Miquelet Blunderbuss/Trabuco

[Ky-Flinter]

I posted this gun on ALR about a year ago.  It actually belongs to a friend, whose father purchased it in Italy in 1944 for one carton of GI Camel cigarettes.  Well now my friend has decided he wants to sell it, and of course he asked me what it is worth.  I have no idea, so I'm looking for some help. 

As you can see, bugs have just about consumed the butt stock.  I believe the lock is a patilla style miquelet lock.  The lock will cycle and holds at half and full cock, and the trigger functions.  The barrel is 25-7/8 inches long and is 1-5/16 across the flats at the breech.  The side flats extend about 7 inches and disappear into the round.  The top barrel flat only extends about 2 inches from the breech.  The barrel tapers to 1 inch at the end of the fore-stock, then flares out to 1-3/4 inches at the muzzle.  The ramrod is missing, but there is a dovetail on the bottom of the barrel, presumably for a ramrod thimble.  The trigger guard is brass and is held on with nails.  There is a brass plate on the top of the buttstock that is also held on with nails.

Any guesstimates on a fair selling price will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance for any replies. -Ron

[The Rambling Historian]

Due to its condition I would say he would be lucky to get $500. It is probably a pretty old piece though. From what I have seen, Mediterranean arms generally sell for much less than weapons from northern Europe, especially England, Germany, and France. There are of course exceptions for high end arms in high condition.

[Levy]

I had the opportunity to conserve what remained of one of these recovered from a 1715 Plate Fleet Wreck off the coast of Ft. Pierce, FL way back in 1990.  It sat in our holding tanks for a few years before I began work on it.  the stock was almost perfect and the metal was entirely rusted away.  That made for an excellent casting opportunity and all the iron parts were cast with a material called Hysol.  I cleaned  out all the voids in the stock, where the iron parts had been, poured in the Hysol and then began the slow process of excavating everything with an airscrbe (miniature jack hammer).  Everything turned out well and you could read the writing engraved on the barrel and the lock.  it was made in Mexico by Miguel Ramirez in 1709.

James Levy 

[Big Wolf]

With the damage, and the fact that it's Mediterranean, I'd say four or five hundred would be tops.

[Mike Brooks]

For a carton of Camels he might have got took....

[okieboy]

 Mr. Levy, I found your post very interesting, however there are 24 different Hysol molding products. Do you happen to recall which one you used?

[Ky-Flinter]

For a carton of Camels he might have got took....

Thanks Mike.  I knew I could count on you.

-Ron

[Levy]

Okieboy,  I'm sorry but I don't remember which one it was.  the finished product was slightly bendable if not pushed to the extreme.  We did several firearms, swords and tools with it.  When we loaned one of the flintlock pistol casts out to another institution, they invariably came back with the triggers and cocks broken from the uneducated wanting to play pirate with them.  We tried a harder version, but objects would break (very brittle).

James Levy

[Mike Brooks]

For a carton of Camels he might have got took....

Thanks Mike.  I knew I could count on you.

-Ron

That's me, always trying to help.

[JPK]

Well the Camels got burnt up but the gun is still here!