05-11-2010, 12:46 AM
I was searching for a functional matchlock rifle circa 1550-1600. Toying with a Conquistadore armor thingie. I found one circa 1610 for around $530 not inculding shipping. I also looked for crossbows. circa 1500. What I found also was unexpected... The musket company will not ship any non-working, much less working matchlock to England because of a recent ban. This is specific mention and says for the rest of Europe, it is buyer responsibility to be in compliance with local ordinances. Also, no crossbow of over 1.5 kilo pull. Most of us know about the sword ban. Now a matchlock ban?
Here in New Mexico we can get working matchlocks, katana, and every sort of whatnot in the mail. (I exclude modern firearms from this post because they are, in fact, modern firearms.) The most recent criminal use of a matchlock, here to my knowledge, was a shoot out between the Govenor of New Mexico and the Franciscan prelate in the Santa Fe Plaza in 1613. It did cause a scandal. There is still a requirment of 1602 on the books for requiring a certain number of able bodied gentilemen to be equiped with "cotas con escarzelas" and "moriones con sus osbrevistas". The exact maning of "cotas" is uncertain and "moriones" seems to refer to a burgonet in this usage. The matchlock requirment is less clear except it must be in working order. When I get the state required armor, swords, and matchlock, I will refer to the ordinance when my wife blows a fit, since it is a legal requirment.
What on earth are you going to do if a group of Spanish reenactors decides to do a remake of the Spanish Armada?
Ralph
Here in New Mexico we can get working matchlocks, katana, and every sort of whatnot in the mail. (I exclude modern firearms from this post because they are, in fact, modern firearms.) The most recent criminal use of a matchlock, here to my knowledge, was a shoot out between the Govenor of New Mexico and the Franciscan prelate in the Santa Fe Plaza in 1613. It did cause a scandal. There is still a requirment of 1602 on the books for requiring a certain number of able bodied gentilemen to be equiped with "cotas con escarzelas" and "moriones con sus osbrevistas". The exact maning of "cotas" is uncertain and "moriones" seems to refer to a burgonet in this usage. The matchlock requirment is less clear except it must be in working order. When I get the state required armor, swords, and matchlock, I will refer to the ordinance when my wife blows a fit, since it is a legal requirment.
What on earth are you going to do if a group of Spanish reenactors decides to do a remake of the Spanish Armada?
Ralph
