MUKAHLA for Comment

[kahnjar1]

Just picked this monster up and posted here for comment.
The overall length is 71" (1.8m) long with a 55" (1.4m) barrel. Overall decorated with brass studs and red beads? coral?. The barrel, apart from a short section at the muzzle and breech end, is overwrapped with decorated brass and copper. There is no rammer and it was made without one. There is no tube or method of attaching a rammer to the gun, so I assume it must have been carried separately. The smoothbore is approx. 15mm.
Very nice Snaphaunce lock in good working order, with a small silver inlet plate below the cock.
Plenty of pics.....Enjoy
Stu

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Just picked this monster up and posted here for comment.
The overall length is 71" (1.8m) long with a 55" (1.4m) barrel. Overall decorated with brass studs and red beads? coral?. The barrel, apart from a short section at the muzzle and breech end, is overwrapped with decorated brass and copper. There is no rammer and it was made without one. There is no tube or method of attaching a rammer to the gun, so I assume it must have been carried separately. The smoothbore is approx. 15mm.
Very nice Snaphaunce lock in good working order, with a small silver inlet plate below the cock.
Plenty of pics.....Enjoy
Stu

Salaams Khanjar 1, I can confirm coral....

I found a reasonable historical note at http://www.musee-infanterie.com/obje...ilex--mukahla-

Here is some of the detail Quote "The mukahla is characteristic of other guns by the length of its barrel, the shape of her butt as well as share its decoration most often made with inlaid ivory and silver .
A weapon of hunting and a weapon of war, it is , by the richness of its ornaments , a symbol of the power of a chief of a tribe or the social rank of a warrior .
The design of this rifle traditional local is influenced from the XVI th century by the import of weapons to fire European . In the XIX th century , the cannon guns are acquired from various countries such as Great Britain .
The defeat of Isly (1844) and Tetouan (1860) encourage the Sultan Moulay Hassan to create a factory of guns in Fez , city imperial , in order to escape to the dependence vis-à-vis from abroad .

The mukahla uses the powdered black as the other weapons to fire his time .
This black powder is a mixture of three components : charcoal ; potassium nitrate , or saltpeter and sulfur . By burning this mixture gives off of large quantities of smoke and a large volume of gas capable of launching a projectile. Travelers from the Arab world , who were in contact with the Far East, Would have apparently acquired the secret of the powder whose origin is attributed to China. It spread later on roadsides commercial and reached Europe .
It must however note two drawbacks major related to the use of powdered black:
- the cloud of smoke that prevents after a few shots to distinguish the objective ;
- rapid fouling of the barrel. The powder by consuming releases the half of its weight in gas and the other half by depositing solid . This deposit is not expelled with the gas and it lining the inside of the barrel.

The mukahla is equipped with from the XVII e century a mechanism of setting of fire called " platinum to chenapan " system origin Nordic from the edges of the Baltic" .Unquote.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[rickystl]

Hi Stu.

That is a very nice Mukahla. And a really long barrel on this one. WOW!!
Curious there is no provision for a ramrod. Especially with this barrel length.
This style of fish tail stock has the typical thin wrist area and thumb grove. but the slight drop in the butt stock versus straight I believe places the gun in a nearby area of Morocco, but the name escapes me at the moment. But I'll look through my reference material and locate it. I really like the decorated leather wrist wrap around the butt stock. Really adds the "tribal" look to the gun. The extra use of berrel bands/wrap I believe was not only to hold the barrel to the stock, but to act as reinforcement for the extra thin forearm of the stock. Which makes sense. The snaphaunce lock on this one is done in the Dutch pattern. Which I find the most common on this style from the Region. Whereas the majority of other styles seemed to favor the English pattern lock.

A very nice Kabyle gun. Congratulations.

Rick

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by rickystl

Hi Stu.

That is a very nice Mukahla. And a really long barrel on this one. WOW!!
Curious there is no provision for a ramrod. Especially with this barrel length.
This style of fish tail stock has the typical thin wrist area and thumb grove. but the slight drop in the butt stock versus straight I believe places the gun in a nearby area of Morocco, but the name escapes me at the moment. But I'll look through my reference material and locate it. I really like the decorated leather wrist wrap around the butt stock. Really adds the "tribal" look to the gun. The extra use of berrel bands/wrap I believe was not only to hold the barrel to the stock, but to act as reinforcement for the extra thin forearm of the stock. Which makes sense. The snaphaunce lock on this one is done in the Dutch pattern. Which I find the most common on this style from the Region. Whereas the majority of other styles seemed to favor the English pattern lock.

A very nice Kabyle gun. Congratulations.

Rick

Thanks Rick for your comments. If this gun had not already been in NZ there is no way that I could have had it shipped here due to the length. Even shipping WITHIN the country would have been a bit of a problem, hence my long road journey to pick it up.
Anyway I digress.......as far as I can establish this style of Mukahla originates from the Taroudant Region, Sous Valley (ref Elgood)
Stu

[rickystl]

Hi Stu.

Yes, I totally agree with the origin. And the gun has all the hallmarks of this Region. There is some small information I have somewhere, with a brief mention of the butt stock with the slight drop versus straight. It's not in either Elgood or Tirri's reference. I just need to have my memory jog to remember where I read it in my reference material. But I'll find it and report back.

By the way, you are lucky to find one with the lock in working order. Great !!
Usually the sear is worn down and will not engage in the hammer. If you get a chance, post a pic of the inside of the lock.

Rick

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by rickystl

Hi Stu.

Yes, I totally agree with the origin. And the gun has all the hallmarks of this Region. There is some small information I have somewhere, with a brief mention of the butt stock with the slight drop versus straight. It's not in either Elgood or Tirri's reference. I just need to have my memory jog to remember where I read it in my reference material. But I'll find it and report back.

By the way, you are lucky to find one with the lock in working order. Great !!
Usually the sear is worn down and will not engage in the hammer. If you get a chance, post a pic of the inside of the lock.

Rick

Hi Rick,
I will post pics of the inside of the lock when I get a chance. I have not had it off, but can say that the cock holds at full cock, but seems not to have a half cock position. If it is supposed to have a half cock, then it is probably worn, but shall see when I get it apart.
Stu

[kahnjar1]

OK here are some pics. I do not think that it had a half cock position.
Stu

[rickystl]

Hi Stu.

The lock looks complete. The snaphaunce lock does not have a so called half-cock position. The style of lock dates to the mid-late 16th to early 17th Centuries. After the hammer is placed in full cock position, the pan is primed and the pan cover is manually closed. The frizzen is left in the forward position (away from the pan as a saftey feature) until ready to fire where it's pulled back and positioned over the pan. When the trigger is pulled, the forward travel of the hammer will also move the pan cover forward exposing the priming powder. Yes, it actually does work. Thanks for the additional photos.

Rick