A folding butt carbine

[fernando]

Originally Posted by broadaxe

I had been recently in Malta, where I visited the famous Palace Armoury - a true must for every collector and researcher of arms & armor. there are some very similar guns on display, they call them "Scavezzo". According the text these were used by coach drivers and poachers. Sorry for the bad photos, the result of taking hundreds under unfriendly light conditions, and no flash.

Oh yes, Malta
I haven't yet visited that museum because low cost companies don't fly to such destination.

Thanks for posting images of something of the sort; it is always rather comforting to see a piece similar to ours.
It all starts to make sense; i was told this model is called over here a stage coach 'clavina' (a term/style that preceded the 'modern' carabina).
On the other hand, the meaning of 'Scavezzo', besides the basic attribution of the term (broken, from to break or to brake up) is the idiomatic name to connotate these guns as prohibited while insidious, with a stock hinged in two parts, to possibilitate for the butt to join the forearm, to easily conceal it.

1. agg. Scavezzato, cioè rotto, spezzato. In partic., arma s., fucile s., o, come sost., scavezzo, arma da fuoco portatile, proibita in quanto arma insidiosa, con la cassa in due pezzi incernierati in modo da poter ripiegare il calcio sul fusto per meglio nasconderla.

Well, i will assume that my fine example would have belonged in the stage coah of wealthy traveler, and not in the pocket of a poacher's cloak

Thanks again for your input, Broadaxe