Middle Eastern/North African Musket

kahnjar1 · 25th May 2021, 03:24 AM

Just picked this up in a local auction. Unusual in that it has a European style Flintlock rather than the typical Miquelet lock. IMHO the lock is the original as the stock mortice fits it correctly, and the pan lines up with the touch hole.
Total length of the gun is 1700 and the octagonal barrel is 1360 and is approx 16mm bore. The half stock is attached to the barrel with shrunken leather. Nice engraving on the top of the barrel and some on the woodwork. Nice bone inlays a couple of with are missing and need to be replaced.
I am inclined to call this an Algerian gun going by the stock comb shape but any Algerian guns I have seen have had miquelet locks.
By the way there appears to be a rectangle mark inside the lock at the upper middle but I have not been able to read it for now.. need a much stronger glass!!
All comments welcome.
Stu

colin henshaw · 25th May 2021, 06:55 AM

Looks a good honest gun, I like it...

Kubur · 25th May 2021, 09:30 AM

Hi Stu,

I love it!

You are right most of these features are Algerians.

The copy??? of English lock is something that you can see on the coast, in Northern Morocco and Tunisia.

The ramrod running directy under the barrel without stock is a Tunisian feature.

Because of that and the lock, I think your gun is from the border between Algeria and Tunisa (modern/ colonial borders anyway...)

kahnjar1 · 25th May 2021, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kubur

Hi Stu,

I love it!

You are right most of these features are Algerians.

The copy??? of English lock is something that you can see on the coast, in Northern Morocco and Tunisia.

The ramrod running directy under the barrel without stock is a Tunisian feature.

Because of that and the lock, I think your gun is from the border between Algeria and Tunisa (modern/ colonial borders anyway...)

I was thinking Tunisia/Algeria but the European lock threw me off a bit.. This gun was one of two very similar offered at the auction but the other had been originally a Miquelet I think. Here is a pic of the lock area of the other gun, As you can see it has a similar flintlock to mine but at some stage there has been a different lock fitted judging by the damage and ill fitting. Also the top jaw of the cock is missing and there was no rammer. Bit of a mess really.....As a matter of interest the lock shown here has the word "Marseilles" engraved below the hammer.
Stu

Kubur · 25th May 2021, 01:04 PM

Marseilles was a port and export center for Levantine locks from North Africa to Turkey.

eftihis · 25th May 2021, 02:11 PM

This has many similarities and also a european looking lock.

25th May 2021, 03:24 AM	#1
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,730	Middle Eastern/North African Musket Just picked this up in a local auction. Unusual in that it has a European style Flintlock rather than the typical Miquelet lock. IMHO the lock is the original as the stock mortice fits it correctly, and the pan lines up with the touch hole. Total length of the gun is 1700 and the octagonal barrel is 1360 and is approx 16mm bore. The half stock is attached to the barrel with shrunken leather. Nice engraving on the top of the barrel and some on the woodwork. Nice bone inlays a couple of with are missing and need to be replaced. I am inclined to call this an Algerian gun going by the stock comb shape but any Algerian guns I have seen have had miquelet locks. By the way there appears to be a rectangle mark inside the lock at the upper middle but I have not been able to read it for now.. need a much stronger glass!! All comments welcome. Stu Attached Images Last edited by kahnjar1; 25th May 2021 at 10:19 AM.

25th May 2021, 01:04 PM	#5
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	Marseilles was a port and export center for Levantine locks from North Africa to Turkey. Attached Images

25th May 2021, 02:11 PM	#6
eftihis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chania Crete Greece Posts: 500	This has many similarities and also a european looking lock. Attached Images

25th May 2021, 06:55 AM	#2
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	Looks a good honest gun, I like it...

25th May 2021, 09:30 AM	#3
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	Hi Stu, I love it! You are right most of these features are Algerians. The copy??? of English lock is something that you can see on the coast, in Northern Morocco and Tunisia. The ramrod running directy under the barrel without stock is a Tunisian feature. Because of that and the lock, I think your gun is from the border between Algeria and Tunisa (modern/ colonial borders anyway...)