A miquelet escopeta for comments

Cerjak · 11th May 2013, 04:20 PM

Hi Machinist
Very nice Escopeta you have !
I already post last year 2 from my collection and guess that Fernando & Fernando K could help you as they did with me..
This is the link from my old thread
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=14820
Regards

Cerjak

fernando · 11th May 2013, 07:59 PM

Nice gun you got there, machinist ... expensive too

.
Probably a hunting escopeta, being half stocked; Fernando K knows better. Maybe he also has a record on Castaño, who doesn't come in Lavin's work. Apparently this is only the lock maker, once the golden mark on barrel is signed by someone else, probably a more well know smith. The two letters you discern will most probably be those of Antonio, but this is a name rather popular and is not enough to ID the owner.
Maybe you have a friend with photograph facilities and post a close up picture of the mark; maybe Fernando K or other member will be ble to ID it.

machinist · 12th May 2013, 12:25 AM

Cerjak, Nice looking piece there also, I have looked through that thread a bit and it is informative.

Fernando, A little expensive but I think it is worth it. Were you following that auction? One of the marks on the breach looks like a cross with a bifurcated, fishtail base, it seems common on such guns and I wonder what is it's meaning?

Yay, I am off newbie probation

Fernando K · 12th May 2013, 12:28 AM

Hello:

I agree with Fernando, I think it's a shotgun. The name on the key (lock) I think it is Italian, if a key (lock) produced in Spain have the punch Manufacturer gold.

It would be interesting a photograph of the punch in the barrel (barrel) to see who produced it.

In short: I think it is a weapon produced in Italy, perhaps in Naples (under Spanish rule) and used a gun / barrel) produced in Spain

Affectionately. Fernando K

machinist · 12th May 2013, 01:00 AM

Hello Fernando K, This is interesting information, I was wondering why some guns where stamped on the lock, trigger guard, barrel, and mine was not.
I was wondering about it being used as a shotgun, it seems like it would be useful against deer with a load of buckshot.

fernando · 12th May 2013, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by machinist

... Were you following that auction?

Coincidence; i saw it while browsing the net for CASTAÑO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by machinist

... One of the marks on the breach looks like a cross with a bifurcated, fishtail base, it seems common on such guns and I wonder what is it's meaning?...

Apparently they call them crosses ... Latin cross, Greek cross, depending on their style. They actually appear in the majority of barrel marks, i suppose for decoration purposes. I ignore the origin of this custom.

aptheo · 12th July 2013, 10:21 PM

I'm pretty sure this is a Spanish trabuco, a type of blunderbuss, which is a shotgun. I have a source that says the Spanish military did in fact use them, and they were also used by Spanish explorers of the Americas. Trabuco Canyon, an area in Southern California, is actually named after this type of gun.

Fernando K · 12th July 2013, 11:48 PM

Hello:

I differ with Aptheo. The blunderbuss has a bell mouth, usually, generally, is of greater caliber than a shotgun. The fact that it has the same system ignción (miquelet, pin, Catalan or Spanish) and that his head is "Catalan" as the copy attached to the post, not meant to be a blunderbuss.

Affectionately. Fernando K

aptheo · 13th July 2013, 06:52 AM

Hi Fernando K,

I know that most blunderbusses can be instantly recognized by their trademark flared muzzles, but from what I've read (and seen), the 18th century Spanish take on the weapon either did not have a belled muzzle at all, or it was tapered only very slightly. From the same source in my comment above:

"...whereas the ordinary blunderbuss had a definite flare toward the muzzle, resulting in a rather large mouth, the true trabuco had a more graceful tapering barrel ending in a much smaller-belled muzzle."

CutlassCollector · 13th July 2013, 11:19 AM

Hi Machinist, great piece, congratulations.
I was wondering about the belt hook and whether it was fitted later, or is it common with these firearms - presumably for a long gun a belt hook was for fitting to a saddle rather than the person? Does it indicate a cavalry carbine or just a convenient fitting for hunting or travelling?
Regards, CC.

11th May 2013, 04:20 PM	#1
Cerjak Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: FRANCE Posts: 1,065	Hi Machinist Very nice Escopeta you have ! I already post last year 2 from my collection and guess that Fernando & Fernando K could help you as they did with me.. This is the link from my old thread http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=14820 Regards Cerjak Attached Images

12th May 2013, 12:25 AM	#3
machinist Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 93	Cerjak, Nice looking piece there also, I have looked through that thread a bit and it is informative. Fernando, A little expensive but I think it is worth it. Were you following that auction? One of the marks on the breach looks like a cross with a bifurcated, fishtail base, it seems common on such guns and I wonder what is it's meaning? Yay, I am off newbie probation Last edited by machinist; 12th May 2013 at 01:01 AM.

12th July 2013, 10:21 PM	#7
aptheo Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Southern California Posts: 8	I'm pretty sure this is a Spanish trabuco, a type of blunderbuss, which is a shotgun. I have a source that says the Spanish military did in fact use them, and they were also used by Spanish explorers of the Americas. Trabuco Canyon, an area in Southern California, is actually named after this type of gun. Attached Images

11th May 2013, 07:59 PM	#2
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Nice gun you got there, machinist ... expensive too . Probably a hunting escopeta, being half stocked; Fernando K knows better. Maybe he also has a record on Castaño, who doesn't come in Lavin's work. Apparently this is only the lock maker, once the golden mark on barrel is signed by someone else, probably a more well know smith. The two letters you discern will most probably be those of Antonio, but this is a name rather popular and is not enough to ID the owner. Maybe you have a friend with photograph facilities and post a close up picture of the mark; maybe Fernando K or other member will be ble to ID it.

12th May 2013, 12:28 AM	#4
Fernando K Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 672	Hello: I agree with Fernando, I think it's a shotgun. The name on the key (lock) I think it is Italian, if a key (lock) produced in Spain have the punch Manufacturer gold. It would be interesting a photograph of the punch in the barrel (barrel) to see who produced it. In short: I think it is a weapon produced in Italy, perhaps in Naples (under Spanish rule) and used a gun / barrel) produced in Spain Affectionately. Fernando K

12th May 2013, 01:00 AM	#5
machinist Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 93	Hello Fernando K, This is interesting information, I was wondering why some guns where stamped on the lock, trigger guard, barrel, and mine was not. I was wondering about it being used as a shotgun, it seems like it would be useful against deer with a load of buckshot.

12th July 2013, 11:48 PM	#8
Fernando K Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 672	Hello: I differ with Aptheo. The blunderbuss has a bell mouth, usually, generally, is of greater caliber than a shotgun. The fact that it has the same system ignción (miquelet, pin, Catalan or Spanish) and that his head is "Catalan" as the copy attached to the post, not meant to be a blunderbuss. Affectionately. Fernando K

13th July 2013, 06:52 AM	#9
aptheo Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Southern California Posts: 8	Hi Fernando K, I know that most blunderbusses can be instantly recognized by their trademark flared muzzles, but from what I've read (and seen), the 18th century Spanish take on the weapon either did not have a belled muzzle at all, or it was tapered only very slightly. From the same source in my comment above: "...whereas the ordinary blunderbuss had a definite flare toward the muzzle, resulting in a rather large mouth, the true trabuco had a more graceful tapering barrel ending in a much smaller-belled muzzle."

13th July 2013, 11:19 AM	#10
CutlassCollector Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Scotland Posts: 369	Hi Machinist, great piece, congratulations. I was wondering about the belt hook and whether it was fitted later, or is it common with these firearms - presumably for a long gun a belt hook was for fitting to a saddle rather than the person? Does it indicate a cavalry carbine or just a convenient fitting for hunting or travelling? Regards, CC.