Course:History 344 Nasty Families/Professions/Gunsmith
Gunsmithing
By the turn of the 17th century, hand-held firearms were no longer a rarity in the hands of both soldier and gentleman hunter alike. Muskets and arquebus' were complex and dangerous weapons that required the utmost of skill and attention to detail during their creation. In the 1600's, the mass production of firearms was unknown, so gunsmiths were highly specialized and respected craftsmen [1] whose work was sought out by the upper classes of English and French society in the form of hunting weapons. These recreational muskets were intricately decorated and heavily embellished as they were very expensive and served not only a utilitarian function but as a status symbol as well [2]. A skilled gunsmith was regarded very highly by his peers (BN: What social class would his peers be: his customers or fellow craftsmen?), for his craft was respected by kings and gentlemen alike [3].A gunsmith had to have abilities similar to a clockmaker, for the workings of the firing mechanism on early muskets was very intricate, as well as the understanding of metal that a blacksmith would have. The extended amount of time required to make a quality hunting firearm, from welding the barrel, turning the stock, and crafting the lock, meant that these items could be very expensive and gunmakers themselves often became wealthy gentlemen. This was in the same regard as lawyers however, while technically being gentleman, it was of a lower tier, and were usually of an artisan background rather than mass producer[4]. In times of war, private gunsmiths would be contracted by governments and mercenaries to produce arms for the military. Although armies of this time were predominately pikemen, specialist musketeers began to play a prominent role in warfare [5] to pierce the heavy armour of front rank pikemen. It should also be noted that firearms of the time were unreliable, a reason why they did not become the prominent weapon on the battlefield. They were prone to misfires, being inaccurate, and at times backfiring (an accident which could disfigure or kill the user). (BN: These two sentences could be moved to firearms) The French at this period had taken a role a country of well regarded gunsmiths.[6].
- ↑ Stephen V. Grancsay, “The Craft of the Early American Gunsmith,” The Metropolitan Museum of Art vol. 6 (1947): 54.
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ Ibid., 57.
- ↑ "Elements of military art and history" By Edouard La Barre Duparcq, Nicolas Édouard Delabarre-Duparcq, 1863
- ↑ Alan Williams, The Knight and the Blast Furnace : A History of the Metallurgy of Armour in the Middle Ages & the Early Modern Period, Boston: Brill (2003): 916.
- ↑ Ibid, Duparcq.