What the heck is this thing and where did it come from??

[sean69]

Dad picked this up at some auction. no idea what he paid ... wondering what it is and where it came from...

lots of pics, I couldn't find any BP markings or caliber , barrel bands don't appear to be even for this gun [gun??]

it appears to be .54 caliber size, touch hole is drilled right through, it does spark .. pretty strange.

I'm thinking it's some kind of non-firing replica or kit gun. the barrel does say made in belgium.

note the funny octagon to round machining.... thoughts??

 

[Steppenwolf]

It looks like one of the hundreds of guns that came out of Belgium at the time of the U.S. Bicentenary. They used the event to sell off a bunch of "muskets" made up out of recycled or unused original parts with some new bits added. I saw one with just a steel conduit pipe as a barrel. The fellow bought as an original piece and was not amused when advised not to fire it.

 

[tiriaq]

I remember these guns being sold. Inexpensive. Made in Belgium from odds and ends of parts, some old, some new. Probably best as a wall hanging curio.

 

[sean69]

I remember these guns being sold. Inexpensive. Made in Belgium from odds and ends of parts, some old, some new. Probably best as a wall hanging curio.

I tend to agree with the wall hanging bit ... might be fun to put a few "blanks" through it - it's 6 feet long!!! but I don't think I want to actually try a projectile.

it actually came with 2 wall hangers!

-sean

 

[stevejones]

The barrel is proof marked. From what I know the proof mark pre dates 1898. I believe most of it is built from NOS parts. I has something similar in percussion.

SJ

 

[galamb]

The coil spring on the lock is a dead giveaway that at least that component was built no earlier than the 1970's - typically seen on locks built for Spanish and Italian made rifles sold by American companies such as Thompson Center, Traditions, Dixie Gun Works etc.

While the barrel proof mark dates between 1811 and 1892 and is a valid Belgian proof, if this was built as a "replica" piece, the mark could have been placed there yesterday. Many proof stamps etc are available to black powder hobby builders who are fussy about the smallest of details.

Other "issues" are the back action lock which came into "vogue" in the 1850's, about 30 years "after" flintlocks went out of style in favour of caplocks.

The sideplate, from the limited view looks to be the style you would find on a British musket and the screws look quite modern.

So agree - it looks to be a "decoration" that was cobbled together from possibly leftover vintage and newer parts to be sold to souvenir collectors, not gun collectors.