Steinschloss-Repetiergewehr

Michele Lorenzoni, one of the most talented gunsmiths of his generation, is today still famous for inventing a sophisticated repeating system known as the Lorenzoni system. He began working for the court in Florence before 1683 and died in the city in 1733. He supplied both the Medici court and other high-ranking patrons such as the emperor. The master’s signature ‘Michael Lorenzonous. Flo[rence]’ is inscribed on the lock.

The system invented by Lorenzoni (and copied many times) allowed the shooter to reload repeatedly and with ease. Located behind the barrel was one magazine for the bullet and a second, lower one for the powder charge. By pointing his gun at the ground and turning a crank on the left side of the rifle, the shooter caused the two magazines to line up and bullet and powder charge to fall into their respective chambers. Another turn of the crank, and the bullet slid into the barrel and the chamber filled with powder lined up behind it. At the same time, the hammer was cocked, the pan was primed, and the frizzen was lowered. This magazine system allowed the shooter to fire more than twenty times simply by turning the crank.

One problem, however, was the poor quality of gunpowder, which led to the mechanism becoming dirty and malfunctioning. The gasket, too, became worn out, and this could cause the powder magazine to explode. On the stock, the lid of the butt can be opened, revealing the two tube magazines: the upper one holds the bullets, the lower one the gunpowder.