OTTOMAN TUFUK SMOOTHBORE

[rickystl]

Hello all.
I call this gun my ugly duckling. There is just no way to make it look good. LOL :D It's seen a lot of field use. There is a period repair to the large crack in the butt stock, and a repair on the fore end of the stock. The barrel is a correct, period barrel, but did not originally come with the gun. It's a bit large and the barrel bands were made to accomodate this. The barrel now has a new steel smoothbore liner for safe shooting, and a new front sight added. The lock is now in good working order.
This Tufuk is the style with the short length butt stock. I believe these were aimed from the cheek (similar to Japanese matchlocks) or fired from horseback from the hip, similar to Ottoman blunderbuss pistols.
Anyway, picture heavy.
Rick.

[rickystl]

SOME MORE PICS.........

[rickystl]

STILL MORE PICS.......

[rickystl]

HERE'S SOME PICS OF THE STOCK WHEN I FIRST RECEIVED THE GUN. :o

[stelio]

I can say that the ugly duck made ​​it a nice swan . A very nice sisana rifle from ottoman empire. Congrats Rick
:) :) :)

Stelios

[TVV]

I can say that the ugly duck made ​​it a nice swan . A very nice sisana rifle from ottoman empire. Congrats Rick
:) :) :)

Stelios

Nice gun, I agree, but while the dimensions fit a shishane, the term was used to describe guns with rifled barrels, and this one is obviously smooth, even before the liner was installed. So I am not sure what I would call it.

Teodor

[stelio]

You're right Theodor when dealing with the barrel and it is good to call things by their name. In the Balkans after 200 years that the weapons were combatants have been several mutations in arms .
Stelios

[Kubur]

As usual,
beautiful rifle and amazing restoration work.
I guess the barrel is Italian.
So nice
Best,
Kubur

[rickystl]

Thank you all for the kind comments. This gun DID take a lot of work to refurbish. It was a real mess when I received it.

I use the term Tufuk as to loosly describe an Ottoman style shoulder gun done in the Turkish manner. My general understanding of the Tufuk vs Shishane terms is used to describe a rifled versus smoothbore barrel. But, according to my reference material the terms can also be used to describe the differences in stock design. There also seems to be other names/spellings/pronounceations for the same guns depending on which area of the Ottoman Empire you happen to be standing in at the moment. LOL :D
Which make it all the more confusing when studying/researching these guns.
Rick.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

An interesting document is worth seeing at http://www.theottomanfiles.com/Blog/25/Firearms-among-the-Ottomans which I commend to Forum Library.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[rickystl]

Hi Ibrahiim.
Thanks so much for the Link - and the photo !! Never seen this one before. I will save it in my library. Just another reminder to myself of the advantage of belonging to this Forum. ;)
Rick.