How far should I restore?

[Fourfirs]

I have an Omani Abu Fathilah matchlock, missing the actual serpentine but otherwise intact. It has been hanging in a very damp room for many years, and is very rusty.

How hard should I clean it? Back to 'shiny metal' or would this remove any patina?

Were these weapons blued? Mine looks as though it may have been, but I dont want to blue it if it should not be.

Can anyone send em a picture of the serpentine? I'm thinking of getting one fabricated but don't know what it should look like. The barrel is 1M 15 cm long, with a bore of around 12mm. I've seen other threads mention the presence of blockages (old loads?) in the breach - mine has one too, possibly still loaded?

In the under barrel groove (for the ramrod) I found 3 date stones wrapped in old material. Do these have any symbolism?

Any help welcomed!

Thanks!

[Battara]

Welcome to our little forum!

Before anyone answers, it would be good to have pictures of the whole thing first.

[kahnjar1]

I agree...lets see a pic of the gun please. Much easier to judge answers to your questions then.
Meanwhile here are some pics of the serpentine on my Omani matchlock. The serpentine is of course linked to the trigger, and fits inside the stock.
As far as restoration goes, it is a matter of personal taste, but IMHO an old gun should not look new, so some thought perhaps should be given before starting.
Here is a link to a gun which i restored some time a go. It will give you some idea http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24394 To remove the rust I used ONLY white vinegar.
Stu

[Fourfirs]

Guys, many thanks, I've added some pictures (it took a while to get them the right size!) I liked the restoration work - with only vinigar! Impresive.

[Fourfirs]

Thanks Battara & Khanjar1, I've added some pictures. The stock is broken but can be clammed & glued. The brass bindings are OK too.

[Richard G]

See this link posted by Ibrahim.
please see http://omanisilver.com/contents/en-..._Matchlock.html

[Richard G]

Maybe this link will work better.
I'm really not too good at this.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=25732
Regards
Richard

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Fourfirs

I have an Omani Abu Fathilah matchlock, missing the actual serpentine but otherwise intact. It has been hanging in a very damp room for many years, and is very rusty.

How hard should I clean it? Back to 'shiny metal' or would this remove any patina?

Were these weapons blued? Mine looks as though it may have been, but I dont want to blue it if it should not be.

Can anyone send em a picture of the serpentine? I'm thinking of getting one fabricated but don't know what it should look like. The barrel is 1M 15 cm long, with a bore of around 12mm. I've seen other threads mention the presence of blockages (old loads?) in the breach - mine has one too, possibly still loaded?

In the under barrel groove (for the ramrod) I found 3 date stones wrapped in old material. Do these have any symbolism?

Any help welcomed!

Thanks!

Thanks for the pics. They give an entirely different meaning to the words "otherwise intact". Looks to me as if you have a major job on your hands. When the job is complete, it would be great if you could please post some pics of the finished gun.
Stu

[Fourfirs]

Thanks Richard G, interesting link; it took me awhile to figure these things out too.

And, Stu, you are right to question the validity of my 'otherwise intact' statement!!! I know it looks like a "bag of bits" right now but it should go back together again! (I hope...)

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Try this http://omanisilver.com/contents/en-u...Matchlock.html

[rickystl]

Hi Fourfirs

Is just the serpentine itself missing ? Or is the trigger/spring portion also missing ?

Rick

[Fourfirs]

Thanks Ibrahiim, my gun is just like the one restored in the article.

Rick, my gun is missing the entire assembly, trigger and serpentine. I used to think that this was just a curved piece of metal, but it sounds as though it's more complex than this. Anyone got a diagram?