WHO made these things originally?  (I am including the Japanese Albinis here in this question (see: Japanese Albini).  Who made the Pre-conversion muzzle loader?  A friend speculates that one possibility is that they were actually made in Belgium and are simply the equivalent of today's "Fake R-O-L-E-X!" designed to give the Japanese what they wanted but couldn't actually afford, i.e., British built guns.   So they were sold Belgian guns.  Just as likely, maybe more likely I think, is that they were simply contracted by the Japanese "from the trade" as other nations did  Your thoughts?
 

             COMPARE this rifle to the Japanese Albini converstion rifles!