rhmc24
Absent Comrade
I was deep into early English guns around 1970 & often visited the London Tower, rich in history back into the middle ages. There preserved & much of it on exhibit were such artifacts as breech loading small cannon barrels laid out on the floor. Likewise were chopping blocks where necks were laid the moment before fall of the blade. Interesting the little cannon, about 3" bore, with a chamber of design like a deep beer mug but of iron that would be loaded with powder & ball, with the handle on the side, placed at the breech end & held in place by a wedge driven in against a framework extending from the barrel. With several of the breech-cups & a support crew it could fire several rounds per minute -- but I hever heard of such a thing happening -- only saw three or four on the floor. I recall a heading axe, a wide blade about 10" then about 4" wide up 8" to where the handle was fitted. Also a sword, blunt point, 4 foot blade & 14" handle; one of the choice of instruments, but not sure whose choice it was, the headsman or the headee --- just some of the scenery on the way to the gun collections.
A lot of long guns were on the walls, some easily in reach but pistols were in glass cases. The light wasn't all that good & camera flash wasn't allowed. Even so, I got info that was useful in the restoration work I was doing. I had bought a late 1600s doglock market gun, 60" barrel about 8 ga, with butt stock gone, only the barrel & lock present. I got into discussion with an employee who invited me into a store-room never seen by the public. Long guns standing side by side in racks, by the hundreds. I saw 6 or 8 seven barrel flintlock volley guns. I was shown what would have been a Kentucky rifle except for its monstrous size, tiger tail maple stock, patch box, etc. but a 5 foot barrel & .75 cal or more bore -- said to have been captured during the American Revolution & never known for what purpose it had been made. One of life's favors --- I had recently read a magazine article about such guns, six had been made to harass British ships in American rivers. A crew of two would man a rifle, fire a shot, maybe several hundred yards, at deck crew & immediately move to avoid certain cannon fire at their smoke position. I sent my escort a copy of the article. That opened the door to me for several later visits.
I wanted to make copies of some of their early pistols & would make an appointment. The piece was brought into the library where I could make my sketches, measurements, take the lock out, etc. but no photos. I would leave NY at 8 p.m. & get to the Tower by 9 a.m., do my work for couple hours. then back to the airport & NY by 8 p.m. This I did several times. At the time I did so much air travel I could sleep in flight.
The Tower had examples of arms collected in British wars & I learned from my friendly escort they did not have an example of the French 1733 military pistol. I had one & learned it might be possible the Tower to trade something for it. I was interested in a matchlock musket of which the Tower had several, all solid guns but rusty & maybe minor parts missing. I was told, if such a trade occured. there would be no paper work, only a pass to exit the Tower. There had been incidents of marketing a gun from the Tower, with its docs, at a major profit & embarrassment to Tower management.
I took my 1733 French pistol & my copy of a 1640 English pistol & was met by Mr. Howard Blackmore, in charge of Tower arms. They couldn't make the exchange altho my 1733 pistol would well complement their 1733 French carbine but no reason given. Blackmore was very complimentary of my 1640 copy, saying they have a lot of copy-visitors but only two who made anything in his opinion comparable to the original, of whom mine was one.
My copy of the Tower's 1640 English doglock. The 'dog' latch is seen where it can hook on the tail of the hammer as a safety at half cock. The flat next to the latch point is where the sear engages, seen just below peeping thru the lockplate ---->
A lot of long guns were on the walls, some easily in reach but pistols were in glass cases. The light wasn't all that good & camera flash wasn't allowed. Even so, I got info that was useful in the restoration work I was doing. I had bought a late 1600s doglock market gun, 60" barrel about 8 ga, with butt stock gone, only the barrel & lock present. I got into discussion with an employee who invited me into a store-room never seen by the public. Long guns standing side by side in racks, by the hundreds. I saw 6 or 8 seven barrel flintlock volley guns. I was shown what would have been a Kentucky rifle except for its monstrous size, tiger tail maple stock, patch box, etc. but a 5 foot barrel & .75 cal or more bore -- said to have been captured during the American Revolution & never known for what purpose it had been made. One of life's favors --- I had recently read a magazine article about such guns, six had been made to harass British ships in American rivers. A crew of two would man a rifle, fire a shot, maybe several hundred yards, at deck crew & immediately move to avoid certain cannon fire at their smoke position. I sent my escort a copy of the article. That opened the door to me for several later visits.
I wanted to make copies of some of their early pistols & would make an appointment. The piece was brought into the library where I could make my sketches, measurements, take the lock out, etc. but no photos. I would leave NY at 8 p.m. & get to the Tower by 9 a.m., do my work for couple hours. then back to the airport & NY by 8 p.m. This I did several times. At the time I did so much air travel I could sleep in flight.
The Tower had examples of arms collected in British wars & I learned from my friendly escort they did not have an example of the French 1733 military pistol. I had one & learned it might be possible the Tower to trade something for it. I was interested in a matchlock musket of which the Tower had several, all solid guns but rusty & maybe minor parts missing. I was told, if such a trade occured. there would be no paper work, only a pass to exit the Tower. There had been incidents of marketing a gun from the Tower, with its docs, at a major profit & embarrassment to Tower management.
I took my 1733 French pistol & my copy of a 1640 English pistol & was met by Mr. Howard Blackmore, in charge of Tower arms. They couldn't make the exchange altho my 1733 pistol would well complement their 1733 French carbine but no reason given. Blackmore was very complimentary of my 1640 copy, saying they have a lot of copy-visitors but only two who made anything in his opinion comparable to the original, of whom mine was one.
My copy of the Tower's 1640 English doglock. The 'dog' latch is seen where it can hook on the tail of the hammer as a safety at half cock. The flat next to the latch point is where the sear engages, seen just below peeping thru the lockplate ---->
