TAOUZILT MUKAHLA for Comment

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Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Hi Rick,
Thanks for the kind comments, and YES I am really happy with the outcome.
The lock is complete....nothing broken and nothing missing as far as I am aware. All in working order, but the hammer will not hold on full cock. Not surprising really considering the state it was in. The notch which would hold it at full cock is a bit ragged due to rust pitting, but I am not concerned about that as I have no intention of shooting the gun.
Regarding the silver wrap ....I would agree that part of the reason for it being there is to add strength to the stock as it is very thin towards the muzzle end. General comments in print regarding this particular type of Mukahla is that all, or most from this particular region of Morocco are very ornately decorated, with liberal use of (mainly) silver. Whether this is a statement of wealth or just the way of the region, I do not know.
Mukahla from other regions of Morocco have differing types of decoration such as bone inlays, whereas these do not.

As a tip for others who may be faced with restoration of this sort, I would recommend that for rust removal, that White Vinegar is the answer. I have tried several other ways in the past but this works extremely well and quite quickly also. Also very good for penetrating rusted screw threads. The jaw screw on this particular gun was rusted absolutely tight and there was not way that it could be moved without the risk of breaking the screw head off. Heat applied to the screw and dousing and soaking 24 hours in the vinegar worked after 4 treatments, so things which often seem impossible can be remedied with patience.
Stu

Absolutely superb and what a great job of restoration you have done . Very useful tip re the use of white vinegar .

[BANDOOK]

A Lovely Restoration Job Stu,Good on you ,Cheers

[Battara]

Yes great restoration job!