Caucasian Miquelet "Cossack" Pistol & Locks

[rickystl]

Hi again Hamit

Nice find. Yes, she looks in need of some tender loving care. LOL It's amazing how many of Caucasian/Circassian guns somehow ended up in the USA. They have always brought a premium at auctions. Just like their blades.

Rick

 

[peserey]

Hi again Hamit

Nice find. Yes, she looks in need of some tender loving care. LOL It's amazing how many of Caucasian/Circassian guns somehow ended up in the USA. They have always brought a premium at auctions. Just like their blades.

Rick

Hi Rick,

The USA received Circassian immigration from the Middle East before the 1900s, after the Bolshevik Revolution right after the First World War, and finally after the Arab-Israeli War. Unfortunately, the first two groups in particular were not very wealthy and may have had to sell their family heirlooms.

 

[peserey]

Hi guys,
These are the contents of the Circassian Flintlock I bought yesterday. I thought the barrel was clicked and after trying for a while, these came out. I couldn't save some of the gunpowder (about 1/4 of it). It was an interesting surprise.

I don't have precise weighing, but about 6-7 grams of gunpowder, about 14 grams of lead.
Gunpowder still fires, albeit with some difficulty.

 

[rickystl]

GREAT!!! Save everything from the load in the barrel in a small, thick plastic bag for display. Very cool.

One of my Albanian Tanchika muskets had a load in it's barrel.

Rick

 

[cyten]

very cool to see! Great discovery, was just laughing about what Serge said on facebook about having bought one of these and having found 3 joints and some soviet cigarettes stuffed down the barrel

 

[Barud]

This one dropped by my antiques man yesterday and was quickly sold. A beautiful Circassian (I think) musket, somewhat crudely converted to fit a percussion lock of what seems to be German make (going off the nipple safety). Unfortunately it seems like its last owner didn't take good care of it. Either way, I figured it'd be in your interest.

 

[rickystl]

Hi Barud

WOW!!! Nice find. Just love the slim proportions overall, and the barrel and silver bands look great. Yes, likely a German style percussion sporting gun lock with it's nipple protector. Looks like the coversion was a rush job as you mention. LOL But that looks like it can be restored. Is the barrel smooth bore or rifled ?

Rick

 

[rickystl]

very cool to see! Great discovery, was just laughing about what Serge said on facebook about having bought one of these and having found 3 joints and some soviet cigarettes stuffed down the barrel

LOL!!! The old rule still applies....check the barrel first. LOL

Rick

 

[cyten]

This one dropped by my antiques man yesterday and was quickly sold. A beautiful Circassian (I think) musket, somewhat crudely converted to fit a percussion lock of what seems to be German make (going off the nipple safety). Unfortunately it seems like its last owner didn't take good care of it. Either way, I figured it'd be in your interest.

Wow that's a really interesting example

 

[cyten]

A point of interest, I’ve done some digging and found some information on the original prices for these guns in the Caucasus in the 18th century.
According to one document, a gun made in Istanbul cost 6 Tumani which was equal to the price of 6 oxen. Looking at a county probate file in the US from about the same time (late 18th century) I see that a pair of oxen cost $50. So we guesstimate that one Tumani is about equal to $25. So a nice decorated Turkish made gun cost about $150. This is reserved for the elite and rich, the average gun cost cost $5 (2 minaltuni) which could get you 250kg of wheat or 3 Chokha (National costume)

No clue what a gun stateside cost back then but would be interested to compare.

 

[cyten]

A couple of interesting, unusual pistols.

First is what seems to be a wheel lock converted to matchlock or even just matchlock done to resemble a wheel lock.

Next is a side hammer or “mule ear”

 

[Sam squanch]

Wow! I read the mule ear lock was an American invention….. that pistol proves otherwise. Not sure how handy a pistol in matchlock would be.

 

[rickystl]

Wow! I read the mule ear lock was an American invention….. that pistol proves otherwise. Not sure how handy a pistol in matchlock would be.

Hi Sam

From a European perspective, a matchlock handgun was likely considered useless, especially from horseback. Which prompted the invention of the wheellock. I remember when Michael T mentioned that he was not aware of any known genuine European matchlock handgun.

Of course, the Japanese appeared to make use of them to a limited degree. But the very small pistols were used as more of a dress code to signify rank or status.

Rick

 

[Sam squanch]

Could that matchlock pistol be a very old decorative item? And the lock on the mule ear pistol- maybe off a European gun or a copy? Looks from the western world to me. Maybe it came from Russia?

 

[Janissary]

Just as a point of interest, after absorbing the Caucasus, the Russian military catered to the new legion of soldiers from this region by producing long guns in particular patterns for them all the way up until the breechloading era.

I know this is a year old but I'm dying to get more info on these, if you have any. Google comes up short. Is that last one just a Berdan II with a ball trigger?

 

[cyten]

Could that matchlock pistol be a very old decorative item? And the lock on the mule ear pistol- maybe off a European gun or a copy? Looks from the western world to me. Maybe it came from Russia?

Unfortunately, I have no info as nor did the seller. Anything is possible in the imagination.

I know this is a year old but I'm dying to get more info on these, if you have any. Google comes up short. Is that last one just a Berdan II with a ball trigger?

On which model in particular? There is scarce information in English but I have some access to Russian literature.
The Berdan has a much slimmer stock, shorter barrel, three thin barrel bands, button or “reeded drum” trigger (as the Russian manual called it) and sling arrangement like that of the Khirimi and what would become standard for the Mosin Nagant in the 20th century

 

[cyten]

I found a better photo to see the differences in the models
Infantry
Dragoon
Cossack
Carbine

Here's a technical drawing of the Model 1860, essentially the Model 1844 but rifled and with a rear sight. This was the first military issued cossack model with ball trigger

And if i'm not mistaken, the first cossack model used by the military is the Model 1832. You can see the similarities with the stock and the original Khirimi. Though the sling placement in the wrist seems like it would be very uncomfortable

 

[TobJohn]

I found a better photo to see the differences in the models
Infantry
Dragoon
Cossack
Carbine
View attachment 276434

Here's a technical drawing of the Model 1860, essentially the Model 1844 but rifled and with a rear sight. This was the first military issued cossack model with ball trigger
View attachment 276435

And if i'm not mistaken, the first cossack model used by the military is the Model 1832. You can see the similarities with the stock and the original Khirimi. Though the sling placement in the wrist seems like it would be very uncomfortable
View attachment 276436
View attachment 276437

That ball trigger Berdan II is very cool!

 

[rickystl]

I notice the flintlock - lock on that 1832 looks similar to the French 1777 and later locks, as well as the U.S. Springfield locks of the early 1800's. Of course, gun designs and features were often borrowed from different countries.

Interesting how that ball trigger persisted on the Cossack Berdan, even at this late stage.

Rick

 

[cyten]

RickView attachment 149170

Here is a Tromblon blunderbuss with a nearly identical design

And a period photo of a man carrying one