Author Topic: Help Identifying a couple guns  (Read 1601 times)

Offline Mdlock

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Help Identifying a couple guns
« on: October 05, 2018, 10:12:40 PM »
I inherited a few long guns the one I believe is Allentown but not sure of longer one. It looks like has about 50" barrel and like 62 cal. The shorter one looks like 36 cal. Both barrels are octagon and












Offline smokinbuck

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Re: Help Identifying a couple guns
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2018, 10:25:20 PM »
Can't help much with the makers but can say that the octagon gu n is a "rifle" and the round barreled gun is a "fowler" that has unfortunately seen better days. Someone for some reason appears to have cut the he*# out of the butt stock.
Mark
Mark

Offline Mdlock

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Re: Help Identifying a couple guns
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2018, 11:24:55 PM »
So calling that a Fowler is that to assume it's like a bird gun and that's why it's such a long barrel?

Offline steg49

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Re: Help Identifying a couple guns
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2018, 12:52:36 AM »
I can't help IDing these but the smooth bore looks like a market gun or punt gun used on the front of a boat that is floated into a raft of duck and boom you have a lot of dead ducks.  The green may be a type of marine paint and the rounded butt not necessarily held to the shoulder as the gun would be mounted to the bow.  How that for a guess?  steg49

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Help Identifying a couple guns
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2018, 01:51:44 AM »
I'd say the big gun is a crude mid eastern gun, looks to be or have  the barrel banded in several places, maybe even Moroccan... The other might be WV.
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Offline Mdlock

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Re: Help Identifying a couple guns
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2018, 03:33:57 AM »
Interesting. I love it. I and most immediate family are from Maryland.

Offline smokinbuck

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Re: Help Identifying a couple guns
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2018, 05:16:05 AM »
I would have to go with Mike on the Morocan Heritage except for the architecture of the butt.
Mark
Mark

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Help Identifying a couple guns
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2018, 03:32:43 PM »
I would have to go with Mike on the Morocan Heritage except for the architecture of the butt.
Mark
That weird piece on the end of the butt has something to do with Africa...I think... but I just can't call exactly where that feature was common.
NEW WEBSITE! www.mikebrooksflintlocks.com
Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'?

Offline Craig Wilcox

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Re: Help Identifying a couple guns
« Reply #8 on: October 06, 2018, 03:45:58 PM »
The fowler, or smooth bore, might have been used as a market or punt gun, but I suspect it really came from Morocco or Algeria.  Been a long, long time, but I once spent a week with some Tuaregs in Morocco, and they had some similar firearms.  A LOT more ornate, with silver and gold trim all over them.  Never saw them fired but once, and that was an older fellow shooting from the top of a camel.  Lots of smoke, for sure!
I think that was 1953 - dang!  I am getting OLD!
Craig Wilcox
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Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Help Identifying a couple guns
« Reply #9 on: October 07, 2018, 12:50:44 AM »
It was painted green so the olyphonts couldn't se you.....
NEW WEBSITE! www.mikebrooksflintlocks.com
Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'?

Offline Elnathan

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Re: Help Identifying a couple guns
« Reply #10 on: October 07, 2018, 01:55:32 AM »
Long smoothbore is most likely from Yemen or associated parts, I think. They seem to have like big bulbous additions: on the butt:

https://www.ashokaarts.com/shop/fine-antique-yemeni-or-arab-matchlock-musket-with-silver-mounts
https://www.ashokaarts.com/shop/fine-antique-arab-matchlock-musket-from-yemen-coorg-or-malabar
https://www.ashokaarts.com/shop/antique-yemen-arab-gun-from-india-kutch-coorg-or-malabar

Might have been built elsewhere and modified to suit local taste.
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