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Originally Posted by rickystl
I second that comment!! Wonderful piece. I especially like the decorated IRON ramrod. Obviously made with the gun. Usually the ramrods are wood. Often with the fron third wrapped in brass.
A couple other interesting items on these Algerian long guns. The stocks are made only 2/3rds length, and the lock plates are only about half way inlet into the stocks. And every one I've seen are built this way.
Rick
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Rick, on a lot of these better-grade Algerian guns, the front of the ramrod is sheathed in silver as well, worked in the same designs.
I've also wondered about the 2/3 length stock on these. Actually it's a very practical design. Notice that the wood is more substantial in front than, say, the forestocks on Moroccan and Indian guns so less prone to cracking and splintering. Better insulation for your hand, too, if you're shooting repeated volleys and the barrel starts heating up in the desert sun! And a shorter forestock means slightly less weight up front so the gun has a nicer balance.
As re the lock plates (and notice that these are very thick to handle the forces generated by the massive spring), I'm looking at James D Lavin's "Spanish Agujeta-lock Firearms" and the 17th cent. Catalán predecessors to these Algerian locks all have similar thick beveled-edge plates, and on the guns they definitely sit proud of the surrounding wood. More interestingly, this element seems to be directly carried over from the earlier wheellocks made in the same area of Spain.