Did they ever

[Stephen]

Come with brass Barrel?

 

https://www.proxibid.com/Firearms-Military-Artifacts/Firearms/Unmarked-Japanese-Tanegashima-Matchlock-Carbine/lotInformation/57745062

[Brian]

Good question. And since they mention oxidized barrel, I wonder if it is gilded or otherwise coated steel?

[ChrisW]

Naval prototype?

[Bugyotsuji]

Very good question, as Brian says. 

 

We know that some, but not many matchlock pistols had 'bronze' barrels, manufactured of a material called Hokin 砲金, (mainly for casting cannon). A friend of mine was firing a Tanzutsu pistol about five years ago when it blew up.

 

It was Eric on this site who repeatedly posed the question: did the Japanese ever make long-barrel Tanegashima with Hokin barrels? Sadly I was not able to find an example for him, although I never discounted the possibility that there might be examples out there somewhere. If there are, they would surely be as rare as hens' teeth.

 

As to the example in your link, Stephen, it is hard to judge from the photo what they have there. The gun looks legit, but could someone have fitted an aftermarket barrel? The pistols that I have seen, have such a dark patina that it is not easy to tell whether the barrels are hokin or iron. 

 

PS What is the meaning of arm, (the bent serpentine?) in: "the arm is likely more contemporary than antique"?

[ChrisW]

15 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

PS What is the meaning of arm, (the bent serpentine?) in: "the arm is likely more contemporary than antique"?

I think they mean the lock itself.

[Brian]

Means a modern replacement

[Bugyotsuji]

What arm? Chris, do you think they mean that the whole lock is a replacement then? Surely not as they says it’s broken...?

[ChrisW]

Could be. A lot of times, modern replacements are inferior to the originals. No idea.

[Bugyotsuji]

So they are using the word 'arm' and none of us knows what it refers to?

 

If....(to repeat) it refers to the serpentine (hammer, etc.) as being a replacement, then common sense would disagree. Why bend a replacement? I have seen plenty of bent serpentines, easy damage when a gun is mishandled and dropped. Not so easy to correct, though, as there is a danger of cracking.

 

Unless they think that it is genuine, but a shorter replacement that has been deliberately hit and stretched to bridge the problem of landing the match in the pan? 🤨

[Bazza]

"Arm" is also a term used to mean "the whole piece", "the entire weapon, lock, stock and barrel".  Eg., "He was armed to the teeth" meaning he carried a variety of weapons.

 

My reading at the time was that he thought the pistol itself was modern???

 

BaZZa.

[Justin Grant]

I frequent a few antique arms sites, and in the context of American Black-Powder rifles, they seem to refer to the ram-rod as an "arm". So reading this chaps passage, "The overall length is 38 1/2'', there is a bamboo dowel within the ramrod recess and the arm is likely more contemporary than antique." He is speaking of the bamboo dowel rod, or ram rod, and that is it in the ramrod recess (American's call it a ramrod and it's usually Hickory), so this may have led the seller to believe this is a contemporary replacement since it was bade of bamboo.

[Bugyotsuji]

Justin, that could well be the answer. Best one so far, I reckon! I’ll bet on your horse.