Match lock rifle

[kuriouskeepsakes]

Recent auction find. I bought this match lock rifle just because it looked interesting. I don't have a clue what I'll do with it. I was looking for any info I could get. There don't seem to be any markings other than the star pattern on the pan. The barrel is about 28-1/2" long. It appears to be homemade. Thanks for anything you can tell me. (It's not for sale.)

 

[kje54]

Recent auction find. I bought this match lock rifle just because it looked interesting. I don't have a clue what I'll do with it. I was looking for any info I could get. There don't seem to be any markings other than the star pattern on the pan. The barrel is about 28-1/2" long. It appears to be homemade. Thanks for anything you can tell me. (It's not for sale.)

Definitely interesting. The chrysanthemum stamp is the the Imperial Seal of Japan but the one on your musket doesn't appear to have enough petal points or one too many.

 

[Treestalker]

Is it a snapping matchlock? Japanese or perhaps Indonesian? I'm curious too!

 

[kuriouskeepsakes]

Is it a snapping matchlock? Japanese or perhaps Indonesian? I'm curious too!

There's no spring. Lifting up on the "trigger" lowers the arm holding the igniter.

 

[Sam squanch]

Chinese matchlock. They used these up into the 1950’s in some rural areas.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Cool find! Rifle? I don’t see any rifling ...

If mine, I’d send the barrel to Bobby Hoyt to have him check the breechplug and line it to a shootable caliber.

 

[hawkeye2]

Is that a vent just above the mum, is the mum the pan? Yes, the barrel needs to go to Bobby Hoyt. During restoration I think you ought to replace the white zip tie with a matching black one, look much better.

 

[russellshaffer]

It doesn't have a tang? The barrel is just held in the stock by the ties right now but there must have been something else that doesn't show on the photo?? If it was me I would lose the zip ties and hang it on the wall after doing something to prevent more rust. That said, I really like the gun. Great find.

 

[kuriouskeepsakes]

Thanks for the comments everyone.

No rifling, I used the term loosely.

I've so far left it just as found. I thought the zip ties made it interesting. The mum is the pan, no vent.

No tang, just held in with zip ties.

My plan is to keep it as a wall hanger. I'll probably replace the zip ties with brass or iron strips. I haven't decided yet what level of restoration I'll go through. I think refinishing the stock and reworking the bore to make it fireable would take away from the charm.

 

[russellshaffer]

The strips sound like a great idea. You might even try some leather lacing. If you leave the gun rough you can take it down to show it without worrying about scratches, etc.

 

[rickystl]

Agree with Sam. It's likely a Chinese matchlock made by some rural local. Easy, and correct barrel band replacements would be leather or rattan. Nice find.

Rick

 

[Rudyard]

Chinese Yes Ide go along with that if many seem not to have much of a butt .and its not a snap lock & does appear to have a small low vent might be more a theatre prop or a firework firer . No saying their inscrutable out that way !. Rudyard

 

[toot]

thanks for sharing with us. clean it up lightly and leave it as found. why spend $ on a liner? if you ear going to shoot it, then shoot it as is. you will not bring home any trophies or blew ribbons with it., beacuse it has a liner. save your $ and enjoy it. JMHO.

 

[LawrenceA]

I think Rudyard is right. There does appear to be a low vent at the base of the MUM. Looks like the pan is dovetailed in from the rear.
Seems to also be a large lip around the crown.
Not sure I can see any evidence of use.

 

[kuriouskeepsakes]

I think Rudyard is right. There does appear to be a low vent at the base of the MUM. Looks like the pan is dovetailed in from the rear.
Seems to also be a large lip around the crown.
Not sure I can see any evidence of use.

This might help.

 

[Rudyard]

Not sure where this 'Mum' bit comes into it Mon might be a Japonese emblem but I doubt its intentional used here just the blacksmiths fancy maybe with a view to crushing up the courser powder grains to make better priming ?. Going by the muzzle I don't think it was meant to fire a ball or shot . So some theatrical prop or firework notion seems more likely . Its got us all talking so maybe its made as a puzzle!. .If so its succeeded admirably .
Rudyard

 

[russellshaffer]

With no tang, is it possible that the barrel was forge welded over a mandrel and does not have a breech plug? Is there any trace of a seam on the bottom of the barrel? I bet it was formed over a mandrel and the breech end is a welded lump. I wonder if there is a way to determine the age of this weapon without spending a ton of money on lab analysis. It would be interesting to tie it to a tree and fire it, but please don't. A good camera down the bore could maybe tell if there is a breech plug joint or not. There should be a noticeable join line between the bore and the breech. One more thought - does the bore go all the way to the vent? And, if the ramrod doesn't go all the way down is it unloaded? This is fun.

 

[Rudyard]

Fun? It doesn't seem the owner wants to do anything and so drastic and Ide agree .A curiosity is all this piece should be , . lining as a rifle ? non starter. Make one like it do what you like then.
Rudyard

 

[kuriouskeepsakes]

Since you've piqued my interest, and since I was going to replace the zip ties eventually anyway, I took the barrel off. It appears it was bored out of a single piece of iron. A ramrod goes down to about 1/2" of the end, and past the flash hole. Also, notice the barrel is not perfectly round. I doubt it was a movie prop, they would have used a commercial pipe or bar and it would be round.

 

[LawrenceA]

How does it appear to have been held in the stock?