YET ANOTHER JAZAIL
 

Here is another Jazail from my collection. More decorated than the first one I posted a while back (my shooter). The lock is in perfect working order, just needs a good cleaning. It is the typical English East India pattern lock dated 1811. The barrel is smoothbore. Amazingly, there are only two small pearl inlays missing on the bottom of the stock near the trigger guard. I have some old pearls inlay from a broken piece of Afghan stock that I can use for replacements. Additionally, you can see a shallow, round hole right in front of the lockplate, which has some type of semi-soft grey putty substance in it. Hmmm...I'm thinking this may have been for another pearl inlay (?). If so, I'll add one here too. It's exactly the right depth for an inlay.

As long as I'm posting this Jazail, this would be a good time to ask everyone a question: On different areas of the gun such as under the barrel bands, between the edges of the barrel and stock, under the inlays, and just generally around the decoration of the stock, is this black, grainy, hard like tar substance. I've seen this before, but only on Afghan guns. I've always wondered what the purpose of it was? It looks like it is applied somewhat soft, and then hardens. It also looks like it was used to hold inlays in place. Also, possibly as some type of weather proofing (?). What are your thoughts?

Picure heavy, so hope you enjoy. And thanks for looking.
Rick.

SOME MORE PICS..........

AND A COUPLE MORE.......

Here are pics of the lock and the grey putty fill in. Also interesting, it looks like an old museum tag on the butt stock - with the wrong description. :(

SOME MORE PICS.........

Nice gun. I believe the black grainy substance you speak of is a filler, or form of grout. I used to think that all inlays were individually carved into the wood. But, if you look closely, where you have a series of linear inlays, they are all set in a wide channel, then grouted in. You see this especially on the cheaper, tourista guns. Then it appears, the filler was used anywhere there was a gap between two different materials.

Grout. That's the word I was looking for. Yes, I agree. The black filler was probably used exactly as you mention above. Good assessment. Thanks.
And yes, I've noticed that with the linear type inlays. I'll remove some of the black during the restoration, but careful to leave it in the right places. This gun will clean up very nice with only a small amount of restoration.
Rick.

NICE GUN RICK ,MUST TELL YOU HAVE LOTS OF PATIENCE AND ONE OF THE FEW COLLECTORS TO COMPLETE ALL PROJECTS,ITS A GOOD QUALITY
WE ALL KEEP OUR WORK/PROJECTS FOR ANOTHER DAY AND IT ALL PILES UP
ALWAYS HAPPY TO SEE YOUR POSTINGS AND LOVELEY GUNS,REGARDS RAJESH