matchlockshooter

Thank you, Were the bisen also wrapped in thin lead sheet if too loose? On another one I solved the problem with flax strands which works perfect. Is my asumption correct that the dragon (and mon, Kikkawa?) was put on for the tourist trade? Thanks again fo the info.

Thank you Piers. That is a lot of valuable information. The gun is approx. 125 cm and the barrel 92 cm with a .45 caliber (11.45 mm). The weight = 2,35 kilo. The bisen is very loose and almost falls out on his own weight. The flash hole is worn out, but the rest is in good condition.

Good day to everyone, I am looking for information on this matchlock. I think it is a Sendai gun but that is about all I know. It is rather simple and probably later on decorated for the tourists. They also added more "sofisticated" sights but these can be removed without damage. All infomation is welcome of course.

That is seems right. It looks like all the rust has been removed (by a chemical proces?) because you can see the pitting onder the barrel and on some other places. Luckily they didn't touch the bore. The only patina is on the brass parts Leo

Yes, there is a hole through the front sight. Pictures attached

Thank you for the excellent information I otherwise never would have found. The bore is bright like a mirror and it looks like the gun has never be fired. Just somt outside pitting I Like the simplicity and beauty of its slenderness. I handles like a charm. Was the sighting over the two slots in the rear and front sight or were there attachements involved?

2 more pictures

Hi, I recently bought a matchlock with a caliber of approx. 7mm. It looks almost unused. There are some characers on the stock and beneath the barrelI I would like to know the meaning of. Could a matchlock with such small caliber be used for training or for a child? The gun measures 59 ½” long overall with a 45 ½” octagonal barrel. Bore is bright. Any other info is of course very much appreciated. I already learned from some other members (I posted in the wrong section) that the meaning of the Kanji on the stock can be "5 Bu 3 Rin Gun Barrel (± 16 mm)". The barrel is between 14 (muzzle) and 18 (breech) mm wide. Thank you very much for answers. Regards LeoM I submitted some more pictures of the characters on the barrel. I hope these are better readable.

Thank you for the translations. Do you maybe also know what the meaning could be? Is it accurate at 3 miles or 18 mm? Was a 7mm caliber gun used to hunt rabbits or vermin? I will try to disassemble it this weekend. Maybe it is signed. LeoM

Hi Brian, that is correct. I didn't take it apart yet, but most of it seems iron. Although a small part (about 4 inches) is broken of, he ramrod is still complete and present..

L.S. I recently bought a matchlock with a caliber of approx. 7mm. It looks almost unused. There are some characers on the stock I would like to know the meaning of. Could a matchlock with such small caliber be used for training or for a child? The gun measures 59 ½” long overall with a 45 ½” octagonal barrel. Bore is bright. Also how should the front sight insert look like? Thank you very much for answers. Regards LeoM

The gun is fully functional and probably safe to shoot. The lock is inernally identical to an Enfield lock. LeoM

Caliber is .575 smoothbore. I made a picture of he gun next to a three band whitworth rifle. The but has a rather peculiar form and is short.

Hi Brian, the lock is just a plane lock, no markings at all as you would expect from an english Enfield lock. I will make and post some pics asap. LeoM

Hi to all, I have been reading the topics on Japanese guns on this board for some time now and have found good information from the very knowledgeable people on this board. I am a novice but have a keen interest in Japanese guns. Recently I bought a Japanese Enfield like gun at an auction that is very elaborately inlaid, barrel as wel as stock, with different materials, probably copper, brass and mixtures of these? The sights are similar to those on matchlocks. The front sight is missing the silver insert, but that is an easy repair. The backsight has the simple block-form. I have searched the internet for similar guns but found nothing so far. Can anyone shed some light on this gun? Is it possible to translate the the Japanese character (stamp) on the stock? Any information regarding this gun is very appreciated. LeoM