No Name Zouave / Safe? Who made it?

[ToothPick]

Just bought this last night. It came with powder, minie balls, Lee bullet mold, musket caps, cleaning supplies, powder measures etc.

Former owner said he thought it was a older repro but that is all he knew about it. He also stated that he shot it. Gun is a beater, missing front fore end cap and swivel and shows a fair amount of pitting around nipple. Barrel is patina gray/brown, bore is good and stock looks like someone might of refinished it with tru oil in the past.

What is odd about it is there is no makers marks or proof marks that I can see. I did take it apart to check everywhere for any ID.

Only marks anywhere are a Eagle on the lock and on the barrel is Made in Italy, Black powder only and .58 Cal.

I only have about $80 into this gun so don't worry about hurting my feelings.

Any info appreciated.

 

[Treestalker]

The Zouave is a strong gun with a patent breech, and should be safe but get some one to check it out for you; the trigger looks familiar, maybe Dixie Gun Works? The gun looks like one of the lower quality guns made, as you said, some years ago. For the money, you bought the stuff and got the gun free! Be leery of the powder, sometimes it's not what it says on the can. Navy Arms made the last one I owned, I gave $300 for it and used 60 gr 2f with a 505gr minie bullet greased with Crisco. If your gun has a good bore, enjoy. If it has a ruined bore , you can probably have it bored out to a .62 cal 20 ga, as was done to many originals after the War Between the States and sold to native tribesmen in Africa. They plugged just about everything with one, I even heard of a tribesman shooting a buffalo with an old car battery post! :shocked2: Anyway you did good, congratulations amd mucho smoke. :thumbsup: Geo.

 

[dave61965]

It's pretty common in the reenacting crowd to defarb or polish all the importers marks off to make them look more authentic, some pay good money to have it done and stamped like an original, I'd check it over good or have it checked out just to make sure whoever ground the marks off the barrel didn't get too aggressive and make the barrel too thin, mine was marked on top of the barrel and I don't know how much you would have to take off to be smooth, be safe for sure.

 

[Treestalker]

Good point, Jim! :thumbsup: :hatsoff: Geo

 

[BEP]

It still says "Made in Italy" and "Black Powder Only" on barrel. Doubt that it's been defarbed.

 

[ol vern]

Maybe it was a kit.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

looking at the breech, it appears as if the breech are screws out of the main barrel. This is different construction that a Zoli Zouave. I had such a barrel. It is a three piece barrel, held together by something approximating a short breech collar. The barrel screws to the collar on one end and the breech with bolster screws on to the other end. This leaves a definite gap/lip in the barrel, about 1.5 to 2 inches ahead of the breech.



And here is a maker's mark of the most likely culprit that made your gun.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

on the underside of the barrel, mine says Euroarms.

 

[ToothPick]

Thanks to all for the info!

 

[nhmoose]

Junk, I will send you $150 and shipping for all to get rid of it properly. :rotf: :rotf:

 

[bob308]

some ties only the makers name was removed. in the n-ssa certain makers were not allowed.

 

[hawkeye2]

"in the n-ssa certain makers were not allowed." True however the maker's name must be present (and it must be an approved maker) or the arm cannot be used.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Check the underside of the barrel.

LD

 

[Calum]

Also, since the Zouve is of questionable use in the CW (and use is frowned upon, even moreso than most 2 banders), there is less chance that someone would have put the time/money into defarbing it.

That it has the eagle indicates that it is probably an earlier repro. I forget when exactly, but Remington sued to have the eagle not able to be used, since that specifically identified it to the Remington model. The later repros have a plain lockplate.

Calum

 

[Trot]

Actually even todays replica Zouaves have the Eagle, it was the word Remington that caused the issue on the early repros. The eagle didn't identify it to Remington, the Eagle appeared on all US rifles and muskets of the period, even those made under contract, that is why it appeared on the Remington Zouave.

 

[nhmoose]

:blah: Not safe, send to me for proper disposal.

 

[Calum]

Interesting. Apparently I got my information crossed. My Zouave (Armi Jager) is a later one, that was bought used, and has the plain lockpate.

Thanks for the correction.

Calum