Found this online for you to read:
# 13882 - British East India Comp Flintlock From Afghanistan
8/17/2010
Dan, Hermiston, OR
British East India Co, - 1825? - 9'' - Don`t Know - NO SERIAL NUMBERS OTHER THAN
Flintlock Pistol, with Rampant Lion, to the left of a crown over an 8. Total length about 15''. Octagonal Barrell, about 9''. Appears to be a British East India `1825` Flintlock, flat butt with ring (and chain still). I picked up this firearm in Afghanistan. From my general research these were likely made after 1796, but are undated. It appears that the flat butt models were made later in production. I have seen two on line that are each marked with a `3` under the crown, whereas mine has an `8` under the crown marking to the right of the rampant lion. Since production was after 1796, how the model number of 1825 was determined (if accurate) is of interest. Generally, I`m trying to narrow down the likely date and place of manufacture given that production was over several years and identify the meaning of the `8` under the crown, as well as obtain any other information on it. Thanks.
Answer:
Dan- Thank you for your service to our country. In my opinion nearly all the souvenir pistols coming out of Afghanistan are recently made for the “tourist” trade. Regardless of the very convincing looking markings, they were made in the Khyber pass region in the last few years. We encourage people to read what we have posted on the Afghan arms market at http://www.armscollectors.com/darra/darra.htm and http://www.armscollectors.com/darra/afghanold.htm Hope that helps. John Spangler
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# 13876 - Afghan Jezail
8/7/2010
Mez Jones, UK
Afghan Jezail - Unknown - .55in (approx) - 43.25in (approx) - Rusty - None -
Lock plate stamped ''1817'' (sans serif numerals, probably fake (?), ''8'' seems to be upside-down) - SC- plate also bears emblem, appears to be a crude rampant lion representation, perhaps an attempt to mimic EIC company's post - 816 emblem. Lock plate has been cut, fairly crudely, in area of caplock nipple -SC- tunnel to breech still visible, but nipple missing. Mechanism seized if still intact. Barrel appears old, very rusty, octagonal throughout with eight grooves, peephole backsight and small foresight. It has five bands, of which two appear to be iron/steel and three of brass (possibly retrofits) -SC- two of these bands hold the fore sling swivel in place. Barrel also shows heavy copper corrosion near lock area, just forward of tunnel to breech. Minimal decoration -SC- brass bands are filed and cut nicely but would seem to be later than the rest of the gun. Trigger guard missing and trigger loose, apparently disconnected from any surviving mechanism. Since this piece was apparently obtained some time ago (still waiting on details, but I'm told it has spent about 50-60 years in the UK), is it likely that the lock plate numerals are faked? If so, what does that mean for the rest of the piece? The barrel appears to be rather older than the lock and the brass bands (urgh), but without doing a lot of rust removal I can't find any details on either lock plate or barrel. Should I attempt to remove this rust, and if so, how? Finally, can you recommend any sites, especially fora, to try to obtain more information about the gun? Thanks, gentlemen.
Answer:
Mez- First, let me express my thanks and appreciation to everyone in the UK for the customary outstanding performance as we jointly fight radical Islam terrorists. They hate all us infidels and want to kill us all, and we must never give in to their terror, tricks or inducements. We must never foolishly assume that negotiation or compromise is a substitute for Victory.
Jezails, or “camel guns” as they are known by most collectors are a strange field, with no good sources of information that I know of. These were all locally manufactured, to individual tastes, perhaps with some regional and traditional major design characteristics as general guides. However, all that seems to have been diluted by the availability of materials, either raw material to make parts, or previously used parts which could be salvaged.
Although originally used as actual weapons for warfare or hunting [the neighbor’s camels, goats, or sheep?] these have evolved over the years into largely ceremonial badges, or to more often, items to be sold to gullible tourists.
The key to separating the “old” or “real” guns from the “tourist” guns seems to be how well they function, if at all. This is usually evident in the placement of the trigger, which must be precisely located to properly move the sear to release the hammer, and the placement of the trigger guard so that the trigger finger will fit in comfortably and still have room for the trigger to move properly. After that, it comes down to a practiced eye looking to see if all the parts seem to have been together for along time, if aging of various parts seems to match, and if any repairs are actually honest repairs, or if they merely cover up clumsy workers forcing parts together to make a complete gun. Remember, any gun that could be made by primitive craftsmen 150 years ago can be made by primitive craftsmen today. And, the profits are much higher selling guns to gullible tourists than making “shootable” guns for your neighbors who are probably dirt poor themselves.
As far as “fora” (the correct plural of forum, not “forums” which most Americanized English users would say) I do not know of any at all that even mention jezails. The only market for jezails seems to be among people wanting souvenirs, or looking for decorative pieces, and they are not a large population.
I would assume that just about any jezail on the market today is a relatively recent “tourist” gun, and worth only modest amounts. If proven to be an original, and you can find someone who wants to own one, the value would be higher, but strictly a matter of whatever a willing buyer and seller can agree on. John Spangler
