strange tanegashima

[Yamazakura Fr]

Hello

I have see this tanegashima with strange barrel protection

you can see on the pics that the ama ooi is fixed on the barrel by one rivet

also you can see one median hole that communicate with the barrel

So this barrel protection his non conform like the hituba (pancover)

what do you think

caliber 12 mm total length 107 cm weight 2,120 kg

Thank you regards

 

 

 

[Geraint]

Dear Bernard.

 

The pan cover and barrel protector are late replacements done by someone with little idea of what they were doing.  So also I think the barrel band.  The rest looks quite worn.

If you are a competent metalworker then replacing these items is not too difficult.  If you are thinking of buying this then I feel it would need to be quite cheap.

 

All the best.

[Bugyotsuji]

Geraint is correct. Be prepared to get this gun restored. Are the zogan decorations on the barrel what attract you?

 

The photographs do not tell us enough about this gun. I wonder why they suggest it is from the 1600s?

[Peter Bleed]

I want to speak IN FAVOR of this gun.

To see sure, it has been modified. And this work looks well outside  the usual efforts of Japanese gunsmiths. In my part of the world, gun slicks say that this guns "has been cowboyed."

Now in polite collectors' circle, modifications like this are "BAD" and either avoided or undone.

I feel, however, that we should NOT ignore modifications that were made to Edo period arms. In fact, lots of guns were updated and/or re-purposed in bakumatsu and early Meiji times. I do not think this work should be ignored or destroyed. It reflects processes and techniques that were out there. I'd like to know who was doing this work, and why it was being done.

Peter

[Bugyotsuji]

Peter, my only question would be whether such work was done in Japan or later on in the West. The amaooi was a well-known fix, so why would someone use screws there?

[Viper6924]

I agree with Piers that this matchlock got some age to it. The ”modifications” is most likely made in the West. I have seen some really ugly work done, orginating both from the US as well as from Europe. But this is nothing that can’t be reversed. We have a guy in Sweden that does amazing work with Japanese matchlocks.

I think this matchlock def warrent a ”fix-me-up”. I wonder if it’s signed?

 

Jan