Ottoman Balkan Miquelet muskets

[qusko]

Adding images of long Balkan musket. It's very similar to long boyliya rifles but with Albanian lock. Do you have some suggestions about more detailed origin?

Barrel stamped with M in crown.

[rickystl]

Hello ALL.

Glad this Thread was bumped forward from a couple years ago with part of the discussion about the excessively short butt stocks you see on some of the Ottoman long guns. And to whether or not the short butt stocks were made this way, or if they originally had a longer section of wood making them true shoulder length. I've never really believed they were originally made short. The added butt caps weather bone, brass, etc.I believe are a 20th Century addition to cover up for a missing butt section.
Notice the tufek I posted above with the short butt stock with a brass plate nailed on the end. I planed on making this gun into a shooter, and did so by adding a new steel liner inside the original barrel, new front sight, tuned lock, etc. But I just couldn't phantom shooting this gun with the short butt stock.
So I got in touch with fellow Forum member Philip Tom and asked if he would be interested in the project of adding a new butt section as per the original. Fortunately for me Philip responded in the positive. During this restoration it would also answer the question as to weather there was originally a longer butt section when the gun was originally built. Sure enough, once Philip removed the brass butt cap the evidence was there with holes in the stock showing that the gun had an original longer section.
I sent Philip the gun stock and a big chunk of European walnut (actually two pieces glued together). Philip did a masterful job restoring the butt stock. Could not have been an easy job with the unusual shape of Ottoman rear butt sections. But the job turned out just great. (THANK YOU PHILIP!!) Here are some updated pics of the now finished, and ready to shoot Tufek. Still a bit of an ugly duck with that sliver of wood missing from the right, rear fore stock. But noting I can do about that. Still happy with the outcome.

Rick

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by rickystl

I've never really believed they were originally made short. The added butt caps weather bone, brass, etc.I believe are a 20th Century addition to cover up for a missing butt section.

Sure enough, once Philip removed the brass butt cap the evidence was there with holes in the stock showing that the gun had an original longer section.

Rick

Philip's work is wonderful.
But this time I disagree with you Rick.
Many Ottoman guns had very short butts, not even in Museums but also on old engravings.
Then the holes that you found don't prove that your gun had a long butt but it just proves that a but plate was missing, maybe wood, ivory or other...

All the best,
Kubur

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by qusko

Adding images of long Balkan musket. It's very similar to long boyliya rifles but with Albanian lock. Do you have some suggestions about more detailed origin?

Barrel stamped with M in crown.

More I look at your gun, more I think that you are right the wooden stock is from a Boliya or Bulgarian style, the lock is Albanian and all the decoration is Ottoman Turkish.
I have a book on Ottoman Bulgarian weapons I will try to find it.
So your gun should be from the borders in between Bulgaria and Turkey or even all the pieces were brought to modern days Turkey. And then the gun was mounted there.
The barrel should be Italian but I don't recognise this face.