1620's Dutch Match Lock
Center fire, rim fire, cap lock, flintlock, and.....matchlock! You've probably owned and/or fired a firearm from each of these first four categories, but most have never even handled, much less fired, a weapon from the last category-the crude but elegant match lock. Now, thanks to the tireless efforts of Steve Krolick, we are pleased to offer this completely hand-made and historically accurate Dutch Match Lock Musket.
This match lock is brand new, Steve only finished it a few months ago and its been test-fired for safety and dependability. Steve built this monster musket to reflect the style of original Dutch muskets from around 1610. Match Locks like these would have been common place around Plymouth Plantation as some of the wealthier Pilgrims purchased arms from gunsmiths before sailing from Holland in 1620.
Steve built this matchlock completely by hand, and we do mean completely. The lock and all its components were filed and sawn from hunks of steel using the same methods as original gunsmiths. The stock was made from a blank, that's right, Steve hand shaped this beautiful walnut stock from a block of wood completely by hand. Steve also made the sights, the butt plate, the muzzle cap, the ramrod, and the ramrod holder all from scratch. The only component of this musket that wasn't built by Steve is the .62 caliber smoothbore from Colerain.