Anyone know what this is?

[Ed P]

Attachment 22247Attachment 22248

[ebeeby]

Um, a rose bush? Need better photos.

[joem]

WAG : Persian type rifle. Bigger and better pictures would help.

[JBinIll]

WAG:Typical of muzzle loading guns from the Indian sub-continent.Indian,maybe Afghani.

[Mark Daiute]

Would like better photos. I've never seen one of those Arabic weapons in that shape/configuration and the tend to have ridiculously short pulls unlike the weapon in the photos.

[JBinIll]

It is overall more typical of a firearm made in India than of Arabic or North African derivation.The squarish hump at the breech is very common on Indian muzzleloading firearms,it's not seen as a rule on Afghani and Arabic muzzleloaders.A stylistic holdover from the matchlocks.The pattern will be found in matchlock,flint,and percussion types-


Afghani-



Arabic-

[Ed P]

Here are some photos...

[Ed P]

Just posting this for a friend of mine...

[JBinIll]

Find someone who can read Hindustani script and you may be able to determine what you have or who the gun was built for.The writing on the tang is Hindustani unless I'm mistaken.The lock and breech plug are very English looking which wouldn't be unusual for a gun built in the British Raj in the mid 19th century for a wealthy Maharajah.It is much too ornate and well built to have been a common persons or soldiers weapon.Can you tell if smooth bored or rifled?I have lots of reference books on firearms but LOL not much on Indian guns.

[JBinIll]

That piece,upon a little investigation is built in the style of an Indian matchlock known as a "torador".It has several odd features not usually found on India built ones.The wedges holding the barrel,the style of the lock and breech plug,the trigger and trigger guard.All very English,the barrel and stock,very Indian.Possibly an older barrel off a matchlock gun redone to percussion by an Indian shop in mid 19th century for a nabob who wanted the latest in weaponry.