peashooter85:The Tschinke fowler,Popular in the 1600’s, a Tschinke fowler was a type of wheel-lock f
peashooter85:The Tschinke fowler,Popular in the 1600’s, a Tschinke fowler was a type of wheel-lock firearm specifically designed for hunting waterfowl such as ducks and geese. Mostly made in Poland, eastern Germany, the Czech kingdoms, Austria, and parts of Northern Italy, Tschinke fowlers were specially made to be lighter and easier to wield, making it more effective against aerial targets. Tschinkes typically feature a very short buttstock and a very long but light and slender barrel. The lock itself tends to be a very skeletonized version of other wheel-lock systems. Military muskets by contrast are very blocky and heavy, made for tough use on the battlefield. Tschinkes tend to be more delicate and graceful. Since firearms using wheel-lock mechanisms tend to be expensive to begin with, Tschinke’s were usually only reserved for the upper classes of society who could afford them. As a result, most Tschinke rifles tend to be heavily ornate and decorated to better reflect their owns wealth and prestige. -- source link