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Protector of Dewa Province, a grand-sounding title conferred upon certain people, or later in some instances self-awarded, and later still used as artistic decoration to give the impression it was owned by a Lord or someone rich. Best to ignore that for the time being.

The gun itself (without seeing it) was probably made sometime in the Edo Period before Western guns came flooding in. Taking a stab, 1600-1850 as a start. The short name on its own does suggest a gun from the earlier part of Edo.

 

PS We’re a trusting lot here and use real first names and at least a real initial for the family name. ;8)

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Thanks for the additional shots.

 

Your gun has most of the flamboyant features of Sakai (the Osaka area) which back up the signature, such as the large chrysanthemum mekugi-ana surrounds and the octagonal poppy head muzzle with silver stripes of inlay. Well-used, it is a good example of this rather smaller bore type. There should be a thread somewhere on this area of manufacture.

 

As to date, these were produced over a couple of hundred years, so it not really possible to pin it down any further with those shots alone. Without a lower name we have to consider that this was made by the founder of the line, which on its own might push it back to the 1600s.

 

Interestingly there is said to be a 6 Monme gun made by this smith in the In-no-Shima Suigun Jo, where the Murakami Suigun (pirates) have their exhibition rooms.

 

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%A0%E5%B3%B6%E6%B0%B4%E8%BB%8D%E5%9F%8E

https://www.ononavi.jp/sightseeing/showplace/detail.html?detail_id=247

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This is going to sound weird, but I do not think there is anyone out there who can tell you much more than you've learned in this thread. The zogan barrel inlay fancy decoration was probably added later in the gun's history. So no, I do not think it would be worth it for this specific gun. There are more detailed criticisms or words of praise that could be made, but so far no-one else has joined this thread! There is a fascinating general story behind guns in Japan which would be worth reading up on, and any history of guns in Osaka, Sakai and Negoro too.

 

You could try (re)moving the Bisen barrel plug, and then see if the barrel is clean, and it would of course be useful to measure the internal barrel bore/caliber as that really defines its specific purpose. People like to keep a record of the overall measurement, and barrel length too.

 

The word 'rifle' is useful in English, but as it is a smoothbore not strictly accurate. We have to fall back on other words, like long gun, musket, etc.

 

You do not indicate if this gun is purely for decoration. Do you have other guns? Will you be collecting the matchlock tools and equipment that go with a Tanegashima long gun?

 

Does '2k' refer to USD or GBP? Either way that sounds about right for a well-used (see pan) example like this. Maybe even a good deal in the Western market? (Not my area of expertise)

 

All of the above are personal opinions and may need tempering with other voices.

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I collect ww2 Japanese military( swords, guns, uniforms, flags, etc) here in the states which is getting harder to find lately. I saw the long gun at a local gun show and thought it was cool looking and was hopeing it was old ( before 1700's) thought the price was fair and bought it. I Would like to add another one in the furture maybe a large monme cannon type. I thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and posting your opinions which I respect.

 

 

Regards,

Ace. H

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Congratulations Ace on your first buy, better than I managed, but mine I did love dearly, and it (she?) taught me a lot as I handled it (her?).

 

Good luck with the search for a big-monme-number Ozutsu (hand cannon). I never got beyond 30 Monme, but it cost me serious money.

You could of course also aim in the meantime for a military gun, less decorations, but with bigger bore of around 1.5~1.6 cm.

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I was able to remove plug here are some pics of plug and port.

Port is around12-13 mm sorry did not have calipers for exact.

Plug threads are 50mm long and around 12-13mm wide

Barrel is 1016mm long without plug

Long rifle with barrel in stock is1295.5mm

 

With measurements any ideas it was used for?

 

Thank you

 

Ace H.

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Normal cleaning is done with very hot water and a few drops of detergent. Use a ramrod or scouring stick. Wrap a towel around the barrel to avoid burns when handling hot iron and hot water. The residual heat will allow the barrel to dry itself. Use pressure blow around the lockwork to remove trapped water.

 

Your barrel is heavily rusted and pitted inside, so no need to worry too much on what type of brush you use, but copper or brass wire should be good, and steel if necessary. Be prepared to wear out good brushes in the process. Repeat hot water scouring multiple times until the water loses those red and black discolorations and starts to run clear. Allow to cool and clean bore with new kitchen towel, cloths and new brushes and when (somewhat) satisfied, polish out, applying rust preventive gun oil. Just remember, most of these barrels are heavily pitted, so do not expect miracles. If you are hoping to fire it, get it checked by a testing authority.

 

In all the Tanegashima matchlock barrels that I have handled, only two still had a bore with an internal partly-mirror finish. 

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I also have a matchlock and a percussion musket that I would like to find some information on.  I have not yet taken the percussion apart, but the matchlock has engraved writing on the underside of the barrel that has yellow paint applied and wiped off.  Any information on what the writing says would be appreciated.

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Two nice examples you have there Barry. This might have been better in your own thread!!! ?

 

If Ace does not mind, I will just give you a quick reading of the Mei, which has probably simply been highlighted by someone attempting to read it. This matchlock is called a Hazama-zutsu, (a kind of wall-gun) with long barrel and narrow bore, among the features typical of A-shu, or Awa Province in the east of Shikoku (Tokushima today), under the rule of the Hachisuka family. 

阿州大嶋房之助高吉作 Not sure how to pronounce that 100%, but my first guess would be "A-Shu, O-shima Fusa-no-suke Takakichi (or Kokichi) saku" (= made by). 

Earlier than the percussion gun, it was probably made in the mid-late Edo Period, but almost impossible to narrow it down further than that.

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Thank you very much!   I saw the words you wrote, but don't now what they mean.  Could you help me on that?  I know nothing about these guns.  I am not a collector of them.  Is there a market for them?

 

I may put up a new post on them so that I can show them off!  I thought the wall gun was a reproduction as it is in such good condition.

 

Thank you again.  Barry

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Can I assume you mean re the Mei inscription?

 

Just like those Mei found on many of the tangs of Japanese traditional swords, you will often find a brief record from the smith who made the barrel of a Tanegashima smoothbore matchlock. The information takes time to chisel in, and space is limited, so any information you do get will be cryptic. If you look to the above right of the name you might see on another facet more letters indicating how the barrel was forged.

 

It will start with the province in Japan, then you might get a town or village, and finally a smith name, plus ‘saku’ meaning ‘made by’. The name usually starts with a family forge name, and ends with an individual from that workshop.

 

There were various gunsmith communities around Japan from the late 1540s right up to around the end of the Edo (Tokugawa) Period 1870. Yours was made in the east of the fourth main island of Japan, Shikoku.

 

There is a market for them, as you presumably bought yours. They do not generally command prices like high-end swords, but an exceptional Japanese matchlock might surprise you. At the lower end you might find one for considerably less than 1,000 USD.

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Uwe, you are absolutely correct. It could be read either way, but with Taka maybe -yoshi is better. :thumbsup:

 

Unfortunately there is now no way of knowing which pronunciation this smith preferred, Kōkichi or Takayoshi. The former sounds basic or earthen, and the latter sounds more classical to me.

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This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one, unless your post is really relevant and adds to the topic..

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