October 19, 2018, 11:38 AM | #1 |
Junior Member
Join Date: October 19, 2018
Posts: 10
|
Blackpowder rifle
I am new to the forum. I live in the Netherlands, i don't know if there are any members from outside America
I just got into collecting rifles. It is not easy in Holland to do this since all kind of guns are illegal. I have two mausers which are legal because they are made unclear according to the laws. However, i bought an old rifle, i think mid 19th century which i failed to identify. Could you help me with it? See pictures: https://i.imgur.com/lKtOSGb.jpg https://i.imgur.com/AfrR13Q.jpg https://i.imgur.com/I7CDlFi.jpg https://i.imgur.com/W6zRkqZ.jpg |
October 19, 2018, 11:39 AM | #2 |
Junior Member
Join Date: October 19, 2018
Posts: 10
|
|
October 19, 2018, 12:22 PM | #3 |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 8, 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 16,190
|
You can't identify it because it's made up from parts from several different guns.
|
October 19, 2018, 12:35 PM | #4 |
Junior Member
Join Date: October 19, 2018
Posts: 10
|
That is not a good thing then... Damn, was happy i had a good rifle. So is it possible to identify the parts? And with the current state, would it be able to fire?
|
October 19, 2018, 12:53 PM | #5 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 16, 2006
Location: IOWA
Posts: 8,783
|
For now, I see a wall-hanger.
Quote:
Sorry and; Be Safe !!!
__________________
'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing. |
|
October 19, 2018, 01:11 PM | #6 |
Junior Member
Join Date: October 19, 2018
Posts: 10
|
So we are safe to assume it maybe is a hunting musket not for military purposes. I think i will not attempt any firing since i do not have the experience. But will try to clean it a bit.
Bayonet lug? There is a loading stick there which I can pull out. Is it possible an expert has pulled this musket together? What name does this type of rifle has? |
October 19, 2018, 01:51 PM | #7 |
Senior Member
Join Date: April 15, 2018
Location: Farmington NM
Posts: 122
|
Old muzzle loader really need to be checked to see if they have been left loaded from years ago . I have heard of old guns that where found having a complete load on top of the first load . Good pictures
|
October 19, 2018, 02:24 PM | #8 |
Junior Member
Join Date: October 19, 2018
Posts: 10
|
That's what its called? A muzzle loaded musket?
I saw a guy on YouTube cleaning the barrel with water first. Perhaps I should start with that first. For the experts here, i can post more pictures from certain angles or parts if needed. |
October 19, 2018, 03:54 PM | #9 |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 8, 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 16,190
|
The stock needs major repairs before you attempt to fire it. The muzzle looks like it was cut off with a hacksaw. The drum and nipple look blacksmith made. It might be possible to identify the barrel if you could get it out of the stock but you'd probably have to cut those barrel bands to do so.
|
October 19, 2018, 04:43 PM | #10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: January 22, 2009
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,753
|
That gun is commonly known as a "Wall Hanger".
|
October 19, 2018, 05:56 PM | #11 |
Senior Member
Join Date: June 14, 2018
Posts: 619
|
It sounds like you have as much experience as I do with these rifles. I have none so I would try to find a relic or antique fire arms expert to help me figure it out. I think it's one of those cases where hands on inspection by an expert is best. I would not shoot it unless an expert was willing to and I could watch from a safe distance. Just my thoughts.
|
October 19, 2018, 08:32 PM | #12 |
Staff
Join Date: November 2, 1998
Location: Colorado
Posts: 21,841
|
Belgium was still making muzzle loaders in the 1950s for the African trade. I have one such gun that has a schutzen buttplate, back action lock with a separate plate for the frizzen and frizzen spring. It has a crude brass buffalo head (with horns) tacked onto the forearm. What an oddity.
__________________
Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. Molon Labe! |
October 19, 2018, 11:41 PM | #13 |
Junior Member
Join Date: October 19, 2018
Posts: 10
|
Wall hanger haha that is a good one. Unfortunately that may be the fate of this gun.
Naah, i won't fire unless like you guys said to let an expert check it first. Will try to search for numbers or names by removing some parts. Hope i can assemble it back. Thank you so much for the assistance guys. |
October 20, 2018, 10:24 AM | #14 |
Staff
Join Date: November 2, 1998
Location: Colorado
Posts: 21,841
|
Take the barrel to an auto shop that has a magnaflux machine. That will tell you if there are any fissures.
__________________
Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. Molon Labe! |
October 20, 2018, 10:37 AM | #15 |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 8, 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 16,190
|
To be perfectly honest I'd worry more about the stock coming apart than the barrel letting go.
|
October 20, 2018, 07:33 PM | #16 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: February 16, 2006
Location: IOWA
Posts: 8,783
|
There is still some life and history to value
Quote:
I have brought a number of wall-hangers back to life. I have also deactivated a small number for fear of someone potentially getting hurt. They become parts-guns. For now, if this piece was cleaned up, it would make a very nice wall-hanger, so don't give up on it completely. I once found a small compass in the buttstock of an old M/L and a name was scribed on the base. ….. Be Safe !!!
__________________
'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing. |
|
October 20, 2018, 08:09 PM | #17 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 25, 2001
Location: Alabama
Posts: 18,543
|
I agree with Gary, it looks like a trade gun cheaply made for sale to natives in overseas colonies. It is in poor condition with cracked stock and rusty metal. I am not going to say it is safe to fire, I would not. Maybe Pahoo could restore it to operation.
If you paid much money for it, the seller was taking advantage of your inexperience and a restricted market. Sorry. |
October 21, 2018, 05:05 AM | #18 |
Junior Member
Join Date: October 19, 2018
Posts: 10
|
I think i will stick to cleaning it a bit and adding it to my collection of non functional weapons. Not going to give up yet
I don't even know if it's Dutch made, perhaps Belgian not sure. It makes sense though that it could be cheaply made to export to natives. Thanks for all the help and support. One more question, by purely looking at it. What period would you rate it was built? And what exact period were these kind of muskets used? I paid 80 euro for this piece. |
October 21, 2018, 02:49 PM | #19 |
Senior Member
Join Date: September 8, 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 16,190
|
The price was about right for the shape it's in. IF it was made as a complete gun it could have been made anytime from the mid 19th century up until the first part of the 20th. My WAG would be from 1850-1880. If it was made out of parts as I suspect your guess is as good as mine as to when it was done.
|
October 21, 2018, 08:29 PM | #20 |
Senior Member
Join Date: October 9, 2009
Location: North Alabama
Posts: 8,312
|
red tape
I see that red tape on pics of a variety of firearms coming out of the middle east,........any chance your rifle was purchased from a vet from the recent trouble, who may have seized it as a war trophy?
Sure there's red tape everywhere, but that seems much like the tape from that region......apparently so common on firearms there. |
October 22, 2018, 03:20 AM | #21 |
Junior Member
Join Date: October 19, 2018
Posts: 10
|
@bamaranger; i am not sure, the guy i bought it from claimed also not to be an expert and did not know the origins. He had two of these guns, the other was in worse shape than this. I also looked into that red tape, but could not find anything on it. It has some odd letters on it.
|
October 22, 2018, 06:25 PM | #22 |
Senior Member
Join Date: March 21, 2018
Location: AZ
Posts: 236
|
Before you do anything, put the ramrod down the barrel and mark it. Then lay it along the barrel; the end of the ramrod should be real close to the flash hole. If it is 1"-2" inches from the hole, chances are the gun has powder and ball in it. Water will kill the powder for sure if it hasn't already. But the water must get to the powder either thru the nipple or down barell past the rust. Be safe first!
The barrel bands look like they were driven down for friction fit, with a screwdriver with the nicks in the front, and they have been removed at least once by the nicks on the back. Metal to wood fit is extremely poor in the pictures, and may be the cause of the cracks, not just age. If I had to guess, I'd say it was a trade gun, or maybe manufactured or made up in one of the Pakistan / Afganastan local back alley gunshops. For me, I wouldn't put much time in on it before I hung it over the fireplace. Just my opinion tho. Last edited by pwc; October 22, 2018 at 06:38 PM. |
October 23, 2018, 10:16 AM | #23 |
Staff
Join Date: November 2, 1998
Location: Colorado
Posts: 21,841
|
Pago - more details on the compass. Was it hidden or inletted? How about the iron from screws, buttplate or triggerguard? Got a picture?
__________________
Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. Molon Labe! |
October 25, 2018, 09:23 AM | #24 |
Senior Member
Join Date: July 17, 2015
Location: South Central MO / Africa
Posts: 1,111
|
Mukremin - 1st off, welcome to the forum.
I don't have anything to add on the current rifle in question but I'm curious as to what else you have in your collection. Would you mind showing off some of your other guns?
__________________
NRA Life Member Last edited by drobs; October 25, 2018 at 10:27 AM. |
October 26, 2018, 05:17 AM | #25 |
Junior Member
Join Date: October 19, 2018
Posts: 10
|
Thank you for the warm welcome. of course, i have these pictures from my 1938 Turkish Mauser made in Ankara. It is of course disabled according to the Dutch gun laws. So my guns can only be used as wall hangers. What can you do? Laws are laws
https://i.imgur.com/5U332c3.jpg https://i.imgur.com/vZhXKz8.jpg https://i.imgur.com/7t3QzLC.jpg https://i.imgur.com/8lpgqJt.jpg ( here you can even see the old Arabic numbers, despite Turkey at that time used Latin numbers) https://i.imgur.com/oOKLFD1.jpg https://i.imgur.com/h2NI2pk.jpg And this is from a 1904 Portuguese Mauser: https://i.imgur.com/gSIylVR.jpg https://i.imgur.com/xHt7l6l.jpg https://i.imgur.com/MOivVcn.jpg https://i.imgur.com/Bk6ARmV.jpg And some pictures of a British and French WW1 bayonet, and a staff/knife/sword thing. Not sure where, when it was manufactured: https://i.imgur.com/O5sWbS4.jpg https://i.imgur.com/I5PzLYv.jpg https://i.imgur.com/1nXnl2h.jpg https://i.imgur.com/iC614EQ.jpg |
|
|