Translation of marks on Tanegashima rifle

[Wavemaker]

I would like some assistance in translating the markings on this rifle and possibly determining it's age and authenticity. Sorry, the pics of the marking under the barrel are the best I can get.

[Bugyotsuji]

The gun looks good from here John, well used, with some minor damage and the original coating stripped off completely.

 

The Mei looks to be 正忠 Masatada (or 正良 Masayoshi) + Saku, but I cannot immediately find a record of either personal name without the smith family name above.

 

The gun does have some distinguishing features, but not really enough for me to place it geographically. (Kunitomo?) As to age, we can say loosely mid-Edo.

 

On the side of the butt is the 壬申 Jinshin Bango number from the great round-up of 1872.

Looks like 1,873 号 ('go' =number).

Under that may be コクフケン 'Kokufu Ken', an early Gifu Prefecture name(国府県?) but I haven't yet figured that out.

In early Meiji, the old Han were abolished and a new system of prefectures was introduced. Some of the new prefectures only lasted a few years, merging with others for example, but many kept their original name.

 

(Still working on it)

 

PS Since the barrel has no rifling, it might be better to call it a Tanegashima (smoothbore) matchlock long gun, etc.

 

 

 

[Wavemaker]

That's wonderful. Keep me posted on your research. Thank you.

[Wavemaker]

Maybe I wasn't far off. I pulled this up but seems like the one character is missing a line.

[Bugyotsuji]

...is it 1,000 or 2,000? 一千, 二千? Hard to tell with those shadows, but try this  一千八百七十三

 

[Wavemaker]

Also wanted to add this. Google translate came up with the top word for those characters. Closest I could find to it was the bottom word. May be way off base. No expert.

[Bugyotsuji]

Many of the stamps are not clear, so they are to a degree open to interpretation.

 

Usually with these Jinshin registration numbers there is an indication somewhere on the barrel or stock nearby noting the place of registration.

 

If we follow the same direction as the numbers (which go from right to left), then the bottom word makes sense as Kokufu Ken コクフケン. With the Kanji it would be, as I said above, 国府縣 if you use the old kanji 縣 for 県 Ken (prefecture). (Originally I thought it might be ユリフ, but that did not make much sense as I could find no record of such a place.)

 

This would tell you simply that a gun originally made somewhere in Japan was picked up in the great registration of 1872 in Gifu. 

 

[Yumso]

Read from right to left,

第二千八百七十三号 -> No. 2873

コクラケン -> Kokuraken

 

https://aucview.com/yahoo/j1140802752/

Here, this rifle also had similiar number to yours.

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Yes, Kokura makes sense. Thanks, Yoon!

1871-1876

https://en.m.wikiped...ki/Kokura_Prefecture

[Wavemaker]

On 10/3/2024 at 10:50 PM, Bugyotsuji said:

...is it 1,000 or 2,000? 一千, 二千? Hard to tell with those shadows, but try this  一千八百七十三

 

2000

[Bugyotsuji]

We know that now, John. I spent several hours researching it, and worked with your photos, and tried to provide alternatives for you.

 

All I can add now, is that from the state of the barrel and the size of the mekugi surrounds, the missing cover and amaooi, and the repaired pan (buku-naoshi) your gun has seen heavy use, and is probably earlier than late Edo. (1700s Mid Edo) A previous owner must have felt the need to strip it back and make the stock and butt look more pleasing to the eye.

 

Do you have a measurement in cm for the bore diameter?

 

 

[Wavemaker]

Bore is 9 mm.

[Bugyotsuji]

9 mm is quite small, so likely for target shooting, which was popular in the Edo period, and/or for small game.