AmericanLongRifles Forums

General discussion => Antique Gun Collecting => Topic started by: rich pierce on August 06, 2025, 04:50:05 PM

Title: Simple New England fowler
Post by: rich pierce on August 06, 2025, 04:50:05 PM

The Bennington VT museum has a few guns on display. I liked this simple New England Fowler. I guess it’s post Rev War based on the lock. Homemade buttplate, stout but attractive architecture. Tough getting good shots through glass. The lock is marked Ketland and Co.

(https://i.ibb.co/PGgGjnnm/IMG-4716.jpg) (https://ibb.co/YBhBQMMR)

(https://i.ibb.co/xqZYX8YS/IMG-4717.jpg) (https://ibb.co/XxHDjkDZ)

(https://i.ibb.co/ZRCBcTS5/IMG-4718.jpg) (https://ibb.co/9mjbyYh6)

Title: Re: Simple New England fowler
Post by: whetrock on August 06, 2025, 05:12:31 PM

Yes, very nice. I enjoy seeing a fine rifle, but what I enjoy even more is a good working man's firearm that seems to have been well loved and well used.
Did you get good photos of the lock? In that one photo, at least, the lock looks to be in much better shape than the rest of the gun. Is it a restoration?

Title: Re: Simple New England fowler
Post by: rich pierce on August 06, 2025, 05:51:17 PM

There’s a chance the lock is restoration. Someday I’ll try to get a curator to let me handle it. The lock mortise is pretty chewed up, so a replacement lock is quite possible. Didn’t take a picture of the lock.

Title: Re: Simple New England fowler
Post by: OLUT on August 06, 2025, 07:09:58 PM

Interesting old fowling piece that is great to see ( I'm really old school and still call the shooter a "fowler" and the gun a "fowling piece"). Thanks for posting... Here's a slightly different view of the lock taken from the OP's top image... still hard to tell if the lock is a replacement, but the hammer screw looks new.
(https://i.ibb.co/Y4XmVBc7/Screenshot-2025-08-06-at-12-01-20-PM.png) (https://ibb.co/V0xRkYgW)

Title: Re: Simple New England fowler
Post by: WKevinD on August 06, 2025, 11:56:09 PM

Thanks Rich, another fine example of a "plain wood" fowler.
I do like figured wood but I'm finding myself being more drawn toward these plain wood, graceful architecture guns.

Kevin

Title: Re: Simple New England fowler
Post by: Avlrc on August 09, 2025, 06:11:08 AM

Always enjoy seeing New England Fowlers. Thanks for posting.

Title: Re: Simple New England fowler
Post by: Joe Stein on August 12, 2025, 12:18:24 AM

Thanks, Rich. Nice example of that type of gun.

Title: Re: Simple New England fowler
Post by: silky on August 16, 2025, 04:13:32 AM

Is that butt plate steel or brass? Great gun!

Title: Re: Simple New England fowler
Post by: rich pierce on August 16, 2025, 04:19:14 AM

Quote from: silky on August 16, 2025, 04:13:32 AM

Is that butt plate steel or brass? Great gun!

hi Tom! I couldn't really tell.  It was pretty rough either way!

Title: Re: Simple New England fowler
Post by: silky on August 16, 2025, 04:23:37 AM

I love it either way — thanks for sharing it!