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Originally Posted by rickystl
Hi Blacksmith.
BARREL: I believe this barrel started life as a European made item for use with a flintlock. The barrel being recycled with a locally made percussion bolster added. You can see the weld thread.
Rick
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With respect, im not sure i agree. The barrel profile seems to match that of the french musket pictured earlier too closely, and Im not sure what you mean by weld lines on the bolster. There is a very shallow rifling in the barrel upon cleaning, not super deep but enough of a twist that it cant be considered a random scratch pattern inside. If the lock, trigger guard and strap hardware are from a french musket and the barrel of that musket resembles mine in available calibers, shape and details such as the size of the "tang" that secures the breech to the stock, as well as the size and shape of the percussion bolster, then im more inclined to believe that the barrel too is of one such french gun that had been put into a new stock and decorated with gold and carving as per some owner's taste. I am suspecting heavily ottoman/balkan inspired origins, partially from the gold, partially from the rosette decoration on the stock and a smaller spiral rosette on the breach tang, and also for the fact that there was a charge of what I found out to be cut lead inside the barrel, oddly without powder (thankfully) and that sort of ammo was often used in ottoman areas in a bind. The butt plate, muzzle shield and other stock accents are all steel or iron, btw, although I do suppose one could confuse them for brass because they arent very clean in the photos and there was a rather impressive film of gunky oil on top of them making them appear yellow. And on the subject of metal, the inlays on the barrel seem to be gold, as theyre too soft and nonreactive to be brass. they werent tarnished the day i got it, albiet covered in gunk, and even after cleaning where one would see brass objects at the least start to take on a slightly deeper or darker appearance, it remains shiny. I even wiped a q-tip of strong vinegar on an unoiled section of decoration to be certain, and this is the solution i use to deliberately patinate brass. still nothing. So by my count that rules out most things except gold as being able to fit the bill. (plus it is VERY soft)
Thanks for your opinions on this piece im still trying to get to the bottom of it as its been very puzzling to me. I appreciate your theories