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 AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK AMERICAN MILITARY SHOULDER ARMS, VOL. I BY MOLLER
LOT 3087
Documented Late 17th Century French Matchlock Musket - NSN, 72 cal., 43 1/2 inch part octagon bbl., bright finish, hardwood stock. This musket is pictured and
discussed on pages 37-38 of “American Military Shoulder Arms, Volume I: Colonial and Revolutionary War Arms” by George D. Moller. The toe has a “GDM” Moller collection mark. He notes, “This musket generally resembles the French military matchlock muskets
  AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK AMERICAN MILITARY SHOULDER ARMS, VOL. I BY MOLLER
 LOT 3088
Documented Germanic Wheellock Musket with Combination Spanner/
Powder Measure - NSN, 74 cal., 48 inch part octagon bbl., bright finish, walnut stock.
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
        described and illustrated by St. Remy in his Memoires d’Artillerie, published in 1697.” It utilizes a crossbow style “tickler” lever trigger and has a “trigger lock” that has the trigger acting against a spring that automatically brings the serpentine back away from the pan when the trigger is released. The lock
has a rounded profile, a pronounced teat at the tail, and a manually opened pan cover with a fence. The smoothbore barrel is two-stage and has a simple girdle at the transition point. The breech section is inscribed with “NEVFCHASTEL” in large letters on
top behind a v notch dovetail mounted rear sight, and the round section has a simple blade front sight set back from the muzzle. Moller indicates the underside of the barrel has a Suhl control mark on the bottom. Moller references the multiple “Neuchatels” of France as potential locations for this musket’s use.
CONDITION: Very good with mottled gray and brown patina on the metal, a few cracks and repairs in the stock, some flakes absent at the edges, and mild overall wear. The ramrod has pinned repairs, and the pipes are later replacements. Mechanically excellent.
Provenance: The George Moller Collection.
Estimate: 7,500 - 12,000
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.
CONDITION: Good with silver-gray patina and mild pitting. The partially restored/conserved stock is fair and has mild insect damage, a dark finish, some repairs and filled holes, and some cracks and flakes. Mechanically untested. The spanner is good with dark patina and mild wear. Wheellocks were not widely used for military arms making muskets like this particularly rare and desirable.
Provenance: The George Moller Collection.
Estimate: 4,500 - 6,500
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