The Jezail is the traditional rifle of the Afghan tribal fighter, although it originated in Persia (Iran). Distinctive primarily for its uniquely curved style of buttstock, these rifles still maintain a symbolic importance although they are utterly obsolete.
Every jezail is a unique handmade weapon, but they all share some basic traits. They are typically built around complete lock assemblies, from captured guns or bought/traded parts. The barrel is typically quite long and rifled, and the caliber is generally .50 to .75 inch. Unlike the domestic American flintlock long rifles, the jezail is meant for war and not hunting.
Ian’s video [11:48]:
https://youtu.be/B-aEWZrTibE?si=
TFBTV video [10:08]:
the whole part where Dr. Watson talks about being shot by a Jezail bullet makes so much sense now.
I’ve never read Sherlock but looking into it, it’s very cool that they call out the jezail guns by name like that. That’s the kind of thing in fiction that sparks people to seek out answers and learn history.