Original item: One Only. This is a magnificent display piece, possibly the most highly decorated Shishana that we have ever seen! It is truly a work of art, as much as it is a weapon. A huge amount of time was put into producing this piece, which has massive amounts of small brass inlays in a variety of shapes, as well as lovely bone inlays on the butt stock and sides of the barrel tang. In the 17th Century the Ottoman Empire really dominated the Middle East and became a real threat to Europe. In the 1680s they laid siege to Vienna, which certainly attracted the attention of all the Western European monarchies.

By the end of the 19th Century they controlled most of the Middle East and North Africa including Egypt and further west. They were sophisticated and well organized and came to grief only by taking sides with the Central Powers of Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the First World War.

Here we offer a Classic, high quality Ottoman Miquelet Arm known as a "SHISHANA", dating probably the turn of the 19th century, and measuring a nice 35 inches in overall length. This is shorter than we usually see, so we considered that it was possibly cut down, however it definitely looks to have originally been made in this short "Carbine" length, which is not the only thing that makes it so exceptional.

These are almost always highly decorated, but this one really takes the cake! It has a wooden stock which is fitted with bone ornaments at the nose and on the sides of the barrel tang, and along with these are probably THOUSANDS of small brass inlays in several different shapes, which make some great designs on all sides of the stock. There is a green inlay material interspersed with the bone, which we have not been able to identify. As this is a Shishana, it has the characteristic "five sided" butt stock, and the trigger is a small iron ball without a trigger guard.

The carbine features a 22 1/2" rifled "Damascus" patterned octagonal barrel with a bore around .57 inches in diameter, which has silver inlays near the breech and muzzle, with some interspersed over the length of the barrel. There is even engraving and silver inlay work all over the miquelet lock, and for barrel bands, it has three pieces of embossed and engraved sheet silver. There is very little of this Shishana that is NOT decorated in some fashion, which even has inlays on the back of the butt stock.

The barrel is partly held in place by a barrel wedge near the middle, which also has a large sling ring on one end, which would match with the rectangular loop on the left side near the lock plates. This Shishana has a fixed rear "peep" sight set onto the end of the barrel, with a small copper blade at the very front of the muzzle. The Miquelet lock on this example is quite robust, and actually appears to be fully functional! It has a functional half cock, and fires at full cock, though these are delicate, so we do not recommend excessively dry firing it. There is a reason that this design was obsoleted in the late 18th Century.

This magnificent example really is very well constructed and shows real quality. The amount of time it would take to make this is simply astounding, and this is by far the most ornate example we have ever had. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:

Years of Manufacture: circa 1800
Caliber: 0.57"
Ammunition Type: Lead Ball & Powder
Barrel Length: 22 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 35 inches
Action: Miquelet Lock
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded

History of the Miquelet Lock:
Miquelet lock is a modern term used by collectors and curators, largely in the English-speaking world, for a type of firing mechanism used in muskets and pistols. It is a distinctive form of snaplock, originally as a flint-against-steel ignition form, once prevalent in Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Balkans, North Africa, Ottoman Empire and throughout Spain's colonies from the late 16th to the mid 19th centuries.

The term miquelet lock was not recorded until the 19th century, long after the appearance of the mechanism in the 16th century, and is of uncertain origin. One commonly held view is that it was coined by British troops in the Peninsular War to describe the style of musket used by the Miquelet (militia) that had been assigned to the Peninsular Army of the Duke of Wellington.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.