Rat Tail with maker's marks - is it usual ?
 

This is a so said Albanian Cavalry "Rat Tail" pistol, similar to the one shown by Nagawarrior, in his beautyfull display. I beleive that the punctions signaled in the last picture, would be the barrel or whole pistol maker's marks. However this is only my fantasy, as i haven't yet seen this type of marks, and also they are partly covered by the stock brass mountings.
I wonder if any of the members has already seen this type of pistols with this markings procedure, and who the smith would be, or his origin, or other help in this area.
Thanks in advance
fernando

Thank you for your compliments regarding my display Fernando.
I snaped a few pictures of my rattail to show possible makers marks. They are very hard to make out though. There seems to be one in the same place on the barrel as yours, but it is very hard to see. There also seems to be one on the lock. I know very little about pistols and hope I can learn more on this forum.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t/IMG_1031.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t/IMG_1021.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t/IMG_1020.jpg

I'm not sure if this is a purely decorative motif or some kind of symbols??

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t/IMG_1028.jpg

Thank you, Nagawarrior, for those quick and clarifying pictures.
I am also learning myself. Your piece shows me that, after all, there is a marking habit in these pistols. I don't beleive that all those symbols in your pistol are just decorations, specially the ones in the last picture. Maybe they are not wording letters, just characterized symbols, but still identification marks, basically those of the maker.
Naturally a better judgement would be wellcome, hoping there are members in the Forum more deeply envolved in this area.
Thanks again
fernando

Here are some pictures of the other Ottoman pistol of mine. This one is very high quality. It also exhibits the same marks, once again showing the marking "habit" seen on the others. I also see "characterized symbols" again. Still hoping someone out there wil be able to educate us regarding these pistols.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t/IMG_1033.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t/IMG_1036.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t/IMG_1038.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...t/IMG_1040.jpg

Sorry Nagawarrior, only now i have read your post. I am very pleased to see someone caring for this kind of details on firearms. I love this theme, and your pictures are very exciting for me, as hopefully for other members in here. Soon i will post some ethno specimens of my little old firearms collection (?).
Kind regards
fernando

What's the more desirable item from a colector's standpoint as far as scarcity, the Turkish pistol with the knob pommel, or the Albanian Rat Tail pommel?

If the question were on the design point of view, i would say that i personally find the Albanian rat tail one of the most elegant pistols that existed.
fernando

rat tail marks
 

I have searched in vain for any maker's marks on my pistol.
Marcus

You can see pictures at the links below:

http://www.mbi.ufl.edu/~papke/curios/RatTail.JPG

http://www.mbi.ufl.edu/~papke/curios/FlintLock.JPG

http://www.mbi.ufl.edu/~papke/curios/flintlock4.JPG

http://www.mbi.ufl.edu/~papke/curios/flintlock5.JPG