Kalthoff repeater

The Kalthoff repeater was a type of repeating firearm that was designed by members of the Kalthoff family around 1630, and became the first repeating firearm to be brought into military service. At least nineteen gunsmiths are known to have made weapons following the Kalthoff design. Some early Kalthoff guns were wheellocks, but the rest were flintlocks. The capacity varied between 5 and 30 rounds, depending on the style of the magazines. A single forward and back movement of the trigger guard, which could be done in 1–2 seconds, readied the weapon for firing. The caliber of Kalthoff guns generally varied between 0.4–0.8 in (10–20 mm), though 0.3 in (7.6 mm) caliber examples also exist.

Origin and production The Kalthoff system originates with a gun which was crafted in Solingen by an unknown member of the Kalthoff family around 1630. Members of the family later moved to other areas of Europe, including Denmark, France, The Netherlands, England and Russia. The first patent for the Kalthoff system was issued in France by Louis XIII to Guillaume Kalthoff in 1640. This patent specified muskets and pistols that were capable of firing 8-10 shots with a single loading, while retaining the weight, length and handing of a standard firearm. A year later in 1641, Peter Kalthoff obtained a Dutch patent for a rifle which could fire 29 rounds before reloading. This patent did not specify the mechanism by which the gun worked, but mentioned that he would be able to perfect the design within a year. Later that year, another Dutch patent was granted to an individual named Hendrick Bartmans. This patent specified a gun with separate magazines for powder and ball, a 30 shot capacity, and a trigger guard that could be rotated to reload the weapon. Bartmans made a magazine rifle following his patent around 1642, which likely used a snaplock, though it is now missing from the gun. In 1645, Peter Kalthoff made a wheellock magazine rifle. This weapon is engraved with the text "Das Erste" (the first). He made another repeating firearm in 1646, a wheellock which functioned in much the same way his previous weapon did. This weapon carries an inscription on the barrel just in front of the breech, which asserts a 30 round capacity. That year he also made a repeating flintlock, which was given to the Danish Prince Frederik. The weapon was constructed in Flensburg, and was the first flintlock weapon to be made in modern Germany. Most repeaters made by Peter use a smooth, rounded trigger guard held in place by a rear trigger. Repeaters made by Matthias Kalthoff, who also worked in Denmark, have an initially straight trigger guard with a right angle formed by the carrier. They do not have a release trigger, and use a straight rod for retention of the lever. Guns by Matthias carry dates ranging from 1650 to 1679.

In 1649, a pair of repeating pistols made by a gunsmith with the surname Kalthoff were reported to have been sent to King Frederick III. Two pistols using the Kalthoff system are held at the National Museum of Denmark, but it can not be confirmed that these are the pistols mentioned. In Germany, wheellock repeaters were made by an individual referred to as the 'Master of Gottorp' (who was likely a gunsmith named Heinrich Habrecht). Two wheellock magazine guns, made circa 1645 and 1650 respectively, are attributed to Habrecht. These guns use a different breech system; the breech is quarter-cylindrical, and rotates at an axis parallel to the bore. This breech had one or two chambers. A later gun by Dutch gunmaker Alexander Hartingk, uses a similar breech. This gun was made circa 1670 for Karl XI. Hartingk's weapon uses a second powder magazine that sits to the right of the barrel, and primes the pan.

A Kalthoff gun engraved with the year 1652 carries the name Cornelius Coster Utrecht. This weapon has two ball magazines, one in the fore-stock and one in the butt (in addition to a powder magazine). A cylindrical tube behind the breech block holds a strong coil spring, which pushes against the breech block. Caspar Kalthoff made a flintlock repeating gun in London between the years 1654 and 1665. This gun used a rotating breech, and was later repaired by Ezekiel Baker in 1818. An identical gun by Caspar also resides in the Tøjhusmuseet. In 1658, Caspar made a repeating rifle that featured a sliding box-breech and had a capacity of 7 rounds. Harman Barnes also made magazine guns in London, one of his guns used a rectangular sliding breech block with two chambers (and had a capacity of 5), another used a cylinder breech system (and had a capacity of 6). The latter gun was likely made around 1650, though it is unlikely it was completed before 1651. This gun shares many features found on one of Hendrick Bartmans' guns. It is possible the gun was simply imported from Holland and signed by Barnes, and was not crafted by him. Kalthoff guns using cylindrical breeches were also made by Jan Flock of Utrecht, some of which he advertised for sale in 1668. The price per weapon was at least 260 fl. Caspar Kalthoff the younger, the son of Caspar Kalthoff, made repeating weapons in Russia. He arrived in Russia between 1664 and 1665, and made a repeating firearm there in 1665. Hans Boringholm, a pupil of Mathias Kalthoff, made repeating guns for hunting use. Two repeating rifles attributed to Boringholm, dated 1670 and 1671, currently reside in the National Museum of Denmark. Anders Mortensen, a pupil of Boringholm, also made repeating firearms. On a Kalthoff gun signed By Mortensen, the powder passage is a separate component rather than being part of the lock. Around 1710, Charles Cousin made a gun using the Kalthoff system. This weapon had a capacity of 15, and was made in France.

Mechanics and operation

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