I'm going to the bazaar in 30 min and what to know what I should look for and stay away from

ETA: They will most likely be british from the mid 1800s

UPDATE:
Got a 1861 enfield pistol looks like this but has engravings on it. I will try to get pics, but its a pain in the ass out here. I will be going back to get a rifle. The have a 1871 elfield rifle flint lock or or blackpowder rifle that was a breach loader, are those good? I paid 70 dollars for the pistol and the rifle is 250. There are proof marks where they should be.

ETA: Anyone know anything about the 6 shot revolver blackpowder enfields?

Look for signs of bore deterioration due to the gun sitting for long periods of time after firing without cleaning it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKw8j7GLSdw&feature=related

whoops, thought the title said muskrats

rgr

Infantry was originally armed with edged or pole weapons.  Gradually small hand cannons were introduced. These crude weapons evolved into matchlocks and arquebus and then wheel-locks.  Gradually, these were phased out in favor a the flintlock and all infantry carried smoothbore guns became known as muskets.   As such, muskets became the weapon of choice for the infantry for about two centuries.  Even when its reign came to an end with the adoption of the minie rifle (around 1851), it was still used as late as the American Civil War (1861-65). Muskets have in common a mechanical sparking device (doglock, flintlock, percussion lock), a long, smooth bore barrel and a wood stock.  I believe Vauban formalized the plug bayonets and over time, these were phased out in favor of socket bayonets.  The latter gave the infantryman the ability to continue firing as well as the ability to defend himself against cavalry or a ready shock weapon to use at close quarters.

Musket patterns varied with every nation and within every nation, between each generation of soldier.  The Brown Bess may have been in service for over 100 years, but it was subject to modernization including changes in stock design, trigger guard, buttplate and sideplate (to use less brass), barrel length (shorter with the first ones being 46" long and the short, 39" India pattern adopted by the time of the Napoleonic era), ramrod (from wood in the First Model to iron during the French & Indian War.  

If you get a chance, remove the buttplate or lock mechanism from the stock.  Examine the patina and inspect the lock mortise for soundness and fit.  You don't want to buy something that is rotted beneath the stock.

Make sure it has lots of green tape.

pitting bad , quality material and craftsmanship good. go go go

Oh and dont pull the trigger on anything or load and try to fire anything unless you blow the chamber with a co2 or have a bore scope! you dont want to pack a load on a load that somone left in there 75 years ago.

UPDATE:
Got a 1861 enfield pistol looks like this but has engravings on it. I will try to get pics, but its a pain in the ass out here. I will be going back to get a rifle. The have a 1871 elfield rifle flint lock or or blackpowder rifle that was a breach loader, are those good? I paid 70 dollars for the pistol and the rifle is 250. There are proof marks where they should be.

bump for more info

Most likely any gun that you are allowed to buy in an Afghan bizarre is a locally made counterfeit .  Nothing more than a recently produced fake.  Caviat Emptor





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khyber_Pass_Copy



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGVianQJsmQ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khyber_Pass

 

Search "Khyber" on Gunbroker.com

I just bought a CVA HAwken that seems to be loaded. It happens, and I'm thankful for common sense-would have been easy to stick a cap on it to make it go "pop". Shit, how do I know someone didn't pack 70 grains of Bullseye in there?