Kalthoff repeater
| Kalthoff repeater | |
|---|---|
Kalthoff-type flintlock musket (1600s) at Livrustkammaren | |
| Place of origin | Duchy of Berg |
| Service history | |
| In service | c.1657–c.1696 |
| Used by | Denmark |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Kalthoff gunsmiths |
| Designed | c. 1630 |
| Specifications | |
| Caliber | .40-.80 in |
| Barrels | Smoothbore |
| Action | Breech loading |
| Rate of fire | 30-60 rounds/min |
| Feed system | Separate component magazines, 5 to 30 rounds |
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.
Their guns have been described as advanced clockworks centuries ahead of their time as seen in this disassembly of a rifled .58 30 round example shown here Kalthoff 30-Shot Flintlock: The First Repeating Firearm Used in War (1659) - Forgotten Weapons