DESCRIPTION: North African Mukahla musket with snaphance style lock. Caliber: 16 mm. This type of musket is characteristic to Tetuan region of Morocco. This region was famous for superior quality guns! The high quality workmanship in Tetuan region is attributed to the descendants of Jews expelled from Spain. The stock of the gun is plain, with no decorations of any kind. Nice ivory buttplate. Very good quality half-round, half-octagonal barrel. Arabic proof/signature is present on the side of the snaphance lock. Nice dark walnut stock looks almost like ebony! The lock is nicely decorated with silver inlays. Four brass barrel bands engraved in floral motifs. Simple, non-adjustable rear and front sights. The ramrod is missing. Overall length: 67 inch. Barrel length: 53.25 inch. CONDITION: Overall, the musket is in very good+/fine condition. The external parts of the lock are well preserved, with no wear. The barrel is covered with brown patina. The snaphance style lock needs an adjustment, as the hammer is stuck in one position. The hardwood stock shows some wear, mainly along the barrel lines. The front part of the stock shows some cracks (under the barrel bands). One counter screw is missing. One, or two barrel bands are also missing. The front part of the forestock was either shortened, or broken off, with a piece of wood missing. A nice example of the seldom encountered Mukahla musket for a collector of Islamic firearms. (Ref. "A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor", by George Cameron Stone , p. 257, also in "Islamic Weapons. Maghrib to Moghul", by Anthony C. Tirri, p.20).
