Yemeni matchlock

[David R]

Very nice, and as you say at that price you cannot just walk past! I do wonder if it started life on the other side of the water in India.

[Yvain]

Thanks David! Hard to tell, guess I'll be able to form an opinion once I've cleaned it, there seems to be something written on the barrel

[kahnjar1]

Interesting old piece. How do you plan to clean it?...particularly the metal work and barrel?
However don't be discouraged....see here http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24394
Stu

[Yvain]

I'm not sure yet, it will depend on if and how I remove the black paint. I don't think I will be able able to clean it completely like yours though, most pieces are pinned in place, not screwed.

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Yvain

I'm not sure yet, it will depend on if and how I remove the black paint. I don't think I will be able able to clean it completely like yours though, most pieces are pinned in place, not screwed.

What ever you decide to do with the wood, maybe some careful removal of pins etc and the barrel bands will free up the barrel itself. I have found that soaking in white vinegar is great for removing rust so perhaps it might be worth a try with that. (I used that on the Jezail restoration)
Stu

[Yvain]

Thanks AHite, those type of matchlocks were indeed popular over a wide area, from Turkey to India, including the Arab peninsula.



Stu, sadly most pins are bent in place, I'm thus not sure how I could remove them safely for disassembly. In the same way, the tail of breech is hidden under a metal plate. If I can't disassemble it, I may try to infiltrate a penetrating oil / water displacer under the unreachable areas to prevent further oxydation.



I think I will start with a quick clean with a nylon brush. From there, I will either remove the paint with a paint thinner safe for wood, or move directly to rust cleaning with oiled fine steel wool. Will also probably clean the wood a bit and feed it with linseed oil.

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Yvain

Thanks AHite, those type of matchlocks were indeed popular over a wide area, from Turkey to India, including the Arab peninsula.



Stu, sadly most pins are bent in place, I'm thus not sure how I could remove them safely for disassembly. In the same way, the tail of breech is hidden under a metal plate. If I can't disassemble it, I may try to infiltrate a penetrating oil / water displacer under the unreachable areas to prevent further oxydation.



I think I will start with a quick clean with a nylon brush. From there, I will either remove the paint with a paint thinner safe for wood, or move directly to rust cleaning with oiled fine steel wool. Will also probably clean the wood a bit and feed it with linseed oil.

Good luck with cleaning. Would like to see some pics of the result when you are done. If worst case eventuates you have not spent much on the gun and you will probably learn a lot about restoration, which might well help with any future "projects".
Best of luck.
Stu