Albanian Tanchika

[rickystl]

Hello All.

Thought all you gun enthusiests would enjoy seeing this one. This is the fourth Albanian Tanchika long I now own. Would have been five, but traded one away, and that one I understand was traded again. LOL So, how many Tanchikas does a collector need ? Well, I thought three was enough. But I simply could not pass this one up. The pictures will probably be self-explanitory.
Over the years I've seen/held a number of these unusually designed muskets. But this one is the most beautiful that I have personally seen. And the condition is simply wonderful. My preliminary inspection shows me it is 100% original down to the last tiny nail. The lock is in perfect working order, with both the main and frizzen springs still strong. A preliminary cleaning of the bore, and inspection of the vent hole area, show the gun had been fired, but very little. There is zero corrosion ariund the pan area which lines up with the vent hole perfectly. There is not a single crack/break/chip on the wood stock. The stock has a black, almost ebony look. The entire gun is covered with a combination of finely engraved iron - and silver decoration (probably low grade ? ). The barrel has light engraving, and is filled with silver wire, of which over 95% still remains.
Anyway, I'm going picture heavy on this Post. But wanted you to get a better idea of the quality of this piece. Hope you enjoy, and thanks for looking. Any comments most appreciated.

Rick