Hello, any information you may have would be appreciated. If you need better or more pictures, let me know. The previous owner told me it was either French or British made from the 18th century. Approximate length: 18in. I personally have very little knowledge on these vintage firearms.
Need help identify a vintage flintlock blunderbuss pistol/short rifle
- Thread starter AAandJ
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cositrike
40 Cal.
This is neither French nor English, in my opinion. Much more likely a tourist piece from the Kyber area, I’m afraid
rafterob
62 Cal.
A picture of the top of the barrel may reveal some additional barrel decoration. I lean towards the "tourist" piece also. The crude engraving and overall parts fit doesn't scream authentic to me.
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You have an Ottoman blunderbuss. Sometimes loosely referred to as a "knee pistol". While they likely developed at sometime in Europe, they were never popular in the European Continent or North America. However, for some reason they remained extremely popular throughout the Ottoman Empire up through the 3rd Quarter of the 19th Century. Which is the likely reason there are many surviving examples available today. Your's was probably made at one of the many gun making centers in the Balkans anywhere from about 1800-1880. Flintlocks were still in wide use in that part of the world. These were assembled with either imported European parts or locally made items, or in combination. There are no two exactly alike (unless built as a pair). They can be either plain or highly decorated, and everywhere in between. While there are crude, "tourist" copies of this style, I believe your's is legit. Nice looking, simple piece.
Here is another example for comparison:
Rick
Here is another example for comparison:
Rick
