The Moukahla () or ''moukalla was a type of musket widely used in North Africa, produced by many tribes, clans and nations.

Mechanism

Lock

Two systems of gunlock prevailed in the Moukahla, one, which derived from Dutch and English types of

snaphance Swedish snaphance guns from the mid 17th century A snaphance or snaphaunce is a type of firearm lock in which a flint struck against a striker plate above a steel pan ignites the priming powder which fires the gun. It is the mechanical progressio ...

lock, usually with a thicker lockplate. Half cock was provided by a dog catch behind the cock. At full cock, the sear passing through the lockplate engaged the heel of the cock. The other mechanism was the so-called Arab toe-lock, a form of

miquelet Miquelet lock is a modern term used by collectors and curators for a type of firing mechanism used in muskets and pistols. It is a distinctive form of snaplock, originally as a flint-against-steel ignition form, once prevalent in the Spanish ...

lock, closely allied to the ''agujeta'' lock (which required a back or dog catch for half cock) and the Italian ''romanlock''. The term miquelet is used today to describe a particular type of

snaplock A snaplock is a type of lock for firing a gun or is a gun fired by such a lock. A snaplock ignites the (usually muzzle-loading) weapon's propellant by means of sparks produced when a spring-powered cock strikes a flint down on to a piece of harde ...

. The miquelet lock, in all varieties, was common for several centuries in the countries surrounding the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

, particularly in Spain, Italy, the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

, and Ottoman domains including the coastal states of North Africa. The type of musket would be described as a Kabyle snaphance or a Kabyle miquelet. Some muskets were converted to the

percussion lock The percussion cap or percussion primer, introduced in the early 1820s, is a type of single-use percussion ignition device for muzzle loader firearm locks enabling them to fire reliably in any weather condition. This crucial invention gave rise ...

starting in the mid-19th century.

Other parts

The caliber of musket ball fired was large, usually in the .67 range. These guns were very long, around 6 feet. The plain barrel alone is 44 to 52 inches in length. The barrel was retained in the stock by about twelve iron, brass, or silver bands (capucines). When silver was used, it was often done in the

niello Niello is a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead, used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. It is added as a powder or paste, then fired until it melts or at least softens, and flows or is pushed ...

form. These muskets may have all metal work engraved and locks may be covered in sheet silver. The stock and trumpet-shaped butt is typically enhanced by engraved silver shapes inlaid with coral or ivory. Even the exposed parts of the wooden ramrod is encased with silver.

Issues

Issues in the weapon were noted. Although when it was first made, its range was impressive thanks to its long barrel, by the 19th century its range became completely average, and by the 20th century it was completely outdated and short-ranged. It caused a lot of smoke when fired which only cleared after a long time. The majority of these guns did not have bayonets, although organized units such as the

Odjak of Algiers The Odjak of Algiers was a unit of the Algerine army. It was a heavily autonomous part of the Janissary Corps, acting completely independently from the rest of the corps, similar to the relationship between Algiers and the Sublime Porte. Led by ...

, the Odjak of Tunis, and to a certain extent the Black Guard of Morocco did have bayonets equipped.

Origin and usage

These muskets were produced across the

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...

region, in modern

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, and

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

, where they were the most widespread type of guns. They were so widespread in fact, that every musket was called a moukahla, and european handbooks called translated the english word "gun" as moukahla. They were locally produced.

Significance

The Moukahla played a major role in Maghrebi wars up until the early 20th century. It was the most used, and produced musket in the armies of the Kingdom of Morocco, and the Deylik of Algiers.

References

*Blair, Claude and Leonid Tarassuk, Editors. ''The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms and Weapons''. New York: 1982 *Elgood, Robert. ''Firearms of the Islamic World in the Tareg Rajab Museum, Kuwait''. London: 1995