Caucasian shotgun with a Michelet-type flintlock

Общая длина без ножен: 1025 мм.
Длина клинка: 740 мм.
Ширина клинка у пяты: 8 мм.

Damascus steel, brass, bone, wood; forging, gold plating, turning, carpentry and locksmith work. The barrel is made of Damascus steel, 8-faceted in cross section. The barrel is mounted on the bed with 4 silver clips decorated with black, and rivets on the shank mounted in the breech of the barrel. In the breech and at the muzzle, the barrel is decorated with images of flames, incised in gold. The sight is dioptric, it consists of a bar with a rounded slot and a copper front sight.

The lock is flintlock, with an external spring arrangement, which is typical for Mediterranean-type locks (the so-called "michelet"). The creation of the Catalan (Spanish) flint castle dates back to the second half of the 16th century (about 1580). The Spanish writer Gines Perez De Ita (15447-1619?), in his work "The Second part of the Civil Wars in Granada" (Guerras Civiles de Granada, Tomo II) mentions the escopeta di rastrillo — apparently, a weapon already equipped with this type of lock. The alleged inventors are Simdn Marcuarte, Master Pedro Maese and Simon Maquarte Sr. ("e1 Viejo", Simon el de las Hokes). All of them were artisans from Germany who worked at the court of the Spanish King Charles V of Habsburg (1500-1558) and his successors Philip II (1527-1598) and Philip III (1578-1621). Due to the simplicity of the design and relative reliability, Michelet type locks quickly spread across the Balkan countries, became popular in Spain, the Ottoman Empire and the The Caucasus. The castle is decorated with gold taushing. The trigger is steel, made in the shape of a bead. No trigger guard is provided.

The bed is made of valuable wood, smooth, Asian type, with a narrow straight butt. The back of the butt is bone-shaped, puck-shaped. Butt with edges, without cheeks. The safety is very good, there are minor traces of corrosion on the barrel and lock. The old butt repair is the installation of a metal screed.