dirt
My mother-in-law.....when we get in an argument I own her.
The carbine was meant to be fired from horse (or camel) back and I love the saber.No real idea as to the age of these items as two of them were picked up off of an old battlefield. (At least, supposedly from an old battle field.) A friend and I had taken a 3-day pass from our base in Pakistan and went up to Kabul, Afghanistan. We were fortunate that we could stay with other Army personnel that were stationed to the embassy there.
The local Afghans would go out and pick up old weapons from past battles and "rebuild" them to sell. A number of our fellow soldiers had come back from Kabul with full length cap and ball muskets. I stumbled upon this "carbine-style" cap and ball rifle and sword, which were both supposed to have been rescued from the earth. I imagine the rifle has a new stock, and perhaps the same for the saber's scabbard. The shield is a modern knock-off because the ones taken from the battlefields were in really bad shape, although one with dents from sabers might have been neat.
As soon as we got back to the home of the GI we were staying with, he took the weapon and pulled out the ramrod and stuck it down the barrel. It seems that in the past, some of the embassy GI's would put on a cap and "fire-off" the weapons, and one guy allowed his child to shoot the cap and ball pistol. Only that time, the ball in the weapon had been dislodged enough to actually fire the ball out. The GI supposedly got the ball in his shoulder.
There is a thriving arms industry in that area for cottage made firearms so they may not be that old. I have seen knockoff Enfields built in 308, 8mm, 7.62 x 54R and a few other calibers. Many with extended mags. I got to fire a 40 rd mag Bren LMG in 7.62x54R. That was a real thrill. First full auto I ever fired.
It amazed me to see the work they could do without electricity including barrel making and rifling.
All true with regards to the "thriving arms industry," however, if you saw the workmanship of that rifle, you would NOT associate it with anyone that really knew firearms. Maybe I should take it down and take pictures of some of the crappy detail. While I saw the rifle as very interesting and extremely unique, there was/is no way that I would EVER try to fire it, even if the only "explosive" was the primer cap.
I think we have some 10,000 year old Himalayan sea salt, but it expires next year 
like to have that
ok don't think that can be matched
1887 Elgin and 1897 American Waltham, both run & keep time.
1913 Remington model 14 in .30 Rem.
