A different type of flintlock crossbow or arbalest ? -- myArmoury.com

Ben Sweet

Something a bit different...

Nathan Robinson · myArmoury Admin

Is that a combination stone bow and gun?

Christopher Punty · Posted: Sat 16 Jul, 2011 4:28 pm Post subject:

looks to be wheel lock.

Christopher Treichel · Posted: Sat 16 Jul, 2011 7:11 pm Post subject:

Over under stone bow and wheel lock... you can almost see the muzzle in the last shot. Probably a hunting curio for some nobleman... Guys and their toys.

R Ashby · Posted: Sat 16 Jul, 2011 7:36 pm Post subject:

I wonder if it would do much damage with a lead bullet rather than a stone.

Stephane Rabier · Posted: Sun 17 Jul, 2011 3:02 am Post subject:

Hi,
XVI century Wookie blaster? Laughing Out Loud

Jean Thibodeau · Posted: Sun 17 Jul, 2011 3:32 pm Post subject:

Hard to tell for sure but the calibre of the wheel lock looks pretty small ? .36 calibre or smaller maybe, so not great knock down power there. ( Assuming that the barrel is the cylinder we see below the crossbow part, but the barrel might be higher inside the rectangular section above and of a much more serious calibre: Would need a pic more to the front to be sure ).

Hunting weapon almost certainly with the crossbow used for small game at close range but not too sure what the purpose of the gun underneath ? Too weak for wolf or wild boar if the idea was to have a powerful backup if one was surprised by dangerous game ?

The crossbow part for quiet kills and the gun for self defence ? ( Poacher's weapon ? Although it would have to be a rich poacher as the weapon just looks too fine for a peasant doing some illegal hunting ?

Maybe to finish of a wounded animal or maybe for longer range shots assuming the wheel lock had a rifled barrel or a very tight bore accurate out to 100 yards or more.

Or another of those exotic weapons more a show piece or period " gadget " for a rich noble or a show piece for the maker to show his skills ?

Romulus Stoica · Posted: Sun 17 Jul, 2011 9:37 pm Post subject:

If you look closely, you can see in the third picture that the barrel is in the rectangular piece, the small tube is probably the ramrod support. Also the position of the wheel lock suggest that the barrel is in the rectangular piece just under the bow. The barrel is probably rifled, the stock of the weapon looks like something you can see on early carbines. The piece is probably a late XVII or early XVIII rich noble hunting weapon.

Joel Minturn · Posted: Sun 17 Jul, 2011 9:47 pm Post subject:

Do we have any information on where this weapon is from?

I think there are two likely options.
1. A British Rook Rifle. Use the flintlock to shoot the birds (or rabbits) at distance on the ground then have the stone bow to knock them out of the trees.

2. Or if the barrel is a larger caliber than I first thought (Thanks Romulus for point out the barrel) IT could be an early example of something similar to a German Drilling except this has two "barrels" not three. Its the concept of being ready to shoot anything in the field when hunting. The rifle is for large game and the stone bow is for small game or birds.

Leo Todeschini · Industry Professional

Interesting stuff.

The stone bow is a of a 'kugelschnepper' form, so an all steel stonebow of a pretty small size with a draw weight of 100-200lb approx and is basically a bird shooting weapon. They were produced largely in Germany and I think France and were late 17th and 18th C.

I guess the gun part would either be light shotgun as this would fit with a small game hunting stonebow.

The gun part is a wheellock which suggests17th rather than 18th, but even so is rather late. So the lock looks like 16thC technology and the bow is 17thC technology.

The main bar of the bow does indeed look like the barrel as well, which is even more confusing because in the kugelschnepper bows there are a few components of the trigger train running through this section.

Thanks for bringing it up.

Tod