Miquelet gun

[shinyblades]

Arial2Black

Hi. Everyone. Struggling to create my first post and don't yet have a clue as how to go about it , so apologies in advance , I have really enjoyed reading and seeing some of the amazing items in your collections , I have 2 miquelet guns I am hoping to learn more about And will try and post photos ( if I can on the iPad ) , one is a double miquelet gun by Joseph Aguirre of eibar marked on the barrel as fabricated in eibar in 1811 from horse shoe nails , the other is by Nicholas bis ano d 1703 . Look forward to your input . Best regards. Shinyblades

[fernando]

Welcome to the forum, shinyblades.
Perhaps better uploading the images directly from your files into the thread.
Here is a reminder:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=13631

[shinyblades]

Hi fernando. Thanks for the reply , I would appreciate your comments on my guns , having problems getting photos from my iPad photo gallery and adding them to my post , I will persevere , please help if you can , I am not a computer minded person though . Many thanks. Shiny blades

[fernando]

You may email me the pictures.
I will see that they are posted here.
fernandoviana@vikingsword.com

[rickystl]

Hello. Yes, welcome to the Forum.. Please post. Would very much like to see the miquelet guns. Rick.

[shinyblades]

Hi rickysti. Thanks for welcome , yes trying hard to post my photos but having problems , fernando kindly let me send them to him for posting which I did but I got messages saying , Google tried to deliver your message, but it was rejected by the server for the recipient domain - recipient address rejected - invalid recipient ??? Shinyblades

[fernando]

Nothing wrong with my email addresses.
Have you tried my other one?
Definitely something not compatible.
Don't you have a computer ... to save the images in your computer files and then send them over as 'normal' pictures?
Meanhwile i am sending a test message to your email address.

[fernando]

Here are pictures of the double barrel AGUIRRE:

[fernando]

MORE:

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[Fernando K]

Hello:

Can not add anything, the pictures - amazing - speak for themselves. Conservation is excellent. A poor observation, is that the locks are "the three fashions" (tres modas) variant.

Affectionately. Fernando K

[fernando]

Magnificent.
It would make the envy of any museum, including the one from Eibar .
I am trying to get some data on Joseph Aguirre, from this museum directory.

[shinyblades]

Ariel 1hello fernando and fernando k. Thanks for the help in posting the pictures , I shall post further details of the Aguirre gun shortly and also take photos of the Nicholas bis longun . Best regards. Shinyblades

[Fernando K]

Hello

AGUIRRE, Jose (Joseph)

Master gunsmith Eibar, author of a custom gun, manufactured to Don Gabriel de Mendizabal, located in the Museum of Madrid Lazaro Galdeano.
There are references about him in the years 1800 to 1821, collected by NEW STOCKEL

In "Synthesis Basque historic armory" of Ramiro Larranaga página118.

Affectionately. Fernando K

[shinyblades]

Hello fernando k. Thanks for that information , I do not have copies of these to look up , the Aguirre double gun is 48 3/4 " long with 32 3/4" barrels and is half stocked , the ramrod passes right through from the forend and between the locks touching the buttcap , possible because of the stronger stock and external mainsprings and the minimal stock removal compared to an English double gun , hoping to do some research on this gun including the possible link with aya guns which includes the Aguirre name ( Aguirre y Arazabal ) the gun has definitely survived in a great condition , I have not stripped it down yet or cleaned it at all . Best regards. Shinyblades

[rickystl]

Hello Shinyblades! Well, I'm speechless. What a magnificent gun. And in almost new condition. Unbelievable. This would be the envy of any antique firearms collector. A couple of questions: 1) Is this gun a double "rifle" or a "shotgun" ?
2) Would you have a couple extra photos? One of the entire gun, and one of the muzzle end.
Thank you so much for posting. Eye candy does not get any better than this.
Rick.

[CutlassCollector]

Welcome shineyblades.
Can't think of a better word than magnificent and amazing pictures. It makes you wonder whether it has ever been fired or where it was stored. History is rarely so gentle on weapons. CC

[shinyblades]

Hi rickYsti and cutlass collector Thanks for your kind comments , the Aguirre gun is a shotgun/ fowling piece , I am in the process of posting photos of the Nicholas bis Madrid lock gun with the help of fernando so I will include a full length photo of the pair together , I have collected guns in varying conditions like all collectors as funds allowed , starting in 1970 with single percussion guns / hopeless cases lovingly restored and fitted with rods made from dowel rod and topped with a cartridge case end , bought for£ 15 or £20 and paid off over a few months then hung on the wall with pride ( happy days ) , I then progressed through British military bayonets , pistols , muskets ,rifles , sporting guns , cap/ ball revolvers ,japanese swords , Zulu items , ,Spanish guns etc , I have now evolved to fewer pieces but quality and condition is most important . Best regards. Shinyblades

[fernando]

Here are pictures of the pair, followed by the Nicolas Bis example.
Note the trigger guard by Isidro Soler and the plug bayonet by Montargis.

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[fernando]

More

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[shinyblades]

Many thanks to fernando for uploading the photos for me , the Nicholas bis gun is large 57.5 inches long with a 42 inch barrel , octagonal to 16 sided, lock is 6 inches long and the flintlock is 4 1/4 inches long , it has a Madrid fluted stock in cherry wood and madrid lock with external scears ( a la moda ) , the butt has a small right angle plate extending along the top and half way down the butt terminating in a fleur de lis , beneath is an old inventory number 101 , ramrod is horn tipped , barrel is retained with loose bands with spring clips , no side plate is fitted just decorated screw heads , front sight is of the spider form in gold as is the touch hole, the trigger guard is carrying the punzon of Isidro soler who must have worked on this gun in the later 18th century . Ivory hilted plug bayonet by Carlos montargis armourer to the real armeria . Best regards. Shiny blades

[fernando]

A couple more

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[rickystl]

Shinyblades: Thank you so much for posting. I'm still speechless. I'm going to bed and close my eyes. I can't take much more of this punishment.
Rick.

[Fernando K]

Hello:

I will not add anything to the biography of BIS and SOLER, treated by Lavin, but I will give of MARGUIS (O Margis) in "Compendium Basque historic armory" by Ramiro Larranaga, page 263

MARGUIS, Miguel - French, arcabucero Philip V of Spain and Louis XIV of France. It was used in the Royal Armory until 1733.

MARGUIS, Carlos Madrid Arcabucero 1792, disciple of Salvador Ecenarro. Countermark: the shield of Madrid, 5 stars, 2 sides and palms ducal crown. Miguel Nieto

It baffles me the guard of Soler, who was born en1740/41, and BIS's death, in 1726. This would indicate that the assembly was post 1703, as shown.

[Battara]

H LY CRACKER! What great condition! Thanks for sharing.

BTW - I like your avatar name "shinyblades".

As some here will attest, I too like shiny things....

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Fernando K

Hello:

I will not add anything to the biography of BIS and SOLER, treated by Lavin, but I will give of MARGUIS (O Margis)

MARGIS ... is this the same as MONTARGIS ?

[Fernando K]

Hello

Sorry, typing is a fake. Corresponds MONTARGUIS (or MONTARGIS)

Afectusosamente. Fernando K

[fernando]

Nicolas Bis is the gunmaker to whom the invention of horse shoe barrels (callos de la herradura) is attributed.
He was known at he time as the Prince of Spanish Gunmakers “Príncipe de los Arcabuceros Españoles”.

[shinyblades]

Hello. Yes the trigger guard by soler seems unusual but Lavin states soler was appointed honary gunsmith to carlos 111 in 1776 and chose to care for the personal arms of Carlos 1V in 1797 , he also regained a royal position to fernando V11 caring for the kings arms and repairing guns , I would assume soler either restocked / refurbished the gun or replaced a missing trigger guard or the punzon itself to mark his work on the already old gun by bis . On another note I just received a copy of catalogo de arcabuceria madrilena ( 1687- 1833 ) real armeria de Madrid
Alvaro soler del campo , I cannot read a word but the photos are fantastic , lockplates , frizzens , barrels, stocks , and with 400 pages and 1 1/2" thick it is a real treat , get a copy you will love it , I got mine including postage to Belfast for £30 , unfortunately a lot of the guns stocks are in a very poor stripped down condition apparently due to an over enthusiastic well meaning use of caustic solution on the stocks . Regards all. Shinyblades

[fernando]

Originally Posted by shinyblades

... I just received a copy of catalogo de arcabuceria madrilena ( 1687- 1833 ) real armeria de Madrid ... I cannot read a word but the photos are fantastic ... it is a real treat , get a copy you will love it ...

Long time i bought a brand new copy; cost me a lot more. Lucky i can understand the texts. Pity is only about gunmakers from Madrid.

[shinyblades]

Hello all. I would like to know if anyone has a view on the head carving on the wrist of the Aguirre gun , is this head with teeth showing and spirals beneath the chin represent any cultural figures , has it a link with Spanish conquest ie , inca , Aztec , maya , or purely the stockers imagination ?? Any ideas Shinyblades