Anyone shooting N. African snaphaunces?

[Flint62Smoothie]

Hi Flint

When you get around to working on this one: If it's missing a trigger guard, let me know. I probably have an original.

Rick

Thanks Rick!

I should probably investigate it now then, as with the line of arms already ahead of it … and uhhhhh … well, neither of us are getting any younger!

 

[Rudyard]

FYI, here’s the one I bought recently @ auction, that I’ll restore to shootable condition ‘someday’. The lock works and I just need the barrel checked out abd the wood strengthened (I use penetrating epoxy where it won’t show … ).

Besides some flintlocks and matchlock builds I’m working on, there’s a jezail, a Toradar and another snaphaunce already ahead of it …

View attachment 165692

Price was right same style as one I restored that was got up from US Springfield barrel& Lock just restocked as percussion originally . But the lock & Brl got robbed & the stock thrown aside at F ship So I grabbed it got a trade lock EX Liege & bolster less Brl off 'Sarge' it being flint lock but evidently made to use up surplus Springfield arms So I made it Flint " Tower V R & ungainly crown." .& hunted with it me & my assistant Mr Bango Beagle esquire . .I thought it amusing that the Moroccan's considered the US stock ugly so restocked in their own local tastes . Is it of value ? No but its an interesting story I think . I can see you are embraceing the' New Way backwards (' I wouldnt know a Tradition's if it jumped up & bit me .But I like these ethnic sorts ) .
Regards Rudyard

 

[toot]

Nice!!

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Interesting to see th top of the barrel at the brech end. The stamp looks like a crown over V ?? O.D.

 

[rickystl]

Interesting to see th top of the barrel at the brech end. The stamp looks like a crown over V ?? O.D.

Here is a photo of some barrel stamps on my shooter. The general style of the stamps is fairly common. The attempts are similar to Spanish and Italian guns from the period. But, unlike Europe and eventually North America, there was no way to officially trace these markings/stamps to any particular gun maker or shop. Even with the translation of words would not necessarily offer any assistance. There were no serial numbers per say. There is very little written documentation on how their guns were built. Only by later day study by collectors and students do we come up with some logical conclusions. And diaries from individuals visiting the Region during the period.
They simply did not write/record much of anything relating to these guns. Also, much of the locals could not read or write their own language, much less a foreign one.
For Morocco, we do know there were three basic styles of snaphaunce long guns, which can be traced to three different areas of the Country. The barrels were made by one smith, the locks by another smith, and final assembly and decoration by yet another.
Both the English and Dutch pattern of snaphaunce locks were utilized. It was said that a good lock smith could produce one lock per day. With a helper, he could produce three locks in two days. Much of the Ottoman Empire had adopted the use of the later style, and more reliable flintlocks. Both in miquelet and true French styles. So the continued use of the snaphaunce lock in Morocco for such a long period is still somewhat of a mystery. My only guess is that is what the local gunsmiths knew how to make, so that is what the locals asked for. The locks are large and would be easier to make by hand than smaller locks requiring smaller parts.

Rick

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Awesome Rick!

 

[rickystl]

RAMROD: Here is a pic of the groove cut in the inside of the fore stock to accommodate the thin iron ramrods I mentioned earlier. This photo is from an Afghan jazail. But the Moroccan guns are done in the same manner.

Rick