Malaysian matchlock musket (satinggar espingarda)

[Cathey]

Hi Philip,

I was wondering if you had any thoughts about the age of this particular gun, I thought perhaps 18th to early 19th Century?

Cheers Cathey and Rex

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Cathey

... I was wondering if you had any thoughts about the age of this particular gun, I thought perhaps 18th to early 19th Century?...

Ah, this takes a real expert; maybe Philip is able to discern that, judging by the photos and not having it in hand.
The thing is that, contrary to Western weapons, Eastern models may go on for centuries maintaning the same characteristics; thus their age may not be attributed by their design but by subtle details, like finishing perfection and other such details.

[Philip]

Cathey,
I have a Malay gun of the same "model" as yours, same stock profile and style of decoration. It's a monster:
Weight 11.76 lb , approx. 5.88 kg
Caliber 16.5 mm, approx. .62 in
Barrel thickness across flats at breech 32 mm (almost 2x bore diameter)
Overall length 61.75 in., approx. 155 cm

The point of balance is 68 cm from the end of the buttplate, this is where the piece sits level if rested on a block at that very point. I am of average height and have been shooting all kinds of rifles since I was a kid, and even a bigger guy than I am will have trouble keeping aim from a standing position because most peoples' arms aren't long enough to reach the balance point and simultaneously support the weight of the gun. Imagine how much trouble a people of shorter and lighter build like most Malays would have!

So clearly the dimensions of these guns makes them most unsuitable for hunting, especially in tropical rainforests. Another thing, the heavy serpentines coupled with the weakness of the brass mainsprings make for an extremely slow lock time after the trigger releases the sear. Positively sluggish! Most game animals wouldn't hang around that long.

In the paucity of written references on these guns, I recall seeing some mention of these being fired from some kind of support, possibly for defensive purposes. Can't recall the title and author at moment, unfortunately. But it makes sense considering how massive these things are. The extremely thick barrel walls at the breech probably mean that a really heavy powder charge can be accommodated, far more than would be safe in a lighter hunting gun. Were these intended for shot, or ball? Hard to say. My example has no sights, so hard to imagine any utility with a solid projectile. If a gun like this were loaded to the max with buckshot, and fired at attackers from atop a palisade, it would be in its element for sure.

For comparison purposes, I have 2 other specimens, of different buttstock shapes and deco style. One has the flaring butt that you compared with Japanese style gunstocks, that's almost as heavy as the piece I'm discussing here and it too has no sights. The other one is longer but a good deal lighter and and aimable, and it has a foresight in the form of a little tube at the muzzle, but no backsight.

It's conceivable that these mega-muskets did play the same tactical role as "gingals" did in Burma, India, and China (and the corresponding "fusils de rempart" or "Wallbüchsen" in Europe), supplementing the artillery. Recall that the Malay Archipelago was famous for its "lantaka" cannon, those bronze swivel cannon which were based on Portuguese and Dutch prototypes.

[Cathey]

Hi Guys

I have finally thought to measure parts of the gun to give you an idea of its size as well as weight. It is slightly shorter than Phillips example.

Weight 4.7 kg
Overall Length 59 5/8” 151.5 cm
Barrel length 48 ½ “123.3 cm
Stock length 11 1/8” 28.4 cm
Lock plate 10” 25.5 cm
Butt width 3 1/8” 8 cm

Cheers Cathey and Rex

[fernando]

Good.
In that case you may discard the possibility of this being a gun needing a resting fork or a wall as, with such length, it falls within the 'portable' shoulder guns range, hence your lecture becoming more concise

[fernando]

How did it go with your lecture, Cathey ?

[Cathey]

Hi Fernando

Thanks to you and Phillip it went very well, I actually had to reduce the information. Again, thanks so much, I now know a lot about something I knew nothing about.

Cheer Cathey and Rex