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An Arab snaphaunce

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L
Always fascinating hearing about your travels, Rudyard! Were the photos mine or had I rights to them, I'd certainly consider it. I've just been blessed with a lot more free time since I moved to Armenia and spend some of it hunting down historical photos (vintage cameras and photography are another hobby close to the heart)


Certainly looks like it and very possible. The photos were from somewhere around Sinai and here is a photo of a gun shop from Cairo in the same period
View attachment 243245

Plenty of double barreled pistols to choose from!

Compare that to this painting of an earlier time of a gun dealer in Cairo

View attachment 243246
Love reminders from a time and place in which firearms, swords, shields, and chainmail armor were all still in use... often by the same person...
 
L
Always fascinating hearing about your travels, Rudyard! Were the photos mine or had I rights to them, I'd certainly consider it. I've just been blessed with a lot more free time since I moved to Armenia and spend some of it hunting down historical photos (vintage cameras and photography are another hobby close to the heart)


Certainly looks like it and very possible. The photos were from somewhere around Sinai and here is a photo of a gun shop from Cairo in the same period
View attachment 243245

Plenty of double barreled pistols to choose from!

Compare that to this painting of an earlier time of a gun dealer in Cairo

View attachment 243246
Love reminders from a time and place in which firearms, swords, shields, and chainmail armor were all still in use... often by the same person...
Hi Vic

What a nice Moroccan musket. In this case, we see a basic un-decorated stock, with a decorated lock. We've also seen the reverse, as well as both decorated. Like everything else, I guess it would depend on how much money/trade the customer had or was willing to spend. Your musket is typically identified as Afedali. It is likely from the Taroudant region and the Oued Sous Valley. There is another slight variation from this same region which looks similar, but the wrist area is wider and the same style butt stock has a slight downward curve.
The snaphaunce lock on your musket looks to be locally made, and copies the original Dutch pattern. And the lock looks complete.
What's interesting is the lock, stock, and barrel all have a maker's type mark or inscription. While you often see a stamp/mark on the barrel and lock, it's less seen on the stock itself. In this case, it's all three. But it shouldn't be too surprising. Generally, these muskets represented three trades: Lock making, barrel making, and stock making (and final assembly and decorating, if any). While any translation of the marks/signatures would be useful, it's not likely they can be traced back to any particular gun shop. The locals just didn't keep those kind of written records. It's amazing the locals continued to make and use these muskets with their ancient locks well into the mid 19th century.
Note the photo Cyten posted above. With the exception of some wire decoration on the butt stock, the warrior's musket looks identical to Vic's.

A nice example Vic. Especially with the stock inscription.

Rick
Any way of teling the ethnicity of owner (e.g. Berber, Tuareg, Arab, etc) from the decorations?
 
L

Love reminders from a time and place in which firearms, swords, shields, and chainmail armor were all still in use... often by the same person...

Any way of teling the ethnicity of owner (e.g. Berber, Tuareg, Arab, etc) from the decorations?
"Any way of teling the ethnicity of owner (e.g. Berber, Tuareg, Arab, etc) from the decorations?"

Often times the decorations on the gun will offer a clue as to where the gun originated. Or at least the ethnicity of the owner who commissioned the gun. Certain styles of decorations did seem to have been popular with customers of different ethnicity in different regions. In some cases, the decoration was done in a generic fashion so as not to offend any religious sensibilities after the gun was built and offered for sale/trade to general population.

In the case of the Moroccan snaphaunce their build origin can generally be identified by three different butt stock styles.

Rick
 
REF: My Post #34 above.

Here is another variation of a musket that I believe came from a shop around the Algerian/Tunisian border. The lock is similar to typical European export locks to this region. Simple, light engraving looks like it was done locally. The barrel is the same tapered octagon you see on most other Algerian muskets. Barrel bands are simple iron. The stock is full length (for Algerian muskets) and has some simple, yet tasteful carving it's full length. But the interesting feature of the stock is the deep cut-out for the thumb, similar to Moroccan snaphaunce muskets. This led a collector friend to believe the musket was from a shop in Morocco. But I disagreed. All other features look like the work from a shop in that Algerian/Tunisian border area. Anyway, here are some pics. It appears to have had a butt plate of some sort but now missing.

Rick

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I have heard that the snaphaunces of the Moroccan Amazigh were patterned after the English ones taken from Tangiers while the English were there. It is possible that some of the gunsmiths are relatives of mine (from over a thousand years ago!) expelled from Spain taking their expertise with them. Sadly I have inherited neither their skills in shooting nor gunsmitherying if it true. More likely to have followed English patterns of locks sent from England to redeem English slaves I suspect.
 
Yes locks and probably guns where a preferred currency to redeem captive slaves in that region which would make sense . Readers of Defoe's 'Robbinson Crusoe 'reveals similar incidents . Of course its fiction but is based on Alexander Selkirks true adventures . Incidentally the Selkirk rail yards near Albany are Ime told based on some connection .I occasionally visited the yards sort of in passing ,But one time a gentleman with a revolver guided me to the gates , Quite pleasant about it as gentlemen in that employ usually where. I had every respect for the goods services they unintendedly offered. They didn.t have any frequent flyer cards but .Conrail, Illinois central , & Burlington Northern , being most useful if drafty( CN had warmed units quite essential in winter ) .However I digress just thought Ide amuse Reawald .AlI I can' hop' now is me pushbike .
Regards Rudyard
 
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I have heard that the snaphaunces of the Moroccan Amazigh were patterned after the English ones taken from Tangiers while the English were there. It is possible that some of the gunsmiths are relatives of mine (from over a thousand years ago!) expelled from Spain taking their expertise with them. Sadly I have inherited neither their skills in shooting nor gunsmitherying if it true. More likely to have followed English patterns of locks sent from England to redeem English slaves I suspect.
As Rudyard previously mentioned, it is generally believed that the snaphaunce lock originated in England. It soon caught on in the Netherlands/Scandinavia, Italy, and other European countries soon after. At some point, the lock was introduced in Morocco. England first, weather intentional or by accident, would be a good guess.
Most of the Moroccan snaphaunce muskets we see today were likely built during the 1st through 3rd quarters of the 19th century. Virtually all of these muskets with snaphaunce locks show up in one of two patterns that collectors refer to as either English or Dutch (short for Scandinavian that appeared soon after the English). The primary difference being with the cocks (hammers). The cock on the English style lock retaining it's slim, goose-neck hammer. The Dutch version using the wider, so-called reinforced style hammer. Otherwise, the rest of the lock looks and functions the same on both. The locals made their lock plates more narrow to accommodate their slim muskets. Based on remaining guns, both lock styles were used equally on all three general patterns of Moroccan muskets.
Here are some pics. The first photo shows the original period style English snaphaunce. Note the additional features and the wider style lock plate, that would accomodate the larger gun stocks of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The wide plate would have also been useful to covert matchlocks of the period. The second photo shows the English pattern locally made Moroccan lock. The third photo shows a locally built Moroccan lock in the Dutch pattern.

Rick

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What wasn't it seems copied is the facility to close the pan with the cock at rest . The absence of the hollowed portion of the link fitting not allowing this useful feature .So only safe & primed at full cock with the battery face pushed forward . It must had jagged a good few careless hands on the flint . cured by a suitable dog catch you would think .& the Arab Toe lock / Algerian Mookhala sort did have a safety dog catch if again risking an exposed flint . Great summery by the way .
Regards Rudyard
 
What wasn't it seems copied is the facility to close the pan with the cock at rest . The absence of the hollowed portion of the link fitting not allowing this useful feature .So only safe & primed at full cock with the battery face pushed forward . It must had jagged a good few careless hands on the flint . cured by a suitable dog catch you would think .& the Arab Toe lock / Algerian Mookhala sort did have a safety dog catch if again risking an exposed flint . Great summery by the way .
Regards Rudyard
Hi Rudyard

Right you are. Here are photos of the internals of the three locks posted above. The original period style English lock (A TRS Copy) has a devise at the rear of the lock to disallow engagement of the sear. Obviously, the Moroccan lock makers found this complicated little feature unnecessary.
Many of these original Moroccan locks you find today are missing the small push rod to open the pan upon firing. Possibly cannibalized for use on another gun (?) But, as Rudyard mentions, the only safety feature is keeping the battery (frizzen) in the forward position. After priming, the only way to close the pan is at full cock.

Coincidentally, at a very recent auction, a Moroccan snaphauce musket was offered. It was like most others except it had a dog-style catch safety behind the hammer. First and only Moroccan lock I've seen with that feature. I tried to get a close photo, but somehow the website wouldn't let me.

Rick

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The push rod as you rightly term it has, or aught to have a slot in the plate visible just above the mainspring screw the rod being slightly wider on the unseen side clear on the English one ex TRS this on firing knocks the pan cover arm away exposing the prime but can be pushed over the primed pan without the lock being cocked a feature rarely found in Moroccan or other native makers locks .I've not seen a hooked 'Dog 'catch other than the Arab Toe lock or any other safety idea on theirs . But seems a sound enough idea . I've put them on Scottish S,Hance ,Or' English' locks that had no half cock provision other than that dog catch. But then I generally went with ball triggers of horn and no guard as such .figuring once game is sighted you cock ere you loose the round , the dog pushed away on cocking .

The only other dog I hunted with had four legs and mostly answered to 'Banjo' a typical two speed Beagle, that is' Stop or full ahead ' nose down brain disengaged all Beagle, pretty useless as a hunting dog but good as an extra blanket at camp except that blankets don't chase wild pigs in their sleep .
Regards Rudyard
 

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