From the hands of the Riffs.

[David R]

A little while ago the subject arose of Western guns used in the Middle East and North Africa, and the decoration they could have....so here's mine. A Gras that has been in the hands of the Riffs by the look of it, and one with a fair old history behind it, note the crowned N in the last pic, like many Gras' this is a reworked Chassepot.
This turned up at an open air antique fair, on a table with a rather nice Kabyle and a dozen gas pipe specials. I bought this, my friend the Kabyle and then we ran away.

[trenchwarfare]

That's pretty cool David. I used to own this one.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams all ~ Here the two Arabized Chassepots show some interesting features .. Gun at #1 Butt decorated in brass studs... Brass studs were a sort of poor mans gold decorative item (think Gold the Sun, Silver the Moon) adorning guns and furniture like wedding chests and tables. A lot of studs found their way about the globe as ballast in ships. The incantation of "God" seems to appear as the final word studded on the Butt section. Silver decorates the woodwork and the narrow neck of the Butt and as strengtheners ... in both cases likely to be low silver with high copper content.
#2 decorated in moon and star motifs; the moons having 5 studs (5 a lucky number) and unusually in copper; not brass or silver.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[David R]

Thanks for this....it never occured to me that the studs were in anything but a random pattern. I love this site. I think here is a unique resource, and one I constantly recommend to my friends .