Musketeers/ Rifleholders

[rand]

This armours mark on a barrel reads, " Amal-e Kuchak Ali bar Tofangiran", translates to "The work of Kuchak Ali for the musketeers/rifleholders", must thank Manouchehr M. for the transaltion.

Do you have information on "for the musketeers/rifleholders" means? this mark is on a Northwest Persian firearm.

rand

[fernando]

Hi Rand
I went browsing on the term Tofangiran and i spotted this piece in your blog. A very nice example indeed. A pitty the stock is not pictured.
Have you had those other inscriptions translated, or only the "estucheon" so far ?
It seems as the term Tofang is the name for musket already since the 16th century. So are the Musketeers Corps. You will need someone well within this area, to relate your musket marks with a specific situation.
Good luck

[rand]

Hello Fernando,

Am posting pics of rifle for you, let me know any thoughts you have....

Persian Gold Inlay Insription

Persians often express ownerships using metaphors in poetry.

In Persian
āhan tan va ātash dēl va hastī kāh ast sūzandē-yē jān-ē khasm shāhanshāh ast
The iron is like the body, the heart is like the fire, and life is like the strawThe burner [destroyer] of the enemy’s life is the king of kings

In Arabic
Ma sha' allah, la hawl walla qowat ella billah
God does as he will, there is no strength or power except of God

Isā-yē Arab kē zobdeyē ashbāh astAnis mūnes begāh-ē afrāh ast
The Arab Jesus who is the best [most benevolent] among the best [referring to the prophets]Is the helper and the relief of pain through the time of suffering and pain

Ma sha' allah, la hawl walla qowat ella billah Saneye 1235
God does as he will, there is no strength or power except of God, the year 1235

1235 is 1821 on the Christian calendar

Need to thanks Manouchehr M. for translation. Am still searching for meanings of metaphors relating to this translation.

rand

[rand]

Some photo's of the Northwest Persian percussion lock rifle

rand

[rand]

Overall photo of rifle....

[rand]

Closeup photos.......

[fernando]

Hi Rand

Originally Posted by rand

Am posting pics of rifle for you, let me know any thoughts you have....
rand

My first thaught is thanking you for having posted these pictures ... your piece is superb.
However you should perhaps consider that the Persian calendar is not the usual Islamic-Hijriah one, and in such case the year 1235 corresponds to Christian 1856-1857 .
This would explain the imported British bar lock, or why not a good local copy , fitted in the musket at the period or even at a later stage. This would explain the different decoration, again why not a local work ? Note the same efects on the steel wedge welded onto the barrel.
Continuing with the fantasy, assuming these Musketeer Corps were some kind of elite troops, timely percussion conversions would be plausible.
It's quite a previlege to have all those wonderfull inscriptions translated ... Manouchehr is rather an available person.
Thanks again for sharing the pictures with me and other interested members. Although the smashing majority of the Forum members are fans of edged weapons, we are not exactly alone
fernando

[rand]

Originally Posted by fernando

Hi Rand



My first thaught is thanking you for having posted these pictures ... your piece is superb.
However you should perhaps consider that the Persian calendar is not the usual Islamic-Hijriah one, and in such case the year 1235 corresponds to Christian 1856-1857 .
This would explain the imported British bar lock, or why not a good local copy , fitted in the musket at the period or even at a later stage. This would explain the different decoration, again why not a local work ? Note the same efects on the steel wedge welded onto the barrel.
Continuing with the fantasy, assuming these Musketeer Corps were some kind of elite troops, timely percussion conversions would be plausible.
It's quite a previlege to have all those wonderfull inscriptions translated ... Manouchehr is rather an available person.
Thanks again for sharing the pictures with me and other interested members. Although the smashing majority of the Forum members are fans of edged weapons, we are not exactly alone
fernando

Hi Fernando,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the firearm. Regarding the date have have it reviewed by two Persians for translation and they both were in agreement on the 1821 date. In fact the possibility of 1856-1857 was never suggested, but I did like that you pointed out that as a possibility. So is certain we can rely on the 1821 dating, everythng else about the weapon ties in with that dating also.

Have had European 19th century firearm collectors at the Vegas Show examine this this to get their opinion. Had attended this show primarily for that purpose. Had thought it would be a fairly easy thing for them to do, I was wrong in that assumption. The feedback was that the lock either Austrian or Spanish, similar to locks were used on game rifles and of a high quality.

Not sure what you mean by the steel wedge on the barrel, you may be looking at two photos where the barrel is shown in closeup next to the stock.

So far I have no information on the musketeers, or what that phrase means but I would like to find out. There has been a proposed metaphor of the writing on the barrel that I am trying to collaborate regarding ownership.

When I first saw musketeer the Ottoman Jannisaries came to mind, but am not familiar with any Persian equilalant. Also this seems more a sporting rifle with great range and very heavy too........

rand

[fernando]

Hi Rand
Once there is no misinterpretation with the date, i must say i am deeply impressed.
In 1821, much prior to the adoption of percussion by Military forces, namely British ( 1836/9 ), only hunting guns would have percussion actions and, even those, only pertaining to big shots, right?
It really is intriguing how such lock has shown up in Persia.