How far should I restore?
 

I have an Omani Abu Fathilah matchlock, missing the actual serpentine but otherwise intact. It has been hanging in a very damp room for many years, and is very rusty.

How hard should I clean it? Back to 'shiny metal' or would this remove any patina?

Were these weapons blued? Mine looks as though it may have been, but I dont want to blue it if it should not be.

Can anyone send em a picture of the serpentine? I'm thinking of getting one fabricated but don't know what it should look like. The barrel is 1M 15 cm long, with a bore of around 12mm. I've seen other threads mention the presence of blockages (old loads?) in the breach - mine has one too, possibly still loaded?

In the under barrel groove (for the ramrod) I found 3 date stones wrapped in old material. Do these have any symbolism?

Any help welcomed!

Thanks!

Welcome to our little forum!

Before anyone answers, it would be good to have pictures of the whole thing first.

I agree...lets see a pic of the gun please. Much easier to judge answers to your questions then.
Meanwhile here are some pics of the serpentine on my Omani matchlock. The serpentine is of course linked to the trigger, and fits inside the stock.
As far as restoration goes, it is a matter of personal taste, but IMHO an old gun should not look new, so some thought perhaps should be given before starting.
Here is a link to a gun which i restored some time a go. It will give you some idea http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24394 To remove the rust I used ONLY white vinegar.
Stu

Guys, many thanks, I've added some pictures (it took a while to get them the right size!) I liked the restoration work - with only vinigar! Impresive.

Thnaks
 

Thanks Battara & Khanjar1, I've added some pictures. The stock is broken but can be clammed & glued. The brass bindings are OK too.

See this link posted by Ibrahim.
please see http://omanisilver.com/contents/en-..._Matchlock.html

Maybe this link will work better.
I'm really not too good at this.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=25732
Regards
Richard

Thanks for the pics. They give an entirely different meaning to the words "otherwise intact". Looks to me as if you have a major job on your hands. When the job is complete, it would be great if you could please post some pics of the finished gun.
Stu

Thanks guys
 

Thanks Richard G, interesting link; it took me awhile to figure these things out too.

And, Stu, you are right to question the validity of my 'otherwise intact' statement!!! I know it looks like a "bag of bits" right now but it should go back together again! (I hope...)

Try this http://omanisilver.com/contents/en-u...Matchlock.html :shrug:

Hi Fourfirs

Is just the serpentine itself missing ? Or is the trigger/spring portion also missing ?

Rick

Thanks
 

Thanks Ibrahiim, my gun is just like the one restored in the article.

Rick, my gun is missing the entire assembly, trigger and serpentine. I used to think that this was just a curved piece of metal, but it sounds as though it's more complex than this. Anyone got a diagram?

Somewhere on the Forum I seem to remember seeing a drawing of how it looks, but cannot find it now. I am sure though that Rick will have an example in his "spares" collection which he could post here.
Stu
Google gave me this which shows how the linkage works. It is from a much earlier gun than yours where the serpentine strikes backwards, but you will be able to fabricate one to suit using this as a guide.
Stu

Excellent!
 

Thanks Stu, I'm hoping to re-assemble the gun next week, I've de-rusted the barrel and now need to glue & clamp the bits of stock.

Hi Fourfirs

While I don't own an Omani matchlock, I have viewed/handled several. However, I do own a couple of Indian Torador muskets (one a restored shooter, the other a broken "parts" gun). To me, the design of the trigger/serpentine assembly for both guns are VERY similar. (not surprising considering both Indian and Omani matchlock history). And operate the same way.

Here is a pic of a trigger assembly (less serpentine) for an Indian Torador musket. There is very little spring tension since all you're doing is lowering the serpentine to the pan back and fourth with hand action (similar to the drawing Stu posted above). The only difference I can see with these trigger/serpentine assemblies would be the difference in length from the trigger to the serpentine itself depending on who originally built the gun. But this would be fairly easy to make (or alter an original) once you know what it is supposed to look like.
I'll check the other broken Torador and see if it has it's complete assembly and let you know. (I received your PM). In fact, I was just thinking, a new spring could probably be made using one of the springy type blades from a garden rake. LOL

Rick

Thanks Rick
 

That's really helpful, thanks!

Update
 

Progress! I've got the rust of the metalwork, glued the broken stock & ram-rod, and re assembled the weapon. Still a few things to do, some of the brass barrel-bands need attention, and I have to fabricate (or acquire) a trigger mechanism & serpentine. The gun will never fire, it still has a blockage in the breech area (possibly a charge?) and it is frail, as you'd expect of a weapon this old.

I don't know much about it, other than what I've read on this site, which suggests (which has been really informative). My late father brought it back from Oman in the late 1960s, he was with the Sultan's army fighting the insurgency. Sadly, its been neglected for a while, but not any more!

Good job. Looks much better and with the missing barrel bands replaced will be very nice indeed.
Interesting that it came out of Oman in the same way and at the same time as this Martini. The original owner also was with the Sultan's Armed Forces.
Stu

Nice rifle, condition looks good!

Hi Fourfirs

Nice clean up and repair job. And you never know what you will find under dirt and rust. LOL

Well, I found it. I knew I had a spare broken Torador stock somewhere. LOL
The trigger and serpentine are together and in working order. While not Omani, it is VERY close to being constructed in the same manner. It will really just depend on the length you need. Measure the length of the "slot" on the bottom of the stock per the third photo. This might save you the trouble of making a new one. At worst, you will have a close pattern.
Anyway, you can PM me for further discussion in this regard. And that may be preferable to the Moderators.

Rick

And here is the extracted assembly.........