Ayuda me, por favor?! (Please help me.)

[mhb]

The high point of my Saturday mornings is a trip to the local swap meet/flea market. Usually, I don't find anything wonderful, but just once in a while, something does show up (I got my India Pattern musket there).
Today, it was a miquelet escopeta. I looked it over very carefully, and decided it was one of the best modern reproductions I've seen (and I've seen, handled and shot both reproduction and original miquelet arms).
I made the deal and brought it home, where I examined it carefully, and now I'm confused...

The barrel is 31" long, and smoothbored at between 17 and 18 bore (actually .643"), and appears to have been an original musket barrel, as it has some minor rust pitting on the bottom at the breech end. The bore is perfect, though the arm shows evidence of having been fired.The only marking on any part of the arm is three numerals on he breechplug: 118, arranged in a triangle. There are also evident remains of staples on the bottom of the barrel (brazed and later removed).
I had thought the lock was a great reproduction, but it is quite evidently an original, hand forged and finished item, and VERY well made for a Spanish miquelet - it sparks like a good 'un. The inletting is hand done, and excellent .
I'm not fond of brass friction bands, but these are perfectly fitted and made of substantial material - they remove easily and fit snugly.
The arm is undecorated, but whoever built it is/was a craftsman, and my hat's off to him.
I'd very much like to know from whence (and whom) this escopeta came, and would appreciate any comments, observations and information anyone may be able to provide.

All input appreciated!

mhb - MIke

 

[DaveC]

Superb! Obviously, if you'd ever decide to part with it, you'll have a lot of takers! Including me!
Can't help with the builder, although I have some suspicions... But allow me to point out that I once handled an original "carabina/escopeta" where the builder had used an old stripped lock plate as the side plate, reversed on the side opposite the miquelet lock. The builder here has similarly used a piece of brass of the same shape as a lock plate for the side plate. Pretty cool and definitely authentic! Great gun! Congratulations!

 

[mhb]

Superb! Obviously, if you'd ever decide to part with it, you'll have a lot of takers! Including me!
Can't help with the builder, although I have some suspicions... But allow me to point out that I once handled an original "carabina/escopeta" where the builder had used an old stripped lock plate as the side plate, reversed on the side opposite the miquelet lock. The builder here has similarly used a piece of brass of the same shape as a lock plate for the side plate. Pretty cool and definitely authentic! Great gun! Congratulations!

DaveC: Thanks for the comments! I have a suspicion, too, as I once knew a craftsman who made fine reproductions, and could have made the whole thing - and who usually didn't sign his work, though I have several arms which he did sign. And thanks to whoever provided the translation of my original title - I didn't think it was necessary, but if it helps folks to understand...

mhb - MIke

 

[mhb]

This morning I took the arm to the range - it worked perfectly and shot well, without a hitch or hiccup of any kind. Load was 68 grains GOEX 2Fg, .600" roundball and heavy denim patch with Falkenberry Juice lube. The first five shots at 25 yards are shown on the target attached. The first shot was low, because I wasn't yet sure where to hold, and the next 4 were well-centered. An additional 10 rounds were fired by myself and others at the range, with equally good results, and a good time had by all...

mhb - MIke

 

[Carbon 6]

That's a fascinating firearm.

 

[mhb]

That's a fascinating firearm.

I certainly agree - so much so that it took me a whole 5 minutes to decide to buy it!

mhb - MIke

 

[rickystl]

Hi Mike

Congratulations. Great find. And obviously a good shooter. The thought occurred to me that the lock, and maybe some other parts, might have come from The Rifle Shoppe. But the lock does not look like one of their offerings. So it is probably original. Sounds like the barrel was re-used from another gun, which would not be uncommon if in good condition. Except for the earliest examples, barrel bands are pretty much the norm on Spanish guns. Also, rifled barrels are a rarity. Also note the builder made use of dome-head screws (versus pan-head) which were also the norm on Spanish made guns.
Great looking Escopeta.

Did the seller have any history of the previous owner ?

Rick

 

[mhb]

Hi Mike

Congratulations. Great find. And obviously a good shooter. The thought occurred to me that the lock, and maybe some other parts, might have come from The Rifle Shoppe. But the lock does not look like one of their offerings. So it is probably original. Sounds like the barrel was re-used from another gun, which would not be uncommon if in good condition. Except for the earliest examples, barrel bands are pretty much the norm on Spanish guns. Also, rifled barrels are a rarity. Also note the builder made use of dome-head screws (versus pan-head) which were also the norm on Spanish made guns.
Great looking Escopeta.

Did the seller have any history of the previous owner ?

Rick

Rick:
Thanks for the kind comments. I am very pleased with the new acquisition, as you may have guessed. I cleaned the arm thoroughly after shooting it yesterday, and examined the lock in minute detail: every millimeter of its surfaces shows evidence of file finishing, and never a casting line to be seen. The springs, particularly, are almost certainly handmade. The inside of the lock is exactly as one would expect in an original, handmade specimen. If it was made from a kit, the guy who finished it is a master craftsman and detail-oriented in the extreme. The barrel appears (to me) to have been taken from a rifle-musket and bored-up, with the bolster and/or original breechplug removed and replaced with a simple plug and a touchhole drilled. My comment on the brass bands was just a statement of personal preference - the bands look right for such an arm, and are perfectly fitted - they did not move at all during shooting, and, as I said, are easily removed and replaced.
The seller merely said that the original owner is in bad health, is disposing of some of his things, and bought the escopeta in New Mexico some years ago. When I see the seller again, I plan to ask for more details, if available.

mhb - MIke

 

[rickystl]

Hi Mike

New Mexico. Hmmmm. Now that might be a clue to the maker, along with the hand-made evidence of the lock. There is a chance that your gun (and/or lock) was made by Brian Anderson, who just recently finished an Escopeta for me that I posted on the Photos Section of the Forum. The reason I mention this is that Brian has made miquelet locks from scratch. He currently lives in Vermont but - is originally from New Mexico. It might be worth sending him a couple pics of your gun and see if he recognizes it.

Rick

 

[mhb]

Hi Mike

New Mexico. Hmmmm. Now that might be a clue to the maker, along with the hand-made evidence of the lock. There is a chance that your gun (and/or lock) was made by Brian Anderson, who just recently finished an Escopeta for me that I posted on the Photos Section of the Forum. The reason I mention this is that Brian has made miquelet locks from scratch. He currently lives in Vermont but - is originally from New Mexico. It might be worth sending him a couple pics of your gun and see if he recognizes it.

Rick

Rick:
If you are able to contact Brian, you might have him look at the photos posted here. I'd certainly like to know more about this one. My guess is/was that Claude (Pappy) Suffolk could have made it...

Thanks;

mhb - MIke

 

[DaveC]

The Vermonter Brian Anderson posted wondrous and awesome photos of a build he did using both Rifle Shoppe and original parts, yes?

 

[hanshi]

What a cool acquisition!

 

[Baxter]

I love that lock, the buttplate too. Thanks for posting. What fun that must be!

 

[rickystl]

Mike: I'll send you a PM.

Rick

 

[rickystl]

Mike: Sent Brian Anderson a Link to this Thread. And here is the response I received:

"Yes - l did make it - maybe in the 1980s . it was the first one l made and was inspired by an early 18t century light infantry musket common to the presidios in the southwest.

The barrel is a recycled civil war musket bbl - possibly british / l made all the other parts.

Glad to see it back in use / thanks for letting me know it turned up

Brian

Pappy Suffolk made quite a bunch of guns but no escopetas that l was aware of."

Rick

 

[mhb]

Mike: Sent Brian Anderson a Link to this Thread. And here is the response I received:

"Yes - l did make it - maybe in the 1980s . it was the first one l made and was inspired by an early 18t century light infantry musket common to the presidios in the southwest.

The barrel is a recycled civil war musket bbl - possibly british / l made all the other parts.

Glad to see it back in use / thanks for letting me know it turned up

Brian

Pappy Suffolk made quite a bunch of guns but no escopetas that l was aware of."

Rick

Rick:

Muchisimas gracias, 'mano! I'm glad to know who made this one, and extend my very best respects to its maker - I bow to a mechanic! I met Pappy a couple of times, and have 3 of his guns - I don't know that he ever made an escopeta, either, but he certainly could have.
Did Brian say for whom the arm was made, or to whom he sold it?

Very best;

mhb - MIke

 

[Rudyard]

Its heartening to see the appreciation for the Escopeta . I made one up too, as I acquired just an original baldrick hook evidently well worn and I had a Miguelet lock likely North African but suitable enough so using a old 16 bore shotgun barrel knocked up' the wooden bit' in Catalan Border Guard style Just to save the floating belt hook and put the lock into some context rather than these being Just bits in a box and to serve as an example for displays The Bands are a great idea I think very practicle and I beleive the thinking was that Spanish barrel makers & for that matter Turkish / Persian Ect barrel makers though it sacrelidge to cut dove tails into their buetifull barrels . Rudyard

 

[rickystl]

Hi Mike: Another response from Brian:

"l think l made it for myself / l had lived in new mexico twenty years and was beginning to discover spanish colonial arms

l do remember who l sold it to / he brought it back after a year or so and had me shorten the barrel so he could use it in a canoe.

l saw it change hands later - then it got snarled in social politics and disappeared.

Where did it turn up?

Thanks for letting me know about this"

Brian

 

[mhb]

Hi Mike: Another response from Brian:

"l think l made it for myself / l had lived in new mexico twenty years and was beginning to discover spanish colonial arms

l do remember who l sold it to / he brought it back after a year or so and had me shorten the barrel so he could use it in a canoe.

l saw it change hands later - then it got snarled in social politics and disappeared.

Where did it turn up?

Thanks for letting me know about this"

Brian

Rick:
Very much obliged for the further information! It appears that this may be the only existing miquelet canoe gun! Tell Brian that it turned-up at the local (Sierra Vista, AZ) Lions Club swap meet, with the story of having come from New Mexico. And tell him that the folks at the Historical Society liked it as much as I do.

Best to you and Brian;

mhb - MIke

 

[rickystl]

Hi Mike. Glad to be of some help. Fun solving these little mysteries. LOL I'll let Brian know.

Rick