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Whydah Gally African Trade / Slave Gun Identification

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You can wish for all you like to link to the Whydah wreck. If it was found there Ide say its what archiologists term a ' contaminating item '. Even I have made 'Dane' guns or one ' after' Jimmo Babatundi of Ogan river school , Ikarudu lorry park fame . (Federal Nigeria ) I just had a lock but stocked in Shedua & the barrel was selected galveanised water pipe .
I of course used the jam tin or butter tin capucines (bands ) & not omitting the number 8 wire ram rod . Same stocking style . as it happens . So I'me not unsympathic to rude African guns and that gun is nothing any period Pirate ever saw .
Rudyard
 
TooTall said:
You think this gun may not be a trade gun but something the pirates put together? That's interesting.
Click to expand...

IMO, somebody put it together, but not necessarily pirates - who usually took other people's things to use, not make things.
 
Pietro said:
IMO, somebody put it together, but not necessarily pirates - who usually took other people's things to use, not make things.
Click to expand...
I mean more or less if anyone put it together. Bellamy robbed at least 52 ships It could have come from any one of those prizes
 
Rudyard said:
You can wish for all you like to link to the Whydah wreck. If it was found there Ide say its what archiologists term a ' contaminating item '. Even I have made 'Dane' guns or one ' after' Jimmo Babatundi of Ogan river school , Ikarudu lorry park fame . (Federal Nigeria ) I just had a lock but stocked in Shedua & the barrel was selected galveanised water pipe .
I of course used the jam tin or butter tin capucines (bands ) & not omitting the number 8 wire ram rod . Same stocking style . as it happens . So I'me not unsympathic to rude African guns and that gun is nothing any period Pirate ever saw .
Rudyard
Click to expand...
Looked up the Ikarudu example you mentioned. I did not know there were particular African schools of gunmaking besides North African countries until now. I just figured they were usually cobbled together from other parts and built around the locks or the barrels. I learn something new everyday! Ive seen the modern Nigerian Dane guns that are caplocks and matchlocks before, didn't know that the style of them was part of a school
 
Sorry,that musket never saw a day spent underwater,especially in the salt water ocean. The stock looks like a 1898 Mauser copy, maybe made by a native craftsman who packed one during his hitch. It’s probably from the African continent, but not that old. I’m sure it shot a lot of game when it was new!
 
Dear TooTall. I was waxing poetic about the' Ogan river school' I did see many' Dane guns' as I meandererd through West Africa in the 1965 trip I made all along the entire west coast ..But The lock I made mine up with was made by Jimmo Babatundi in the Ikorudu lorry park for a gentleman I know . Paul Adamson . wether any' School' could be found I cant say ,probably not . I was being humourus. My own copy had two bands made from a flour or some such sifter . One band had' One Cup' another had' Two cups' stamped on them. So I placed them so I could woffel on about you loaded up to that mark for Bush deer / Dycker & to the uppermost for Elephants ! . .In practice they loaded by "Finger" I. E . How many finger widths stuck out on the loading rod ,fired them holding them like long pistols Right hand least exposed .( Mindful of the frequent bursts ). I did read while down there that some Nimrod was fined for shooting an Elephant with a 6 " nail , up country Kano maybe .Its been a long while since I was there ..
Regards Rudyard
 
Rudyard said:
Dear TooTall. I was waxing poetic about the' Ogan river school' I did see many' Dane guns' as I meandererd through West Africa in the 1965 trip I made all along the entire west coast ..But The lock I made mine up with was made by Jimmo Babatundi in the Ikorudu lorry park for a gentleman I know . Paul Adamson . wether any' School' could be found I cant say ,probably not . I was being humourus. My own copy had two bands made from a flour or some such sifter . One band had' One Cup' another had' Two cups' stamped on them. So I placed them so I could woffel on about you loaded up to that mark for Bush deer / Dycker & to the uppermost for Elephants ! . .In practice they loaded by "Finger" I. E . How many finger widths stuck out on the loading rod ,fired them holding them like long pistols Right hand least exposed .( Mindful of the frequent bursts ). I did read while down there that some Nimrod was fined for shooting an Elephant with a 6 " nail , up country Kano maybe .Its been a long while since I was there ..
Regards Rudyard
Click to expand...
I pity the poor fellow shooting an elephant with one of those! If the barrel didn't explode you'd have to instead deal with a very mad beast that would turn you into mush.
If you have any links to previous threads or sources of these guns, I'd love to see them. When you've got the time. I love learning about unique and homemade firearms
 
Dear Too Tall I would be delighted to oblige you if you have some E address ( You could PM me ) I can send you pics of the one I made & the article written years ago by Paul Adamson . I saw superanuated originals too , plus found parts placed before huts for some ' Mooti'. reasons (black magic ). no saying reason . ' Beware of the Evil bight of Benin', Where few come out ,Though many go in "Didn't kill me but it tried hard !. Freetown to Fernando Po it kept trying .
Regards Rudyard
 
Rudyard said:
Dear Too Tall I would be delighted to oblige you if you have some E address ( You could PM me ) I can send you pics of the one I made & the article written years ago by Paul Adamson . I saw superanuated originals too , plus found parts placed before huts for some ' Mooti'. reasons (black magic ). no saying reason . ' Beware of the Evil bight of Benin', Where few come out ,Though many go in "Didn't kill me but it tried hard !. Freetown to Fernando Po it kept trying .
Regards Rudyard
Click to expand...
Sent!
 
Dear Too Tall I believe I sent you desired info on Dane guns ect but had no responces to it at all it was sent from the local school office machine couple of weeks ago . Curious if you read it .
Regards Rudyard
 
The long gun is closer to 1915 than 1715. The fully restored pistol is not Whydah period either.
 
I wouldn't be so sure the restored pistol isn't of the Louis the 14th/ Queen Anne period looks near enough to me .If it was restored to shootable I'me truly amazed it preserved that well .Perhaps it was added to show the style. The long affair is not even on the same chart so its provenance must be questionable the other two guns seem more like you'd expect. and nice work of restoring for display Rudyard
 
I believe I'll stick with my comment.
Have a look at that tang carving, lock plate and rear of the trigger bow. No way thats early 18th century.
20210520_230545.jpg
20210520_230545.jpg
 
Captain Jack . You are quite right , the post you illustrate isn't that early. The one I saw was the ornate pistol with that great serpant ish side plate . it is the right period .
Regards Rudyard
 

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