What did I buy

[gunsaholic]

Howdy. I just picked this up off of the EE so many of you saw it. Bought it for a wall hanger at the cabin. It is Belgian. I know #### squat about these, lol, so my question is, what did I buy--what did this rifle start out as ? Anyone know the model? Was it originally a 2 or 3 band?

 

[Gunny458Lott]

I think it’s an AR-14 or the even more rare AK15.

 

[bogusiii]

I think it’s an AR-14 or the even more rare AK15.

Can't be....no bayonet lug.

 

[53Izzy744]

Can't be....no bayonet lug.

Or shoulder thing that goes up.

 

[tiriaq]

Possibly the remains of a rifled musket imported during the US Civil War.

 

[Steppenwolf]

It looks like a French 1840/1842 percussion musket smooth bore .70 cal.

 

[BlackPowderBurner]

Steppenwolf likely has it right. The stock at least is very definitely French military based on that cartouche. The centre of which has a plug (rosewood I think?) to prevent theft of government property. Even if you sand off the stamp there's still a big old patch of different coloured wood.

 

[QM 8687]

It looks like a French 1840/1842 percussion musket smooth bore .70 cal.

Yep, might even find a French name like St. Etteine or whatever. Used to have one long time ago.

 

[gunsaholic]

According to the seller it has rifling so not a smoothbore and he says the bore is .820. Of course the bore may have been altered or worn giving an inaccurate reading. I was wondering about a Belgian Tanner & Cie?

 

[JP]

- Stock cartouche looks like M.B., so Manufacture de Bayonne.

- According to the seller it has rifling so not a smoothbore.

Possible, some of those were rifled after the French adopted the Minié style bullet.

 

[gunsaholic]

- Stock cartouche looks like M.B., so Manufacture de Bayonne.

- According to the seller it has rifling so not a smoothbore.

Possible, some of those were rifled after the French adopted the Minié style bullet.

Interesting. Thanks.

 

[tula]

It’s a French 1842 rifled musket. I owned one and used to shoot it. Yours has been sawed off, and they were very popular on the east coast because they were cheap.

 

[Musketfire]

Well thats Neat!
Id agree it looks french....And in terrible need of attention and a cleaning.

 

[tiriaq]

These were converted to breechloading, just as Enfield rifled muskets received the Snider conversion. The Tabatiere.
Many eventually wound up as Zulu shotguns.

 

[antiqueguy]

.820 bore is near 8 ga French musket converted into a market gun?

 

[polaris]

I think it’s an AR-14 or the even more rare AK15.

not black enough

 

[Meroh]

I saw the ad, my wife is from NFLD; old big bore rifles and smooth bores were used for market hunting sea birds. When he was a kid, they had two on their fishing boat; if there were a bunch of birds, on guy would shoot while the other loaded; often at salt-water ducks. That one is one of the shorter ones I have seen. Most are that rusty from the salt water. It is a great piece for the wall!

 

[bogusiii]

Actually looking closer I think it's an M38A1 marked up as an ambulance.

 

[gunsaholic]

I think it’s an AR-14 or the even more rare AK15.

Not bad. Your first post and it's an absolutely worthless one. Quite the way to introduce yourself.

 

[gunsaholic]

I saw the ad, my wife is from NFLD; old big bore rifles and smooth bores were used for market hunting sea birds. When he was a kid, they had two on their fishing boat; if there were a bunch of birds, on guy would shoot while the other loaded; often at salt-water ducks. That one is one of the shorter ones I have seen. Most are that rusty from the salt water. It is a great piece for the wall!

That fills in the puzzle. It started off life as a French 1842 rifled musket and somewhere along the line ended up in Newfoundland where it was "customized" into a market gun. Some of these guns sure have a "colorful" history. I will clean it up, maybe even see if I can get the lock to function. Thanks to all who provided useful information.