A short balkan musket

[Philip]

Originally Posted by eftihis

Dear Philipp,
Regarding the use of flintlocks after the introduction of cupslock, i believe the main reason is the higher difficulty in aquiring cups than gunpowder. For an intependant fighter in a remote area, non supplied by an army depot, is much more easy to resupply for gunpowder, that can come for many sources and sometimes even produced localy, than to have to find gunpowder and cups, which is an industrial product.
I find extremely interesting your comment about the lazarino muskets. Here in Crete we had the term "lazarina" for localy made long muskets, copies of the French pattern in the oriental style for export as the example seen here. The name was supposely given because initially these muskets had trade barells made by the "Lazarino" or "Lazarini" brands.

That is an impressive example of a Cretan-made gun! It appears to have a higher standard of fit and finish than many Balkan guns, and the heavily French design of the stock is quite elegant, too. A wonderful piece, I hope it's yours but wish it were mine. The Oriental style is quite apparent in the numerous silver capucines holding the barrel to the stock, something not fashionable in Europe.

I agree with your comment about the relative ease of obtaining flints (which could be made locally), as opposed to percussion caps which had to be imported and could be difficult to get in remote areas. Note that the flint-knapping industry in Brandon, southern England, kept going into the early 20th century, the only such large-scale production of gunflints left in Europe at the time. Very appropriate for England, which still ran the largest colonial empire in the world and thus saw a ready demand for such products until the market finally fizzled out after the First World War.