Arab Style Musket

[Victrix]

Congrats on your new musket! I find it interesting with the added buttstock and brass studs which adds to its tribal character and uniqueness.

I always marvel at the curious Arab and Afghan rifle butts, and wonder why there seems to be a preference for convex butts where Europeans prefer concave butts. Makes you wonder if the rifles were used and handled differently there to account for the different shapes.

The lock and barrel metal seems curiously dull and porous as if exposed to some chemical reaction. Maybe it’s the extremely salty and humid air along the coast of the Arabian Gulf where temperatures reach +50C in Summer that caused it.

[Kubur]

Hi Rick,

Good catch as always.
I have a Yemeni matchlock with the same kind of butt, but yours seems more Indian, or Indo Arab as they say, what do you think?

You posted some similar guns in the past...

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24257

I have new guns that I have to post, including Indian pistol.

Best wishes,
Kubur

[kahnjar1]

Hi Rick,
IMHO the butt on Kuburs Yemeni matchlock is quite different to yours. I think butt of yours looks to be a resahped european style whereas Kuburs has been purpose made in the shape it now is.
Stu

[rickystl]

Hi Victrix: Thanks for your reply. The heavy corrosion at the breech of the barrel and around the bolster and nipple area is from the percussion caps used during the period, which were very corrosive. This, combined with the Sulphur used in black powder, the general climate all contributed. Today's sporting percussion caps are non-corrosive.

Hi Kubur: I don't know the actual origin of this style of gun, or the others that look identical except for the decoration. I was always under the impression they were possibly from Yemen or Arabia (?). After this Post, I'll post pics of two more identical to mine.
Please do post any new guns you acquire.

Hi Stu: The butt cap on mine is a separate piece attached with two wood pins.
See my next post.

Rick

[rickystl]

Here are pics of two more of these muskets from another Forum member a few years ago. He won them at an auction and was going to sell one of them to me. But we couldn't find a way the ship it out of the Netherlands.

These two are silver mounted. But the styling of the stock, barrels, locks, and butt caps are close to identical. I've seen others similar in the past. So this particular style was popular somewhere for a time. I'll see what else I can find in my library. It would be interesting to know the origin.

Rick

[Mefidk]

Hi Rick
Very glad you finally got one of your own - these two you just posted are mine. They were brought back from Saudi by a Swedish diplomat.
I bought them the got them sent here, but Danish post office rules prevented me getting them to you. Danish post office are unfriendly to any form of weapons!
Chris

[Philip]

Hi, Rick

I agree that your gun is most likely rebuilt on a repurposed British / EIC barrel and stock. The remains of a rear sight mortise on the much-corroded barrel surface, and the shaping of the wood around the lock mortise (and corresponding effect on left side) are too obvious to ignore.

The lock has seen a lot of action, and field repairs. I like that Phillips-head screw used as a sear pivot! Try dropping a regulation type Enfield perc lock into that mortise, I bet it'll work just fine! Ditto for a barrel, somehow I don't have much faith in the shooting safety of the present one judging from exterior corrosion.

Keep us posted!

Philip

[rickystl]

Originally Posted by Mefidk

Hi Rick
Very glad you finally got one of your own - these two you just posted are mine. They were brought back from Saudi by a Swedish diplomat.
I bought them the got them sent here, but Danish post office rules prevented me getting them to you. Danish post office are unfriendly to any form of weapons!
Chris

Hi Chris !!! Glad you saw my Thread. Been a long time. I hope you will forgive me for assuming it would be OK to post your guns here to make a point ?
And I want to thank you once again for going above and beyond the call of duty trying to find a way to ship.

But yes, I finally have one.

Rick