Musket Barrel for ID

rickystl · 8th April 2017, 09:14 PM

Hello all.
I'm not sure yet which Forum this should be on. But I'm starting on the Ethno Forum since it appears to be decorated for this market.
The seller thought this might be a Spanish made barrel, with the stampings and small amount of engraving. It was so covered in dirt you could just make out a small amount of what looked like silver at the breech. It's exactly 48" long (not including the breech plug tang) and about .62 caliber. You can see the four spaces where the barrel bands use to sit. The barrel tang hole is threaded. So it's bolt would have come through the bottom of the stock. I thought this barrel might have originally been mounted to a Moroccan snaphaunce musket (?) So I bought it (very cheap). After receiving it, I gave it a good oil cleaning, and look what I found !!!!! The entire top of the barrel is covered in silver. Virtually all of it still intact. What a surprise !!!! There are three stamps on the top flat of the breech, with one having a trace of gold left. And there appears to be some Arabic or maybe Greek script. If so, maybe a Forum member can translate it ?
And, on the bottom flat of the barrel it reads from left to right it reads:
Fort' Fd Sperandio Mutti a Gavdone There is the number 5 and the letter M along with a couple other small stamps.
So this may have been a Spanish/European barrel made for the Eastern market (?). Any help or opinions greatly appreciated. Maybe this should also be posted on the European Forum ? Anyway, here are a bunch of pics. And thanks for looking. You just never know what you'll find under dirt/rust. LOL

Rick

rickystl · 8th April 2017, 09:16 PM

SOME MORE PICS.......

rickystl · 8th April 2017, 09:17 PM

LAST TWO.............

Kubur · 8th April 2017, 10:57 PM

Hi Rick,

Lucky man, really cool stuff as always!

With what did you clean your barrel?
And how you managed to not remove the silver?

I think it's Gardone close to Brescia and it's an Italian barrel (Elgood p. 63).
For the Arabic script and silver decoration, it's very probably from Algiers or Tunis, the translation will help...
Look at our thread on Tunisian guns.

Best,
Kubur

Kubur · 8th April 2017, 11:09 PM

Mutti Sperandio, Gardone Val Trompia, 1642-1717,
is the barrel maker.

kahnjar1 · 9th April 2017, 12:09 AM

Just beautiful.....what more can one say!!!
Stu

corrado26 · 9th April 2017, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kubur

Mutti Sperandio, Gardone Val Trompia, 1642-1717,
is the barrel maker.

He made many arms for Venice and used to have there a great depot. Also he sold arms to Greece.
corrado26

8th April 2017, 09:14 PM	#1
rickystl Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO area. Posts: 1,621	Musket Barrel for ID Hello all. I'm not sure yet which Forum this should be on. But I'm starting on the Ethno Forum since it appears to be decorated for this market. The seller thought this might be a Spanish made barrel, with the stampings and small amount of engraving. It was so covered in dirt you could just make out a small amount of what looked like silver at the breech. It's exactly 48" long (not including the breech plug tang) and about .62 caliber. You can see the four spaces where the barrel bands use to sit. The barrel tang hole is threaded. So it's bolt would have come through the bottom of the stock. I thought this barrel might have originally been mounted to a Moroccan snaphaunce musket (?) So I bought it (very cheap). After receiving it, I gave it a good oil cleaning, and look what I found !!!!! The entire top of the barrel is covered in silver. Virtually all of it still intact. What a surprise !!!! There are three stamps on the top flat of the breech, with one having a trace of gold left. And there appears to be some Arabic or maybe Greek script. If so, maybe a Forum member can translate it ? And, on the bottom flat of the barrel it reads from left to right it reads: Fort' Fd Sperandio Mutti a Gavdone There is the number 5 and the letter M along with a couple other small stamps. So this may have been a Spanish/European barrel made for the Eastern market (?). Any help or opinions greatly appreciated. Maybe this should also be posted on the European Forum ? Anyway, here are a bunch of pics. And thanks for looking. You just never know what you'll find under dirt/rust. LOL Rick Attached Images

8th April 2017, 09:16 PM	#2
rickystl Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO area. Posts: 1,621	SOME MORE PICS....... Attached Images

8th April 2017, 09:17 PM	#3
rickystl Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO area. Posts: 1,621	LAST TWO............. Attached Images

8th April 2017, 10:57 PM	#4
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	Hi Rick, Lucky man, really cool stuff as always! With what did you clean your barrel? And how you managed to not remove the silver? I think it's Gardone close to Brescia and it's an Italian barrel (Elgood p. 63). For the Arabic script and silver decoration, it's very probably from Algiers or Tunis, the translation will help... Look at our thread on Tunisian guns. Best, Kubur

8th April 2017, 11:09 PM	#5
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	Mutti Sperandio, Gardone Val Trompia, 1642-1717, is the barrel maker.

9th April 2017, 12:09 AM	#6
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,730	Just beautiful.....what more can one say!!! Stu