Circassian Flintlock Pistol (Before & After Restoration)

[peserey]

I had to completely rebuild the knob, the original was unrecoverable. I used buffalo horn.
The lock was completely immobile due to rust and the mainspring was broken. I thought about rebuilding it, but then it was broken at the bottom, so I welded it and heat treated it again. It works flawlessly now.

The wooden body was split in two and there was a little bit missing. I glued it and fixed the gaps with sealant. Then I covered it with leather and protected the leather with colored resin. Finally, I cleaned the barrel.

As a surprise, a load came out. A piece of cloth, gunpowder and lead pellets. I hope you will like it.

 

[rickystl]

WOW!!!! Great job. I'm assuming you were not able to save the leather stock covering. Is that a provision for an iron ramrod that I see on the bottom of the stock ?

Rick

 

[peserey]

WOW!!!! Great job. I'm assuming you were not able to save the leather stock covering. Is that a provision for an iron ramrod that I see on the bottom of the stock ?

Rick

Thank you Rick,
Nothing remained except a few cm² of the original skin. The body was completely bare.

It looks like a ramrod but only a short piece. I don't know why Circassian Flintlocks don't have a ramrod. I was very surprised when I saw the photos before purchasing as I thought he had one. When I received it, I realized that it was purely visual.

 

[rickystl]

Hi Hamit

The dark stain you used on the stock looks good.

That short piece is what we sometimes call a false ramrod. Yes, just for appearance. Never understood why many Eastern market gunmakers bothered with this feature of a "pretend" ramrod. Other pistols (most) didn't even have the appearance. Actually, this is the first time I've seen a Caucasian/Circassian pistol with this visual -only - ramrod.
Owners of pistols in the Eastern market preferred to load their pistols with a separate ramrod called a suma rod. These were usually suspended around the neck with a throng of leather. I have photos if you would like to see these ramrods.

Rick

 

[peserey]

Hi Hamit

The dark stain you used on the stock looks good.

That short piece is what we sometimes call a false ramrod. Yes, just for appearance. Never understood why many Eastern market gunmakers bothered with this feature of a "pretend" ramrod. Other pistols (most) didn't even have the appearance. Actually, this is the first time I've seen a Caucasian/Circassian pistol with this visual -only - ramrod.
Owners of pistols in the Eastern market preferred to load their pistols with a separate ramrod called a suma rod. These were usually suspended around the neck with a throng of leather. I have photos if you would like to see these ramrods.

Rick

Thank you Rick.

Yes, I know the ramrods you are talking about.
I have often seen the ones used especially in the Ottoman period in antique shops and collectors.
However, I have never seen anything like this that Circassians use for similar purposes and carry on their belt or around their neck.
Neither in old photographs, nor on the internet, nor in museums. It would be really nice if you have such an image like this.

 

[rickystl]

The two suma rods I have are Ottoman/Turkish/Balkan styles, probably similar to what you have seen. But, I also have never seen an original suma pistol rod that could be traced to a Caucasian/Circassian maker. Yes, very strange. We know they must have used them similar to other Eastern markets. Would be great if we could locate one to study - or copy LOL
Maybe Cyten will see this Post and able to locate one while he is back in Russia ?

Rick

 

[peserey]

The two suma rods I have are Ottoman/Turkish/Balkan styles, probably similar to what you have seen. But, I also have never seen an original suma pistol rod that could be traced to a Caucasian/Circassian maker. Yes, very strange. We know they must have used them similar to other Eastern markets. Would be great if we could locate one to study - or copy LOL
Maybe Cyten will see this Post and able to locate one while he is back in Russia ?

Rick

That would be absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, my searches were fruitless.

 

[peserey]

And I was finally able to read the signature on the lock. Ameli Ali (master Ali)

 

[Sam squanch]

Were the leather stock coverings glued or sewn on wet to shrink tightly to the stock wood?

 

[cyten]

great job Hamit! I will ask around my connections in Dagestan to see if I can find anything about ramrods, though I also have not found anything about them, just assumed they were similar to the Ottoman/Balkan examples, yet no photos or even paintings

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

Very nice work, one has to wonder about the load in the gun as to when it was put in!

 

[rickystl]

Were the leather stock coverings glued or sewn on wet to shrink tightly to the stock wood?

Good question Sam. The two originals, in good condition that I was able to examine, I could not tell. If I was able to remove the barrel that might have given me a clue. Perhaps a combination of both your suggestions. I only base this on an Afghan wood and leather covered powder flask that I was able to examine that was missing about half of it's leather covering. It appeared to have some type of thin glue material applied to the wood body of the flask. Then the thin, (and probably wet) leather stretched around the body of the flask and stitched. I'm guessing the latter English style, leather covered sporting flasks were made in a similar manner (?).

Rick

 

[springfield art]

I had to completely rebuild the knob, the original was unrecoverable. I used buffalo horn.
The lock was completely immobile due to rust and the mainspring was broken. I thought about rebuilding it, but then it was broken at the bottom, so I welded it and heat treated it again. It works flawlessly now.

The wooden body was split in two and there was a little bit missing. I glued it and fixed the gaps with sealant. Then I covered it with leather and protected the leather with colored resin. Finally, I cleaned the barrel.

As a surprise, a load came out. A piece of cloth, gunpowder and lead pellets. I hope you will like it.

View attachment 261627View attachment 261629View attachment 261630View attachment 261631View attachment 261633View attachment 261634View attachment 261636
View attachment 261640

Yikes! Good job!!

 

[rickystl]

Very nice work, one has to wonder about the load in the gun as to when it was put in!

When I unloaded the barrel of my Albanian musket, I took a small pinch of the powder and lit it with a match. The powder would still ignite. The powder looked more like cake flour than the corn meal type we use today.

Rick

 

[springfield art]

When I unloaded the barrel of my Albanian musket, I took a small pinch of the powder and lit it with a match. The powder would still ignite. The powder looked more like cake flour than the corn meal type we use today.

Rick

Wow! Black powder does last a long time if not soaked, like the Civil War cannon ball that exploded on a guy.

 

[JBrandon]

Very nice!
If it still had an original load, the gunflint is probably also original. Can you post a couple pics of the gunflint?
To explain my interest shortly, I study gunflints. We know a lot about the British and French gunflint industries, but very little about the Ottoman and other ones. I'm trying to gather information and material, hoping to do chemical identification of stone sources eventually.
https://www.academia.edu/43036039/Nineteenth_Century_Gunflints_from_the_Nepalese_ArmoryCheers,
John

 

[rickystl]

Very nice!
If it still had an original load, the gunflint is probably also original. Can you post a couple pics of the gunflint?
To explain my interest shortly, I study gunflints. We know a lot about the British and French gunflint industries, but very little about the Ottoman and other ones. I'm trying to gather information and material, hoping to do chemical identification of stone sources eventually.
https://www.academia.edu/43036039/Nineteenth_Century_Gunflints_from_the_Nepalese_ArmoryCheers,
John

Hi John

Thanks for your post. Here is a photo of an original gun flint and leather that came with my Caucasian rifle before it was restored. I also believe I have an original flint from one of my Afghan jazail rifles. And I do have a fire steel flint from an Afghan gun belt. I can probably take some photos if you like. As I recall, all three flints appeared to be made of the same stone. Unlike black English or French amber, they are a dull off-white color.
I've read that the flint that that was available in many of the Ottoman countries were of lesser quality than the English or French flints. Some of the countries didn't even have flint mines. But this is just what I've read. If true, I theorized that may be one of the reasons that many of the Ottoman era guns had such strong mainsprings, to help ensure sparks with the lesser quality flint available in the region.

Rick

 

[peserey]

Very nice!
If it still had an original load, the gunflint is probably also original. Can you post a couple pics of the gunflint?
To explain my interest shortly, I study gunflints. We know a lot about the British and French gunflint industries, but very little about the Ottoman and other ones. I'm trying to gather information and material, hoping to do chemical identification of stone sources eventually.
https://www.academia.edu/43036039/Nineteenth_Century_Gunflints_from_the_Nepalese_ArmoryCheers,
John

Hi John,

Yes, there was a flint on it too. I didn't think to include it in the photo. Unfortunately, due to a minor work accident, I have to rest at home for a few days. I will take photos when I return to the workshop.

 

[peserey]

Were the leather stock coverings glued or sewn on wet to shrink tightly to the stock wood?

Hi,
There was very little skin on it and there was no way to tell. However, as I have seen in Circassian works in general, they prefer to paste. I don't know if they wet it during this time or not. But I know they put some kind of protective layer. This both protects and hardens the leather. (Unfortunately I don't know what it is)

 

[Sam squanch]

Fish or hide glue , I think that’s all that was available back then.