Post #501:
Hi Cyten
For the most part, Eastern and Western bullet molds look similar. With the occasional strange one showing up.
That is a beautiful English sporting rifle. The barrel and decoration is a clue that this gun may have been commissioned for a customer of Ottoman/Turkish decent living in England. In later years, I've found this more common than I originally thought. Ottoman barrels were held in high regard in many areas of Europe for their quality and accuracy. Their barrels show up on sporting guns in many places.
Note the rear sight combination. That tall, rear piece at the back of the breech would typically be a graduated rear sight itself, in the traditional Ottoman/Turkish manner. But instead, that rear aperture is opened up to form a "hood" (I think that's what it's called) and a Western style, three-position rear sight added. Interesting. The three sights might be graduated for 25, 50, and 75 yards (?). Or the metric equivalent.
It's certainly a cool and interesting gun that appears in near perfect condition. Thanks for posting.
Rick
I have found the Ottoman bullet molds take after the style of 15th/16th/17th century German examples.
Here are some examples of German bullet molds throughout those eras:
an illustration from 1460's
early 16th century
South German marked 1621
From the collection of the late "Matchlock" this example has a matching marking with a Landsknecht arquebus from the 1520's
Compared with the molds I posted earlier, as well as this Ottoman example & it's easy to see a connection!
As for the English rifle, as luck would have it, there is actual provenance! It was made for and belonged to Charles John Brandling, a member of Parliament of Newcastle.
It is interesting that they decided on a folding leaf sight and did away with the traditional "peep" sight. In this case, why keep any remnants of the previous rear sight? The hood does look cool though, lol.
There is a wheellock up for sale now that has an Ottoman barrel and going for big buck$$$
Hello Cyten,
maybe my barrels bore is slightly flared at 12mm but 11mm further down so would would be correct for one of those bullet moulds you showed? this would presumably allow the bullet to insert quicker when under fire.
In my vintage machine workshop I have some drawers of old measuring tools that possibly might go into the barrel and show a 1mm difference a bit further down so I'll have a look.
That sporting gun is superb, clearly the man who commissioned it knew the quality of a barrel like that
The flared muzzle does allow for quicker reloading for sure, and without the use of a "short starter" that so many American rifles use. If you have the means to measure further down, please do, inquiring minds and all. Otherwise you can use a lead fishing weight to slug the bore.
