Ottoman / Balkan Miquelet

[Barud]

is that a human head that they are displaying??

Flaying the entire body or the head and filling the skin with straw was a punishment not unheard of in the Middle East. I managed to trace reports about the punishment all the way back to the 16th century, although keeping in mind cases such as Mansur al-Hallaj's, you can easily say that it was a phenomenon dating all the way back to the 9th-10th centuries. Accounts for the lack of eyes on the head, in my opinion.

Hi Rudyard

Yes, those rear sights don't come natural if you are not familiar with them. I sure wasn't LOL. Seems that the groove at the top was designed for quick pointing, and the lower hole(s) acting like a peep sight for longer range shooting. I haven't shot mine enough to figure this out yet.
As you mention, the Spanish - and Italians - preferred the use of barrel bands, not wanting to make dovetail cuts on their barrels. There is actually quite a number of higher end European guns in collections that sport Turkish made barrels. Their reputation must have been good during the period.
The odd shape of the butt stock actually is very comfortable to shoot. It fits in the cup of the shoulder very well.

RickView attachment 34000View attachment 34001

Something I considered was the possibility of such barrels being trophies and/or curiosities. I've seen at least one German (Austrian?) musket with a Turkish barrel and a Turkish miquelet lock to boot, and the oddest thing was, the buttstock had an inlay of the classical Turk stereotype, with the robe, turban and bow and all. This sort of East-West hybrid musket isn't the only example I've seen, either. I've seen a similar one in a stock photo and a couple more in auctions (Christie's had one, along with a very interesting westernized Kabyle musket).

Here are the pictures of the one with the buttstock Turk. It's an interesting subject, but sadly one that I'm not at all informed about.

 

[rickystl]

Here are the pictures of the one with the buttstock Turk. It's an interesting subject, but sadly one that I'm not at all informed about.

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• Yes, interesting gun. Possibly made for a customer of Turkish dissent - living in western Europe.
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• Rick

 

[Rudyard]

Perhaps restocked in Spain by' another' ? curious no bands nice gun. Regards Rudyard

 

[rickystl]

Yes, a pin-fastened barrel. It also appears to have a wood trigger guard a la German style Jager.

Rick

 

[Rudyard]

Might Be German restocking ?Interesting piece choose what.
Regards Rudyard

 

[cyten]

could be from a captured gun during the siege of Vienna.

Here is a sample of them from the museum in Vienna

 

[Rudyard]

These are very interesting guns the curved butts must be rare the trigger guards maybe added ? ,Two seem to have ringed cock provision to tighten the flint in and aid to draw back the cocks .All good .One seems to have a lower bump to the stock as if apeing the Wheellock shape a style Felix Werder for one sometimes used .c 1650 .. So I made a copy with a brass lock plate though it was just early flint .'After ' his style/ All good.Should add a pic later
Regards Rudyard

 

[cyten]

The curved butts are what came to be Bosnian Dzeferdar and Albanian Tancica/Arnauntka guns (these had triggerguards). I showed some photos on the 5th page of the Ottoman Guns thread of the different stock shapes used throughout the empire.
Yes it does appear that some have the lower wheellock "belly"

 

[Rudyard]

Dear Cyten. Once again brilliant photos unique snap shot of time wonderful stuff, Ile try get the Felix Werder pics or rather my homage 'After' his work & style.
Regards Rudyard

 

[rickystl]

The curved butts are what came to be Bosnian Dzeferdar and Albanian Tancica/Arnauntka guns (these had triggerguards). I showed some photos on the 5th page of the Ottoman Guns thread of the different stock shapes used throughout the empire.
Yes it does appear that some have the lower wheellock "belly"

Both the Balkan dzeferdar and boyliya styles are two I've never been able to add to my collection. It seems whenever I encountered an example it was in poor condition, or over-priced (IMO) if good condition. The dzeferdar butt stock does indeed remind me of some butt stocks on some early 17th Century wheellocks. They are almost an oval shape in diameter. The boyliya butt stock shape looks like a mix of Western and Ottoman style LOL. The boyliya is sometimes refered to as Bulgarian.

The butt stock shape of the metal sheathed Albanian tanchika has always been a mystery to me. The curved, narrow, and small metal fish-tail of the butt stock is not comfortable to shoot in any position. With it's long barrel and smallish butt stock, it is very muzzle-heavy to shoulder off-hand. Works much better from a bench. The usually short LOP doesn't help either. LOL. I made a rudimentary leather pad for my shooter that I can easily slip off/on to help with the recoil.

Rick