Hi Trenchwarfare. Now that is a very interesting gun. Looking only at the first photo, the first thought that came to mind was Cossack! - with the Circassian style stock. Of course further photos reveal that it is not. Generally, I am inclined to agree with Ibrahiim on this gun. Here are my observations:
Lock: A great example of a locally made/Kyber type lock replica. The mis-spelling of Tower and the crude attempt with the GR and Broad Arrow. And the more crudely made hammer. All hallmarks of the Kyber region local gun manufacture, as Ibrahiim mentioned. The lock does look original to the gun.
Stock: The stock looks like it was copied in the Circassian/Persian manner.
Barrel: Now this is the interesting part of the gun. Hmmmmm, this is a tough one. The barrel looks Persian/Indo Persian. The 13" length could mean that the barrel started it's life as a pistol. But NO. If that were true there would be no need for the rear sight arrangement. The cut down barrel theory is a real possibility. Though, as noted, the barrel decoration - and the swell - end correctly at the muzzle as if the barrel was made that way. If the barrel was shortened and re-worked, they certainly did a good job of it. The rear sight on this barrel make me believe this barrel started life with a longer length. Note also the decoration on the breech plug tang matches the rest of the barrel. The rear sight appears to be part of the breech plug. A long gun barrel this short would have no need for a rear sight arrangement like this.
I'm now beginning to lean towards Ibrahiim's theory that this gun was made for a young boy. One possible clue would be to measure the LOP (length of pull) from the trigger to the end of the butt stock. Although even adult sige long arms often have a LOP of only 11" - 12", reflecting the smaller stature of people in this region during the 19th Century. But it would be interesting to know that measurement if you would.
Additionally, if you have the opportunity, could you post photos of the trigger guard area, the muzzle/bore, and the end of the butt stock? Thanks.
Overall, I find this gun very interesting. A Kyber area made gun with a real mix of cultures and assembly. Thak you for Posting. Hope to see some additional photos. Rick.
