Cookson Repeater
John Cookson · Rifle · Discontinued · 1686
Also known as: Cookson Volitional Repeating Flintlock, Cookson-Lorenzoni repeater
Overview
The Cookson Repeater is an early repeating flintlock rifle built by London gunsmith John Cookson in the late 17th century, employing the Lorenzoni repeating system. A side-mounted lever rotates a horizontally mounted breech block with two cavities, drawing a single lead ball and a measured powder charge from two separate gravity-fed magazines housed in the buttstock; the same lever stroke cocks the cock, primes the pan, and closes the frizzen, allowing a fresh shot to be readied in two or three seconds. Capable of around ten shots from a single loading, it was among the most advanced firearms of its era, far ahead of contemporary single-shot muskets.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3400 g (119.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1100 mm (43.31") |
| Barrel Length | 552 mm (21.73") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 300 m/s (984 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 756 J (558 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 80 m (87 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .50 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as 0.50 in lead round ball, 12.7mm round ball, .55 caliber lead ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Gravity Fed Buttstock Magazine, Rotating Drum Breech
- Safety mechanisms: Frizzen
- Features: Lorenzoni Repeating System, Rotating Breech Block, Side Mounted Lever, Twin Buttstock Magazines, Smoothbore Barrel
Service history
Operators
- Private collectors and gentry
Production
Production years: 1686-1849
Handcrafted in small numbers by individual gunmakers; no series production. Each example was bespoke, with capacities ranging from seven to twelve shots.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Designer: John Cookson
Discontinued: 1849
Notes
Sources variously describe surviving examples in .50 to .55 caliber smoothbore. A near-identical twelve-shot example signed by John Shaw (c. 1750) survives in the National Firearms Museum, and a separate John Cookson operating in Boston advertised nine-shot repeaters between 1701 and 1762. Guns using this system were produced in Europe and America until about 1849.
Background
The Cookson Repeater was based on the Lorenzoni system devised by Florentine gunmaker Michele Lorenzoni around 1680. Its ability to fire roughly ten aimed shots in quick succession made it a marvel of its day, though the intricate hand-fitted mechanism and the ever-present hazard of a powder-magazine flashback kept it a costly curiosity rather than a military arm.