of large caliber and heavy. It had a peculiarly curved stock and was fired with the butt against the chest, from qhich practice it derives its name. (Grose I, 105, Planche 394.)

The book shows an image (Figure 634) of a wheel lock petronel that's from Germany and in the Metropolitan Museum.

-Gregory-

I agree with Gregory that it is a petronel. The ignition system is a wheel lock.

The display stand is just that. As Gregory said, these guns were braced against the chest when fired and so, even if they had some inherent accuracy, the shooter would not be able to take advantage of it because of the awkward method of holding it.

Nathan;

Yup, a Petronel, with a German wheellock fitted to it. They were often used as cavalry carbines, per Sir Roger Williams, Sir John Smythe and various county ordnances in England. At times such light cavalry were even refered to as "Petronels" by English authors.

(BTW, such smaller weapons as this (i.e. smaller than an arquebus) were carried by cavalrymen in holsters on the saddle, just like a pistol would have been carried. There are several illustrations of this, most notably from Jost Amman.)

Interestingly, the French used this style of stock for all sorts of firearms, up to and including the full-on Musket. Sir Roger Williams rails against this, stating that the recoil is too much to abide if "held against the pap", and strongly encourages the use of the Spanish-style stock, which is rested against the right shoulder (and is the fore-father of modern gunstocks).

VERY nifty petronel, though! I like it! Gotta put that on my list of "Cool things to Get". :)

Cheers!

Gordon