[stev32k]

Wonder if anyone can identify these.

 

[Airborneguy]

Wow! Amazing if they are real!

 

[stev32k]

They are definitely real and genuine. Here is a close up of some -

 

[stev32k]

Here is another tease -

 

[rcairflr]

I guess it's just me, but anytime I see something that's too good to be true, it usually is. You almost never find anything old in that good of shape, much less that many of them.

I don't know anything about them, but if I was betting, I would say they are replicas

 

[WHSmithIV]

WHERE DID YOU FIND THESE? Holy Cow! More appropriate would be "Holy Firearms Batman"....

If those are all real, and from the pics I'm making a guess that they are real then, they are likely worth somewhat more than a small fortune. I suggest you get in touch with Christies for an auction.

Each and every one of those pieces will need to be verified. The pistols may very well be replicas but those long guns don't look like they are.

 

[wonderwhippet]

It looks like the shipping department of a souvenir factory.

 

[Alpo]

Nice wheel locks. And the keys hung on the rack are a nice touch.

I'm not thinking "souvenirs" or "replicas". I'm thinking some European museum.

 

[carver]

I've only seen guns like these, and in these numbers, in museums.

 

[Airborneguy]

I'm guessing they aren't his. Barring a major inheritance, anyone who owned such a collection would know a lot about it.

 

[WHSmithIV]

They certainly aren't Steve's. He's asking and took the pics either a) because he just inherited them, b) because it's an estate and he thinks he'd like to buy them or c) he's trying to help out the family/estate who owns them now.

It certainly is a museum quality collection no matter how you look at it. Museums do not like to pay anything though to have exhibits. They want them donated. I know this from a 300 year old painting I have that the Maritime Museum Curator in Greenwich, England was kind enough to research for me. I still have my painting and it was painted in around 1760 defined by the flags on the ships and the unusual name given to the painting which was written on the back.

Whatever this is, it is a major find and if it in a museum then it's a museum going bankrupt. Looks like it's in someone's home though. Steve was allowed to take close up picks of those wheel locks.

I have seen guns like these in private museums. There are a number of such gun museums in Finland and my ex-wife used to get all PO'd at me when I would stop to look. Maybe that's why my youngest son became a Gunners Mate.

Whatever the origin of these pictures is, I would like to know. If they are to be sold, I would like to help get them sold at the best price that they can get. I'll do that for free. The auction house that sells them certainly won't - they will take a commission.

I would like to see some pictures of a few of those pistols that are identical but not identical. Any marking on those barrels will be consistent but, they would not be in the exact same spot unless they were made with much more modern factory technology than was available at the time if they are original. They are not identical for sure and that suggests that each one was hand made.

 

[stev32k]

OK guys, I'm just messing with you. These are in the Austrian Imperil Armory in Graz, Austria. They were made from about 1560 - 1600 AD and were made to equip an Austrian army of 40,000, but were never used.

I lived in Graz for 9 months and got to visit the armory several times. They don't normally allow photographs, but I got special permission. Here are several more. First the armored division. They had 200 heavy horse

 

[gvw3]

Looks as if it may be the Beretta private collection in Italy.

 

[WHSmithIV]

Steve dude, please don't do that to us. You just wasted a lot of my time.

 

[stev32k]

Back then when they said heavy infantry they meant HEAVY INFANTRY--Notice the pot guts on some of the armor LOL.

 

[Twicepop]

I'm not an authority, and I don't play one on TV. Several years back my brother came back from a trip to Turkey with what was sold to his as a 19th century peperbox percussion revolver. He took it to a reputable gunsmith to have it checked over to see if it would be safe to fire it. Upon examination they found out that the cylinder was only bored about half the depth it should have been. They also found the the nipples screwed into dead end holes with no flash hole in them. Further checking by him and the gunsmith they found that there is/was a cottage industy producing fake antiques for export and unsuspecting tourists. The gun he bought turned out to be one of them. I can't or won't say these are in that catagory, but as the one post said....if it appears to be to good to be true, it probably is.

 

[stev32k]

Steve dude, please don't do that to us. You just wasted a lot of my time.

Sorry I wasted your time. I won't do it again.

 

[Airborneguy]

I don't see what about the original posts would have made someone rush out to start setting up a market for these. Obviously that collection is priceless. No owner of a collection like that would be looking for prices on a web forum.

 

[siplace]

I don't see what about the original posts would have made someone rush out to start setting up a market for these. Obviously that collection is priceless. No owner of a collection like that would be looking for prices on a web forum.

Priceless is the size of it.

I am a member of the SCA. Society for Creative Anachronism. We are the wack jobs that dress up in armor go out into a field somewhere and beat the crap out of each other with PVC pipes wrapped in tinfoil. It's a lot like paint ball but up close and personal. The site of the worlds largest medieval battle reenactment ( Pennsic ) is about 10 minutes from my house.

I'm not an arms expert but I do know that each one of those suits of human armor would sell for between $10,000 and $20,000. If we say $10,000 and multiply that by 40,000 full suits then just the human suits of armor are worth $400,000,000.00 I have no idea what a full horse armor would be worth.

The rest of this is just general information and not specific to the pics or this collection.

The suits weigh between 75 and 100 pounds and there are many myths about them. The most prevalent one being that a knight once knocked onto his back was helpless to roll over and get back into the battle. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Wearing 100+ pounds of steel and carrying another 50 to 75 pounds of weapons and shield these warriors were agile, mobile, and hostile. Regular training regime included running 5 miles in full armor. Running a confidence course including scaling a tall wall, rope climbing, monkey bars, and balance logs. Also in full armor. In general a Knight in armor was expected to be able to nip up from a prone position and mount a horse with out use of stirrup or saddle. Their strength and stamina were unreal. No one in the NFL is in better shape than these guys were. Many wore the armor all the time even sleeping in it. Only taking it off for the bath or... Well you figure out why else they might want it off. That is what the Ladies in Waiting were waiting for. For Sir Knight to get undone.

Awesome collection.

The armor of the higher Nobility would often be engraved or embossed and inlaid with gold.



These guys were bada55.

 

[Airborneguy]

That's insane to think of. Makes me feel softer than cotton candy!