The jezail, or "camel gun" as it is known to collectors in the West is a simple, handmade muzzleloader commonly used in British India, Central Asia and parts of the Middle East in the past.
Jezails were generally handmade weapons, and consequently they widely varied in their construction - from extremely utilitarian and simple to incredibly ornate and detailed, complete with Ivory stock inlay and gold damascened barrels. Jezails were considered very personal weapons and were often passed down from one generation to another. Some Ottoman regiments during the WW1 were documented fighting with Jezails that dated back to the early 19 Century.
While their decoration may have varied, most Jezails share a few common features. The first of which is a long barrel, measuring from 40" to 50". Additionally, Jezails tend to be large caliber; generally ranging between .50 to .75 caliber.
The most defining feature of the Jezail is its distinctive curved butt stock. The function of this curve is debated; it may be purely decorative, or it may have allowed the jezail to be tucked under the arm and cradled tightly against the body, as opposed to being held to the shoulder like a typical musket or rifle. The argument against this method of firing is that the flash pan would be dangerously close to the face and the weapon would be harder to aim. It is more likely that the rifle was only tucked under the arm whilst riding a horse or a camel. The curved stock also allowed the gun's user to fire the gun with one hand, by tucking the the butt under the shooters forearm and using the curve of the stock for leverage in order to keep the weapon's long barrel level.
For over a Century, the Jezail was largely overlooked by gun collector's; who tended to focus more on Western-made weapons while overlooking the unique firearms of the Ottoman Empire and Central Asia. Luckily the 21st Century collector now has unlimited access to the entire scope of human firearms design thanks to the internet, and the Jezail has enjoyed a tremendous spike in popularity over the last 5-10 years, with many original examples selling for north of $2000.00.
However, with any weapon that was used over multiple generations, most original Jezails on the market today are simply too worn out to be safely fired. This is why we are pleased to offer this newly-built custom Jezail made by noted black powder gunsmith Steve Krolick.
Steve stock this gun from a blank of seasoned walnut, which allowed him to copy the distinct features common to original Jezails and create a faithful reproduction that can actually be fired.
The stock features the distinctive curved butt found on original Jezails. The barrel is .54 caliber and rifled. It was made by renowned barrel maker Rice Barrels. It features a traditional block rear sight mounted at the breech and a copper front sight mounted at the end of the muzzle. A Hindi Sanskrit incantation is neatly engraved on the top barrel flat. The barrel is secured to the stock via four handmade barrel bands. For added safety when firing, the barrel is also pinned with three dovetailed barrel lugs.
The lock is an late model British Paget carbine flintlock dated 1835 - that's right this lock is nearly 190 years old, but remains in almost new condition, allowing for fast and reliable spark. The use of an original British flintlock is a perfect choice for this build, as original Jezails overwhelming feature locks that were "recycled" from British-made muskets.
The bands and trigger guard are of brass and decorated with punched dot art, and there is some light engraving on the trigger guard. The ram rod was also custom made specifically for this project and is a great copy of the handmade rods found on original Jezails.
This musket has been test fired for accuracy and reliability and preformed quite well at 100 yds. Included with this Jezail is an original Indian-made powder horn which dates to the mid 19th Century.
