Odd sized Matchlock

[Tengu1957]

This is a new acquisition , it's 27 inches long and 7 lbs so seems a little too long for a pistol and too short for a carbine. 0.75 inch bore. 

Silver inlay of Chidori birds and waves. Silver 16 petal Kiku 

[Bugyotsuji]

Gary, generally it looks good, though some of the silver decoration looks to gave added later.

 

My mind stopped working in pounds and inches years ago, unfortunately. All my conversion charts here work in Monme' and cm... 

[Tengu1957]

68.6 cm long , 11 monme. 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

OK, that's very nice to know.  Although strictly 11 monme I am sure, guns of this size are referred to as Shizutsu (Bushi or Samurai guns) and are generally described  as 十匁筒 Ju-Monme-zutsu, or 10 Monme guns. Everyone then knows what you mean. All guns around 5,6,7 Monme are similarly rounded off and described as 六匁筒 '6-Monme guns'. For Ashigaru? Yours looks like a very healthy example. The very expression "10 Monme zutsu" sounds weighty and powerful, and is more a rank than a mathematical measurement. "11 Monme" in common parlance sounds strange, in Japanese anyway. I know Gary because I tried to tell everyone my "6 Monme" is actually 7.5 Monme. Blank stares all round. 🤷‍♂️

 

The weight probably accounts for the shorter barrel, although 7 lb (3 kg) sounds way too light for a 10/11 Monme gun. A puzzle.

 

PS Have you checked for a Mei under the barrel? ...Oh, and how did you get it to stand up like that!?!?

[Tengu1957]

I have never taken it apart , the silver Kiku do not seem to want to come off and hide the pins. It naturally stands as it is shown. Parts of the understock are flat. 

[Tengu1957]

A teaser .... Have you ever seen a stock like this ? It's a gun I am acquiring. 

[Bugyotsuji]

No, but I do know that one of the Namban-Ryu schools prided themselves on fantastically shaped guns. Could this be one, I wonder?