Beautiful 1625 Breechloading Wheellock

Cool Forgotten Weapons Merch! shop.bbtv.com/collections/forg...
Breechloading firearms did not become commonplace until the 1800s, but talented gunsmiths were experimenting with the concept and building custom breechloaders since virtually the very invention of firearms in the West. This is a magnificent example of an advanced German gun commissioned by a buyer of some wealth and taste in 1625.
It is a wheel lock hunting style musket with a trapdoor type breech. A spring loaded latch allows the breechblock to pivot out the side of the barrel, after which a handmade steel combustion chamber (cartridge case) can be inserted into the breech. This case would be preloaded with powder and ball, and has an indexing pin to align its flash hole with the hole in the barrel leading to the pan. After firing, the case is easily removed and replaced, allowing for quite rapid repeat firing.
The gun is also built with a double set trigger and both front and rear sights (not necessarily typical on guns of this time period). Clearly the original owner was someone who appreciated marksmanship!
/ forgottenweapons
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[@FantadiRienzo]

If someone got shot by this in the 17th century, his last thought was probably "wow, look at that"

[@Perktube1]

Ha ha, you're probably right.

[@IMN602]

"WOW, THATS AN INTERESTING RIFL...." BLAAAAAM!!!!!

[@LouisE-mp8lx]

Honestly. In 1625 when it was made, it was probably one of the most technologically advanced and elegant weapons in the world.

[@jamestheotherone742]

This wasn't a military weapon, nor was it used for dueling. It was a prestige piece that a rich man used to impress his friends/peers. Sort of like its still used today.

[@xxxxxx5868]

@@jamestheotherone742 This was probably a rich man's hunting rifle

[@Sprengi86]

It's mind-boggling to realize that we're looking at a firearm that's nearly 400 years old...

[@Peagaporto]

I wonder if they will look at guns today 400 years from now

[@1yoan3]

And that survived the Ally bombings of ww2, and all the wars Europe had during 400 years.

[@IMN602]

YOU'RE FLESH BETRAYS YOU

[@Blido]

The idea of a cartridge is almost as old as firearms. But engineers had to wait for the metallurgy to be at a sufficiently high level to ensure adequate strength and fitting of the elements. I guess this gun at it's time cost as much as the whole village including villagers :P

[@bartysp2599]

it has more history than the usa lol

[@TodayLifeIsGoood]

I am amazed just how far ahead it was for its time. -breechloading, you can comfortably load it while lying in cover -prepackaged cartridges, safely reload with the proper amounts, far lower chance of literally exploding in your face because of loading under great stress -precise trigger mechanism, better accuracy to make every shot count -functional sights, see earlier point

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

The way the cartridges work, with the firing hole and being of metal, basically makes them miniature front-loading barrels that get stuffed into a larger barrel. Actually a pretty smart idea

[@arg31ify]

The click on that breach block closing was just beautiful. 400 years old and the spring catch is still smoother and more solid than my gearbox 😂

[@semi-useful5178]

@@arg31ify Yup, they don't make things like they used to. Man, I'd kill for even an undecorated replica of that.

[@AlexandervanGessel]

@@HappyBeezerStudios Except for the fact that modern cartridges are considered (mostly) disposable and that they have an internal primer, that's barely any different from modern cartridges.

[@1337penguinman]

I'm guessing this was more for hunting than for fighting. A weapon you carried to war would be nowhere near that ornate and expensive.

[@sskuk1095]

Battlefield: 30 years war

[@lukylunacek7444]

And it would use candle powered red dot sight

[@Will-sq3ip]

Fire one shot Reload, wait at least 30 secs... Fire, and repeat.

[@willikins5095]

Battlefield: American civil war could be cool

[@neiljopling4693]

Hussite war wagons would be a must.

[@Rodelero]

I'd definitely play that.

[@TheEphemeris]

This might very well be my favorite gun ever featured on this show

[@aransmeallie5344]

Alex Smith even better than the double barreled revolver?

[@aransmeallie5344]

Nah The 20 shot pinfire

[@SergeantSniper]

This 17th century marvel is absolutely *gorgeous.*

[@fancyultrafresh3264]

I was just considering this.

[@jasoncarswell7458]

In terms of luxury Old World early firearms technology, this is easily the finest example I've ever personally seen. But I'm no expert. This thing is clearly a work of art, even for the period. I can't imagine the owner shooting it much.

[@MODNAR22]

Man... 1625. I didn't even imagine there were such things as set triggers and target sights back then. Marksmanship is an older discipline than I assumed.

[@MarikHavair]

The earliest cannons (predecessor to the small arm) date back the the 12/13th centuries. Which would be 1100 and 1200 respectively.

[@rickautry2759]

And one hell of a lot more difficult than it is today, I'd say!

[@kaylt.7864]

The term, often misplaced, "sniper", originated in the days of old in fact. A snipe is a small & skittish bird that was in high demand as far as luxury hunts go.

[@zenmastakilla]

^ American education, everyone.

[@Blido]

I guess this gun at it's time cost as much as the whole village including villagers :P

[@bnizzle8500]

By far the coolest gun you have ever shown . Looks like something out of league of extraordinary gentleman. What a beautiful piece of history.

[@cristianrosello997]

that's what I thought too! It feels too advanced for the time, seems fitting for a fantasy setting.

[@StergiosMekras]

or the Ring of Fire series... even if it's about half a decade early for that

[@boelwerkr]

The amount of ingenuity needed to create the tapered hole and a set of fitting cartridges. Back then there where no full metal lathes, no indexed tools, no constant-speed motors, no feeding, nothing we consider needed to do such thing. The best thing was a waterwheel powered iron reinforced hardwood lathe with preset tools. And for creating tapered blanks it had to be specially made. And to create a constant even taper they had to get it to size very carefully, so that the last passes have the same tool pressure all the way. For this at least two very skilled and experienced persons are needed to operate such lathe. Also a one flute reamer had to be made and hardened, without bending it, to bore the cavity for the cartridge in the barrel. All this had to be stupidly expensive. Alone the time to create all the needed tools, many of them with one time use only. And then the build itself. This is incredible that gun was made at all.

[@isaiahcampbell488]

I've seen a lot of reniassance era metalworkers doing their things. The KZbin Uri Tuchman has done this (just not with guns). There are some neat tricks to getting that taper. Look up how they used to make reniassance era pool cues uniform. They would hand carve a tapered v-shaped groove into a rectangular piece of wood that (depending on the part) could be fitted with a locator pin. Then based on the depth of the groove they would plane or more likely file, in this case, the piece of stock or tube flush to the top of the tapered groove. This was actually really repeatable but did depend highly on the workman's skill. Even then, for a long time after a Frenchman made the first engine lathe as we know it, the material was still turned down by hand using shapers rather than with using a fixed cutter in a tool post. The craftspeople of that era were top tier problem solvers. They used eye balls and gauges for a lot of things.

[@Antagraber]

This was a gun for kings or emperors.

[@Oberon4278]

How confident are you that this was made on a lathe rather than by a blacksmith or gunsmith just using a forge, hammer, and other tools, followed by filing / grinding / polishing / whatever? I don't know anything about the history of gunsmithing but I assumed the tapered cartridges would have been hammered out and then finished with hand tools.

[@theexchipmunk]

Eh, the greeks build mechanical computers 2000 years ago. Is an impressive feat, but not untypical. There basics of most modern technologies have been discover and used again and again, but before our times its was really never the time. Mostly because Slavery. Another thing Slavery ruined. If not for it we could have had a industrial revolution 1000-2000 or even more years ago.

[@theexchipmunk]

@Heyward Shepherd What? Being against slavery is not SJW. It was also just a throw away anecdote. Because historically it literally is one of the main reason human society was kept back. Because slave labour is cheap. Very cheap. And even if we had for the longest time no word for it, surly demand and money always dictated society. And the main reason for advances is to either make stuff cheaper or the payment for workers is "to much". The industrial revolution mostly got kicked of because of social developments. The reasons neither the Greek or Romans developed into industrial societies? No need. There was enough cheap labour, and by the time they could have and would have the empires were already braking apart. Its actually quiet interesting from a historical standpoint. Because you can see these "advanced" technologies pop up again and again, but it needed the right seedbed to really get going. And slavery was a main point of why it did not happen before. I am not just following some stupid ideologies that are in my eyes as fashist as the nazis. And to go off on a tangent, despite being not straight, I could fucking care less what these colourful lunatics have to say. I like my gay jokes just as much as any straight person because I am not thin skinned idiot who lives only for being "triggered". And while I have my left ideas, I would count myself in the moderate left. Meaning, one still can have reasonable discussions with me without devolving into a retarded screaming match. So, maybe we leave politics out and keep to the more interesting topics. There is a diverse amount of technologies we connect to the modern times but are actually pretty old in concept. The first steam engines and the Antiquerra Mechanism are just a few. The Bagdad battery is a strong indictor for the discovery of electricity in relatively early times. There is more, like the Indian temples being partially produced on gigantic lathes to produce the perfectly round and complex shaped pillars hundreds of years ago. The wore we discover about the past the more hints we find that it truly was just a special convergence of sociological, political and economical factors that came together in a sort of perfect storm that catapulted us into the current industrial age. Because sings get more common that it could have kicked of at a lot of points during history.

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

1:56 A rare moment where Ian _doesn't_ have a word for something

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

I think you call something like that an overlay

[@jagervw]

TheGoldenCaulk - It would be described as open fretwork or grillwork.

[@thegoldencaulk2742]

jagervw Yeah, that looks about right

[@Aggrop0p]

My first thought was filigree, but wiki tells me that only applies to metal "lace" that was soldered together. This overlay was drilled/cut to make the holes, which would make it ajoure.

[@Cash_Basis]

Yeah Ian has become a hack fraud.

[@TroopperFoFo]

Holy F the smith that made that was amazing.

[@realhorrorshow8547]

Imagine if you could borrow a TARDIS and put something like an AK on his workbench. I believe he could copy it. What then?

[@pdeicke]

do you speak Hennebergisch?^^

[@majan6267]

@@realhorrorshow8547 Well you would have to tell him about how to manufacture smokeless powder

[@mesinovict6316]

@@J_1791 early modern german was in the 1500s,so you would be able to mostly understand but a little bit of words would be harder to understand/comprehend

[@arg31ify]

@@realhorrorshow8547 I dont think he could. Even if he made it exactly the steels of the time just wouldn't withstand the forces at the same dimensions. An ak built using thier machines and metallurgy would be closer to a space marine bolter in size 😂

[@frofrozzty]

Not only is this a feat of engineering for it's time, it is truly stunning and a work of art. This was obviously crafted for someone very wealthy and important

[@ILikeToLaughAtYou]

This gentleman was 270 years before his time with the breech-loading mechanism and self-contained cartridges...

[@mikeyunovapix7181]

Not really self-contained as it still relied on external priming. This is closer to the pre civil war sharps rifle that used a combustible paper cartridge and a percussion cap. It eventually used metallic cartridges with said external cap. So it took around 200 years give or take to turn an expensive design into something that can be mass produced.

[@JackPhoenixCz]

Some of the earliest cannons were breechloaders, all the way back in 14th century, but had a tendency to explode due to poor technology at the time, so they were mostly replaced by muzzle-loading guns. This is basically a miniaturization of a technology that was about 250 years old at that point... though that of course doesn't make this piece any less awesome.

[@ILikeToLaughAtYou]

@@JackPhoenixCz While true, I have some serious doubts that the designer of this firearm had any knowledge of those ancient designs when he was creating this one.

[@Specter_1125]

@@ILikeToLaughAtYouthey wouldn’t have been ancient. There would’ve been a decent chance they’d still be floating around in arsenals the same way earlier weapons of any other type were. Even if they weren’t, knowledge used to make something like that is almost always built on what came before.

[@trolleriffic]

Centuries later a descendent of the guy who designed this masterpiece created the G11...

[@TheRomanRuler]

Never expected to see gun made in Holy Roman Empire here. Really impressive weapon.

[@Jemmartin]

I'm not surprised the Germans over-engineered stuff even 400 yrs back.

[@scottydu81]

Holy Roman Empire: None Of Those Words Fit

[@wafiqnasna4638]

@@scottydu81 maybe its seculare german bunch of principalities

[@CrizzyEyes]

@@scottydu81 "We Wuz Charlemagne N' Shiet."

[@christianx8494]

@@wafiqnasna4638 There was a great deal of rivalry between the German high aristocrats. If they were local rulers they wanted to have a court that equaled the others, a court theater that was as good as the other ones, a university that attracted scholars and students, and so on and so on. One may follow that 19th century myth that all these principalities weakened the German Empire as a nation because their jealousy and "centrifugal powers" prevented a strong central power, but that is just one side of the medal, as we say. All that meant that culture and high arts were distributed widely and not concentrated at one spot, relying on one monarch only.

[@elchefe7701]

1625 ad, 7 years into the 30-Year's-War...

[@ILikeToLaughAtYou]

The Mayflower landed at Plymouth less than 5 years before the first measurements of materials for this rifle would be made.

[@Jsay18]

Some say the engraving has a single sentence, but many disagree what it says. The most popular two are "This Gun Kills Papists" and "This Gun Kills Luther's"

[@amitabhakusari2304]

Imagine being in a group of highwaymen trying to kidnap some nobles and then...

[@jabloko992]

...and then you actually kidnap them, because the guy with the 17th century machine gun left it home because it's too expensive to carry around like that.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

It is easy as you as the highwayman have money to order this kind of weapon and can expect to use it in your work.

[@sirrivet9557]

Except there’s four of you and he has one shot. And it misses. Then you just steal the gun because it’s more valuable than the nobles

[@Valivali94]

@@sirrivet9557 I would very much assume a man that could afford a gun like that would also have a few guys with him that were somewhat more capable than the average highwayman. It would probably be the equivalent of the average gangbangers vs ex special forces mercenaries.

[@StarHunter28]

I can only wonder how much this sold for

[@Sam-xd9xt]

Without having seen the winding mechanism: the way this gun is build seems like it had durability in mind as well. Since it doesn't look as complex as the other custom smithed guns of this type. For example, the latch that takes most of the impact (I think) looks easily reproduced and replaced. Think it's safe to say this individual piece deserves its own Wikipedia page lol

[@RazorsharpLT]

Damn, the breech loading cartridge system was truly ahead of it's time. If only they could have simplified the entire gun, and made these "cartridges" like magazines for modern infantry (you get 5 each, if you lose one it's bad but you won't go broke) and.... well, replaced the wheel lock with a flint lock - this gun could have made the entire 18th century a LOT more interesting in the warfare aspect. I mean - it's not that expensive. You would preload the cartdiges before battle, and if you run out - you just load a cratridge instead of the gun, which is still much faster and more simpler than loading the entire gun again. That would have increased the price of a musket by at least 2x but i would rather have 2x less troops armed with these than 2x more armed with smoothbore muskets. You could win a battle in 5 shots with these.

[@coldnorwegian4716]

Van Helsing called. He wants his custom werewolf & vampire hunting rifle back. Jokes aside, that is a beautiful piece of engineering. A work of art really.

[@langbo9999]

That guns with a silver ball ready to destroy Dracula and The Wolf Man.

[@thelaughinghyenas7962]

Ian, Oh my Lord, that is the time traveler's gun. That is incredible, and it is in unbelievably beautiful condition. Thank you very much for bringing us this one.

[@Timeward76]

That is the type of gun that becomes a family heirloom and trophy, that is cherished, stored safely, kept clean and preserved, and restored, for centuries, because of the story behind it.

[@Kanoshe]

literally why else would he put the date on it? it legitimately looks like someone like ian went back in time and threw that date on it just to flex. are we even sure it's real?

[@secretbaguette]

If Doc Brown got stuck in the 1600s.

[@Mr-Trox]

@@Kanoshe Nah, if Ian got sent back to the 1600s, he'd probably have invented the Chassepot or the Gras. This is just your standard time traveller's gun.

[@Lardum]

@@Mr-Trox Thise rifles would be impossible to create at that time. The fact this thing was thought up much less designed at the time it was is just mindbogglingly absurd and wonderful. The craftsmanship it took to create the cartridges must have been something else

[@exuberance3973]

Just for reference to further show how incredibly special this piece is. It survived a great chunk of the Holy Roman Empire from 1625 to 1806. Survived the Napoleonic wars, then survived Otto Von Bismark’s Germany Unification. The Great War, The Second World War, all the way without having a scratch. Until we see it here in the 21st century

[@Fuerwahrhalunke]

And I don't think the compatriot that built this gun ever thought of having it be owned by enemies.

[@architech8107]

​@@Fuerwahrhalunke What?

[@andrewgesch4884]

This is quite possibly the most beautiful and impressive gun I've ever seen. especially given it's age and the machine work required to make it. For being basically 400 years old this is in incredible condition and the temptation to shoot it for me would be real.

[@MichaelJenkins910]

"This item was pulled from the auction" . . . just in time to keep Jenkins from making a truly bad life choice.

[@staguar]

brb, selling a kidney so that I can bid on this work of art

[@MichaelBerthelsen]

staguar Won't be enough...

[@HadToChangeMyName_YoutubeSucks]

better sell both of them.

[@MarvinCZ]

I hope you've still got some kidneys, the gun was pulled from the auction.

[@iNNeRKaoS]

AAAAND it's gone. Pulled from the auction.

[@staguar]

oh crap, does anyone know where I can find a video about how to put a kidney back where it came from?

[@ElliotNesterman]

FYI, the brass openwork over the lock plate is in the sort of pattern that is usually called strapwork. This was a very popular type of decoration in the later Renaissance.

[@EllAntares]

The sun-shaped inlaid on the cheek is also quite typical, isn't it?

[@shaunohare3004]

This is not a mere gun. It's an absolute work of art!

[@benm5913]

Love these types of firearms. Thanks Ian, more early arms please.

[@AtomicPeacenik]

Ben M I agree! My favorite episodes are always the early/prototype self loading rifles and bolt action service rifles but it would be really cool to see a few more really early examples of firearms a bit more often here and there. I believe in one of Ian's Q&A's he mentioned he has a preference for firearms after the advent of metallic cartridges. Great episode by the way! I can't wait to see what this goes for at auction.

[@justagi119]

Ben M It would be nice if Ian stumbled apon a medieval handcannon.

[@trevorstewart3904]

I'd love to see more early arms as well. I come to Ian's channel mostly for the history, and his explanations of how/why/when certain technical innovations (and sometimes dead-ends, odd wanderings) occurred. The actual bit about guns is somewhat secondary (to me)

[@OldWillieSherman]

But can you put a red dot on it?

[@geraldford8255]

The Battlefield team is asking themself that question right now :D

[@Bladsmith]

Battlefield 1600 will have this weapon as the standard-issue sniper rifle. The standard weapons will be fully automatic.

[@mikeblair2594]

?

[@dylangreen9819]

"But does it take glock mags?"

[@kaylt.7864]

Only after a guy wins the auction

[@ex1tium]

That thing is a piece of art in its purest form. 400 year old master piece.

[@langbo9999]

A very beautiful gun 👍🏼

[@steztoyz]

This is an amazing piece. I hope it went to a museum where it can be properly cared for and displayed.

[@gosonegr]

Absolutly amazing, even more if you think they made that thing with hammers, files and not much more

[@1r0zz]

And forging equipment, wood working equipment, scalpels, probably a jeweler worked on that too... This gun wasn't surely made by a guy in a shack, it was high production with heavy use of tooling...

[@scotthaddad563]

1r0zz and multiple trades were involved in the creation of this piece. A “collaboration” so to speak.

[@1r0zz]

@@scotthaddad563 yeah, obviously. the price of the gun at the time probably was higher than a small living quarter.

[@Slowrider8]

Was it pulled from the auction because the seller decided to take that beauty back?

[@mustangmckraken1150]

Wouldn't blame them that gun is gorgeous

[@Greensleeve11]

Doubtful. I've seen records of a couple of other muskets of this style from the same time period. Including ones with the replaceable cartridges and all.

[@Spearfisher1970]

My guess would be some government (Spain?) claiming this treasure was one of their national treasures, and thus it was pulled until it could be verified.

[@zed-xr4353]

It's possible they got an outside offer that either eclipsed the estimated auction price or simply decided that a guaranteed price of $XXX was better than the possible auction price of $YYY.

[@ironvader502]

Spearfisher1970 Why spain? It's a German gun.

[@jeremyj.5687]

This is one of the most beautiful pieces of technology I have seen in my entire life... Stunning.

[@michellewilt4479]

This is something I absolutely want a modern reproduction of. I've always been fascinated by old firearms, as has my father who has a flintlock rifle that we all love, and I'd love to show up with this beauty and see his reaction to it.

[@airconditioner84]

so cool im just imagining the guy who built this using his hand tools and all the hours that it took to do it it is amazing.

[@TheHaighus]

It is quite likely this was constructed by several specialist craftsmen, each one a master in their field, and a gunsmith in overall control of fitting the thing together.

[@robertdevito5001]

@@TheHaighus that's what I was thinking the whole video, they still do that today, with knives at least, because some people can drop $15,000 on a folder with a 2 and 3/4 inch blade lol.

[@babakzekibi315]

Very advanced and very very nice rifle. Thanks a lot Ian

[@pablolezgar]

im gonna be a pedantic one here, but its not a rifle, its a smooth bore, so its just a gun

[@d4rkhound388]

Something tells me the original owner would give a rifled wheel lock a good run for it's money.

[@trentrubenacker9718]

D4RKHOUND Something tells me that if I ever own a time machine, my first stop is to have a stout German beer with this gun's original owner and my second stop is to go shooting with him.

[@ironmatic1]

+DSC It’s also not a “gun” because it doesn’t require a crew to operate.

[@FakeSchrodingersCat]

Not necessarily. What we can tell is the gunsmith was very good and inventive but it is entirely possible that the guy who bought it couldn't shoot and just wanted as a curiosity and for looks the only real thing you can tell about the owner was he was very rich. But just like these days the quality of the gun does not actually indicate the skill of the shooter.

[@hugebartlett1884]

Somebody years ahead of his time designed that rifle. Somebody who was incredibly advanced in mechanics. Almost a "repeater" rifle in its time. Just look at the exquisite workmanship,which itself must have cost a fortune. Only a millionaire could have afforded such a project. I wonder if it was ever fired.

[@victoria-renevazquez3652]

Absolutely the most beautiful firearm I've ever seen.

[@witeshade]

wow, most guns we have seen with that much engraving and decoration have descended deep into gaudy territory, but this one somehow managed to keep it super classy. I can't even begin to fathom trying to make that without proper electric machine tools. that's amazing

[@elektro3000]

One of the most beautifully handcrafted firearms I've ever seen. I'm amazed at how much design AND fabrication work got put into a piece that was clearly built to be used. The owner could have commissioned a simple matchlock and had all of the same decoration if he just wanted a wallhanger, but he chose to put all of that on a gun he was presumably going to take hiking through the woods. At least I suppose a man of such wealth would have gone hunting with a second man carrying the firearm in a protective case and handing him pre-loaded cartridges.

[@mikeyunovapix7181]

Most likely was owned by a baron or duke.

[@mcchuggernaut9378]

God, that thing is BEAUTIFUL. Might be in private hands now, but I bet it ends up in a museum some day.

[@InvidiousIgnoramus]

What an obscenely exquisite gun, absolutely astounding craftsmanship.

[@TheArklyte]

For some reason, after watching this, I'm more interested in a person who've comissioned it then in a gun itself:D The gun is brilliant for it's time though. Hopefully people will appreciate it. Pity it's not rifled too though. For it's time it would have been...

[@erebostd]

These where the service guns for the nautilus ;-)

[@secretbaguette]

No, that would've been too op

[@TheArklyte]

@@secretbaguette that's why the phrase "with a year, small fortune and workforce on a small jewelry workshop" exists as argument against for every alternate reality story where someone ends up in medieval times like Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. You can make such a gun because you know how, but getting proper equipment and precision made parts would take you a lifetime of work and budget of minor nation:D

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

A well made smoothbore with a tight fitting round ball is capable of surprisingly good accuracy, easily capable of killing game the size of deer and wild boar at 100 yards or more.

[@TheArklyte]

@@georgesakellaropoulos8162 the point isn't accuracy itself, but rather going all out in terms of technology and price. Gun in the video is basically a railgun considering the era it came from. It would be seen as advanced enough even during Napoleonic Wars.

[@unclesam5230]

When the Holy Roman Empire makes guns art you know it’s a good piece of historical art.

[@nateharder2286]

The three-dimensional fancy bit over the lock is called "overlay"

[@Darkspace.]

This is a great example of why and how guns can be an art. Just look at the decoration of this wheellock! It's also a good example of the sort of gentlemanly and civilized fighting in Europe of the time.

[@edim108]

Whoever made this in XVII century was an absolute GENIUS! Immagine the rate of fire of this thing compared to other guns at that time. It would have been like a machinegun compared to a bolt action. The fact that this gun is 400 years old and looks THIS good really tells you a lot about the craftsmanship that went into making it as well as the price of it when it was brand new... That's a beautiful piece of history right there.

[@terrorfire8505]

When they actually put their heart and soul into designing weapons

[@ariswitty99]

393 years old and still beautiful

[@Vecorix]

I've been looking at 16th and 17th century wheel lock arquebuses (want to get one commissioned potentially) and I think this is my dream gun

[@mgwwaite1]

The future owner of this piece of art is a lucky man, I wish a museum would buy it to put on display, this may be the most beautiful firearm your channel has ever shown. Thank you!

[@MrMatte0000]

This gun is nearly 400 years old, absolutely mind-boggling

[@mattrenner9215]

Wow what a amazingly modern peice of technology for the 1600s

[@killgora1]

A stunning piece. Just imagine. This could have possibly been used in the 30 years war. It is more likely it was purely used for hunting and other sporting purposes, but you never know.

[@theshinken]

You know. It's not often that I watch the same Forgotten Weapons vid twice in a row because it's awesome, but this one I watched three times.

[@1madmaxx80]

What an incredible piece! Such craftsmanship.

[@foxzerox1000]

I still consider this one of the most beautiful guns ever made

[@Drelam]

That metal side plate with the blue and gold styling is truly beautiful. The condition and craftsmanship of this firearm is just crazy considering its age.

[@Noluckman]

That is the most beautiful gun I've ever seen. The craftsmanship is ridiculously amazing. The gun itself is also awesome, the whole double trigger system, breach loading system, its all beautiful.

[@YCCCm7]

An absolute masterpiece, nothing short. Brilliant in every regard.

[@slayeroffurries1115]

Man, muskets, early rifles and flintlock weapons in general fascinates me more than any other kind of weapons

[@pubcle]

That's a masterwork. Gorgeous piece of art and excellent engineering.

[@majormassenspektrometer]

That's what should mean "Made in Germany". Beautiful handcrafted rifle. I guess those multi-colored inlays come from clamshells and the white inlays are ivory?

[@TheCorship]

Funny how the englishmen invented the label "made in germany" to defame german goods back then.

[@Sundara229]

TheCorship the brits were refering to the things made in german manufactories. The term came up in the late 19th century, 250 years after this gun was made.

[@kralle-uw9mc]

Such Inlays usually were made from cattle bone.

[@494Farrell]

beautiful but not a rifle.

[@angelinawhatsherface5907]

The decorative shrooms one with a halo the other scribed in fire was a beautiful touch almost telling a story those guys were tripping hard on shrooms and probably found out some shrooms can kill anyway very indicative of the renaissance and their technological advancements stunning

[@DarkGuardsman]

Why do they not teach about these kind of master pieces in history class. These are just amazing and hit home how long technology like this has existed.

[@krystofcisar469]

Because thats a prototype. And even in europe we dont learn about historical wafare in regular history classes :D

[@kmoney4648]

This guy was centuries ahead of his time

[@NGorso1]

I can't possibly imagine the owner not being insanely popular back then

[@JobiWanification]

This is one of the most beautiful pieces I've ever seen on this channel. The detail and functionality of this firearm makes me insanely curious about the history of the person who had it made.

[@PulpComic]

"This dude was heeled", awesome!

[@nicholaspatton5590]

The commissioner strolled into a shop and demanded of the craftsman "I desire to be heeled." The craftsman, looking the man up and down replied "And heeled you shall be."

[@no1DdC]

It's doubly funny, perhaps not unintentionally, since wealthy men (like the one who commissioned this gun) wore high heels back then. Only in the 18th century, women began to take interest in these kinds of shoes, but they were worn by men until the beginning of the 19th century, with heels slowly going out of fashion starting with the French revolution.

[@KalHadden]

I keep coming back to this video. This is one really neat rifle, and to me says we knew very early on what it would take to get really accurate, but we were limited by the technology of the time. We dreamed big, even when we were still banging rocks together.

[@AndyBonesSynthPro]

That's probably the most gorgeous weapon I've ever seen. I'm no expert, but that thing is exquisite

[@RZombie45]

this is actually one of the most beautiful firearm I’ve ever seen!

[@jacobkeltz3584]

This thing is absolutely exquisite. I can't imagine how much it must've cost and the effort to produce such a device. Super cool

[@martykitson3442]

Obviously a master work of the gunmaker's art

[@Stupetin]

This video kept blowing my mind every 20 seconds. I had no idea there were firearms like that in the 1600's

[@l.b8896]

That is by far one of the most beautiful works of art I've ever seen.

[@SubZero_NH3]

It would be really cool to interview the guy that shot this rifle and see how he used this gun and his ideas of good marksmanship. He had to have been a supreme rifleman in his day.

[@DeltaOps3]

This is probably the most amazing gun ive ever seen, bar none. Designer was a mad man

[@Donnerbalken28]

I can only imagine what kind of person actually had the money to afford such a gun in the 17th century. A gun this exquisite, not to mention the skill the gunsmith that made this had, would cost a considerable amount of money. There were Lords in the HRE that couldn't afford this things.

[@Donnerbalken28]

@Char Aznable I'm honestly not sure if this was in the possession of one of the minor lords of the HRE, which, at the time, was going thorugh the 30 year war (If the 1625 is to be believed)

[@MrWeedWacky]

this has to be one of the most amazing guns I have ever seen.

[@lordcherrymoore5252]

Of all the times we've said "that belongs in a museum" on this channel, this is the one time we really mean it.

[@tarintheis9198]

I just want hi-res pics of this things to stare at and admire for hours but they no longer seem to exist ANYWHERE on the internet

[@sxmxxx]

My favorite weapon Ian has ever covered on this channel! Its immaculate.

[@ALegitimateYoutuber]

Beautiful gun in both looks and design, the craftsman that made this truly knew his stuff for the time. Also thank you Ian for sharing such stuff, because a lot of these things we just wouldn't see if not thanks to you.

[@diktatoralexander88]

When we torture testing it Ian?

[@junkoenoshima6129]

Oh god, just the thought of that made me get anxious. I've never seen a more beautiful firearm in all my life.

[@MrHalonoob117]

Diktator Alexander mud test?

[@trentrubenacker9718]

If you try to torture test that gun, I will go buy a Mosin Nagant and beat you senseless with it.

[@matthewstoddart3552]

Anyone even thinks about doing that should be shot with this.

[@CharlieFoxtrot]

@@trentrubenacker9718 that's about all it was good for

[@mcnuggieguy]

1625. Beyond incredible, truly emotional

[@eanschaan9392]

Whoever made this gun is someone that I appreciate in a deeper way than can be understood.

[@nicholaspatton5590]

Damn this is tasteful! Bone inlay AND there is a dragon by where the powder is ignited! Damn. Beautiful.

[@drgeoffangel5422]

Masterpiece of engineering for the time. A few words of well worn wisdom; " if you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it"; I am sure that this weapon was to the original owner something he loved to look at and use, and was his pride of joy. However, it still remains today 400 years later and has probably changed hands many times, so: " you can't take it with you" The skilled workmen of this piece, they too are long dead, but their work remains as an everlasting testament to their skills and craftmanship. The true value of this historic weapon, and the personal history of the gunsmiths who made it, the owner who commissioned it, and its successive ownership until present day, would itself be a good story to tell. The lifeline of the weapon and the lives it touched, or should I say, the lives of the persons who touched the weapon, the historical inheritance of a now silent long forgotten weapon.

[@IRMentat]

That’s one hell of a piece of workmanship and engineering.

[@noahboat580]

Whoever owned this gun was one strapped man! Having a ball and gunpowder preloaded is quite something, and i wouldnt doubt that gun today is one of the best examples in the world for early breechloaders

[@bigdking1992]

So beautiful, and such amazing technology for the day.

[@jagervw]

$$$$ art disguised as a firearm- stunning German craftsmanship.

[@robertrobert7924]

Saw many such pieces in Denmark museum collection. Most were made for the King of Denmark. The action looks like the ancestor of the Snider breech loading rifle.

[@eoinkenny3188]

The precision forging on all the small details of this gun leaves me speechless. Then add on all the gorgeous detailing. I wouldn't be surprised if it cost the equivalent of a million in today's terms.

[@DaveLennonCopeland]

Hey, Ian. Fab' video with the exquisite wheellock rifle, amazing craftsmanship, and innovative, A forgotten weapon for sure. I hope that you get the chance to do more vid's like this... thanks for showing it to us.

[@djwoody1649]

This gun looks like it was made last year, someone has taken super good care of this!

[@Beencheeling]

The gun is in such a good condition, and it's 400 years old, very beautiful, and so cool

[@marting3243]

This is like the type of gun that a time travell will make

[@ryangis431]

I love how people had the patients and the talent to be able to create artwork as great as that.

[@MexieMex]

Wow, this is stunning! I've always had a bit of a thing for wheellocks, but this one is gorgeous.

[@canonyos]

The craftsmanship and technology for its time is incredible and top quality but the engraving with bone wood and metal that is a genius fine piece of art This gun truly a master piece of craftsmanship, art and technology

[@deltawolf7766]

I find this weapon amazing because it comes off as a tactical design for accuracy and more shots depending on number of loads at the ready. Whoever had this in mind durring that era was ahead of the game.