An Algerian musket ... and a translation needed?

[fernando]

Although i have been more into European stuff, i have acquired this Kabyle type musket mainly because of its lock; a large patilla (miquelete) specimen with a dog catch (calço atrás). I thought the brass decoration was only superficial but i now notice it is plated. The frizen is huge, to ensure enough sparking from low quality flints ... i would say.
The butt plate and stock decorations would be camel bone, as i was told ... and so beleive; it would hardly be ivory.
The punction marks on the barrel are certainly meaningless, with the 'commercial' intent to make it look Spanish.
However the marks under the lock seem to be Arabic caligraphy; possibly a name and a date, in my imagination. Could i have some help to figure out whether these are indeed Arabic letters/numbers?
That would be so much appreciated.

.

[AJ1356]

It reads 'Amal e Omar (work of Omar) the number underneath read 126, if it was 4 digits then it could be the year it was was made. I'm guessing a serial number. Nice musket by the way

[rickystl]

Hi Fernando!! Nice Algerian gun!! Own two myself. Sorry I can't help with any translations. If you do get a response, I'll submit mine for any translation available.
Your's looks to be in good condition. The lock still retains most of it's brass over-lay. These guns have their large locks inleted into the stocks only about one-third. Every one I've seen is this way. The locks all look identical. An interesting aspect of your gun is the octagon-to-round barrel and metal ram rod. Most all I have seen have tapered all octagon barrels and wood ram rods. Interesting. How long is the barrel on your gun? Rick.

[kahnjar1]

Nice piece Fernando. I see the DOG lock has plenty of FELINE appreciation
Your two are much like ours...they like to get in the picture when ever possible!

[Norman McCormick]

Hi Fernando,
Nice gun I think, I may be wrong, that occasionally A.H. dates have the last digit missing if it ends in a 0. If that was the case ? then it would be 1260 A.H. 1844 A.D., would be nice if it was
My Regards,
Norman.

[AJ1356]

Originally Posted by Norman McCormick

Hi Fernando,
Nice gun I think, I may be wrong, that occasionally A.H. dates have the last digit missing if it ends in a 0. If that was the case ? then it would be 1260 A.H. 1844 A.D., would be nice if it was
My Regards,
Norman.

Unfortunetly, it does not happen that someone would just leave the zero out. We have to remember that it was the Arabs who invented the zero. However it might be hiding under that yellow line

[fernando]

Thank you all Gentlemen for your help and considerations

Originally Posted by AJ1356

... It reads 'Amal e Omar (work of Omar) the number underneath read 126, if it was 4 digits then it could be the year it was made. I'm guessing a serial number. Nice musket by the way ...

Thank you so much for the precious translation, AJ1356. A valuable contribution indeed.

Originally Posted by rickystl

...How long is the barrel on your gun? Rick ...

The barrel measures 1,13 mts. (approx. 44 1/2"). The musket total length is 1,53 mts.; with a caliber of approx. 17 mm and a weight of 4 Kgs, incl. the ramrod. I wouldn't know whether the ramrod is the original one, but it fits fine and has a rather crude aspect, consistent with the period.

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

...I see the DOG lock has plenty of FELINE appreciation
Your two are much like ours...they like to get in the picture whenever possible ...

Oh Stu, they are worse than the silk worm. I tell them to move back, first gently and after followed by an utter yelling, but they don't give a sh...

Originally Posted by Norman McCormick

… I may be wrong, that occasionally A.H. dates have the last digit missing if it ends in a 0. If that was the case ? then it would be 1260 A.H. 1844 A.D., would be nice if it was ...

Bingo Norman. I have been digesting that hypothesis for a while; it makes a lot of sense. Looking at the Kabyle examples at Tirri's book, which later occurred to me to consult, the kind of date/s you suggest are similar to those in the book examples (Islamic Weapons, page 38).

Originally Posted by AJ1356

… Unfortunately, it does not happen that someone would just leave the zero out. We have to remember that it was the Arabs who invented the zero. However it might be hiding under that yellow line ...

Not necessarily a question of failing or forgetting the zero, but maybe an option, like a habit practised by this or another smith, as Norman appears to know of.
I find it more plausible that the fourth digit is missing in a date, for whatever reason, than the three digits representing a serial number, specially in this type of weapons. The date 1260 A.H./1844 A.D. seems quite logical for this gun's age.
Anyway there is no fourth digit hiding under the yellow circle.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by AJ1356

... We have to remember that it was the Arabs who invented the zero...

Complicating things is the last of my wishes but ... wasn't the first representation of the zero made in India by the year 500 AD and from there brought to the west by Arab traders?