I visited a gun shop this morning, looking for a padded container for my new Mutiny figures, and bought a rifle case which should be able to hold most of them. It'll be heavy once loaded down with pewter, but beats the alternative.
Beyond that, I had a diverting talk with the proprietor, who specializes in historical collectibles and shares some of my interests. He kindly showed off two of his pieces: an 18th century Japanese matchlock and an 1893 Mauser.
 |
| The matchlock in my new case. |
 |
| The hexagonal barrel and decoration. |
 |
| More decoration, including the Imperial chrysanthemum. The slowmatch passes through the hole in front of the trigger... |
 |
| ... and through the hole above the flower in the lock, thence to the hammer and into the pan when the trigger is pressed. |
Sadly, my photos of the Mauser were crap, but the maker's mark was curious - a Jewish maker with a Star of David for the mark. The Mauser was for sale for $500 USD; that sounds surprisingly affordable for a century-old weapon! I will try to get better shots of it another time.
A profitable morning out!
That looks a very big case for your models. You must have a lot.
ReplyDeleteThe matchlock looks beautiful. The stock looks very short.
I did not quite get ALL the figs into it, over two hundred though, and it's not quite tight enough to lift by the handle without them sliding to the bottom - but it'll do.
Delete