AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Gun Building => Topic started by: smart dog on June 22, 2017, 07:08:28 PM
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Hi,
Here is my version of an export or 2nd quality grade English fowling gun from 1765-1775. Thousands of these generic guns were made and sometimes ordered by the half dozen by wealthy landowners to serve as guns for guests. They were also exported. Mine is scaled down as if ordered for an adolescent son and will be owned by a petite woman reenactor. The LOP is just over 13”, drop at heel is 2.5”, barrel is 20 gauge, 36” long by Getz. The lock is a small Siler reshaped into a flat-faced English lock. The thumb escutcheon was designed and cast by me and all of the engraving was closely inspired by original guns. The stock is American black walnut that I logged 30 years ago and I colored it to look more like English walnut. The gun was built, decorated, and finished in an efficient workmanlike manner without a lot of fuss. When I hold it next to my original fowler, it looks pretty authentic. Enjoy the photos and comments are welcome.
dave
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Really nice little fowler Dave! The proportions are perfect and belies the fact that it is less than full scale. My favourite part is the lock, trigger and guard area...WOW!!
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Very nice Dave. Would you elucidate on the smaller bolt/screw in the rear third of the side plate...is it threaded into the lock plate? It's a feature that I don't recall seeing before, but I like the look.
You certainly have a great talent for execution, proportion and design. Thanks for sharing.
Carl
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Real nice job Dave. Anybody would love to have that gun. You did a great job on the lock.
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A very believable 1770 piece Dave! I like the fact the engraving is not over the top, filling every nook and cranny. Very representative of originals of the period.
Is that one of the Getz false standing/hook breeches or the real thing?
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Very nice Dave. Would you elucidate on the smaller bolt/screw in the rear third of the side plate...is it threaded into the lock plate? It's a feature that I don't recall seeing before, but I like the look.
You certainly have a great talent for execution, proportion and design. Thanks for sharing.
Carl
Wood screw to keep the plate on the gun when removing the lock nails.
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Really nice Dave, but so is all your other work! You did a wonderful job of scaling things down so the whole project looks proportionate. A very nice gun.
David
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Way pretty, Dave! A "workmanlike" job? Maybe, if the workman is exceptional! Color and wood finish is very nice--hard to believe it's black walnut--very little coarse grain. What did you use to fill it?
Gregg
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Real hooked breech? I like your siler "conversion", but I think for a mini gun like this I'd have went with chambers english pistol lock....of course I'm a lot lazier than you are..... ;D
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You should just go to London in a time machine. They'd hire you in a minute!
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Very nice, as usual. Thanks for sharing this beautiful piece of work, Dave. It's always a pleasure seeing your work. Bob
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That is indeed, a nice piece of kit.
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Dave,
I know I've been told before, but what is the significance of the acorn on the trigger guard?
Was thinking it had to do with the strength of the British empire or something like that.
Thank you sir.
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Hi,
Thank you all for looking and commenting! I really appreciate your interest in my work. Taylor, you know on most English guns everything of interest is packed around the lock and trigger. Most of the fine metal work, carving, and engraving. It all tends to end up around the breech of the barrel. James and Mike, I particularly appreciate your comments about my English projects and always look forward to hearing from you. Mike, it is a real standing breech, which I fitted tightly. It has the cross pin through the lug on the bottom to anchor it along with the tang bolt. Greg, I filled the grain with Sutherland-Welles polymerized tung oil and elbow grease. I build the finish slowly and rub it back with rottenstone and raw linseed oil. The oiling and then rubbing back fills the grain and gives it a mellow vintage look, but it takes time. It also very slightly rounds sharp corners, which I find gives a very authentic look, unless it is critical to have sharp detail as in some carving. Mike, I have a Chamber's round-faced English pistol lock, which I considered using. However, the husband of the owner gave me the barrel, small Siler lock, a trigger guard, trigger, and the butt plate, which he had intended to make into a fowler for his wife. He never got to it , so asked me to build the gun. They wanted an English-style fowler and I told them I would build them one that was as historically correct as I could. Anyway, I decided that I was tired of seeing round-faced locks on English guns purported to be from the 1770s. By that time, round-faced locks were mainly used on livery, military, and cheaper export guns. Flat locks were the fashion for better quality guns, so I used the Siler and modified it. I wish it was 1/4" longer but I gave it my best go. I also used a different trigger guard. The one the owner gave me had a bow way too large. Instead, I bought a small English guard with the earlier torch or flaming urn finial and shaped it into the proper acorn finial for the time.
Rich Pierce,
Thank you. That is the highest compliment I could ever have. In the process of building this gun, I was doing the tasks of at least 7 individual English trades: lock maker, lock polisher, goldsmith, ramrod maker, rough stocker, stock finisher, and engraver. And all of that work for just 4 guineas (4 pounds, 4 shillings). I believe it would be at least a 3 and possibly 4 guinea gun in 1770.
dave
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Dave,
Great looking all around,
Really nice
Jeff
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Dave,
Another superb job as always. Looking forward to seeing you on the fourth of July.
David Price
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If thats second grade, export Fowler I would like to see the good ones.
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It looks awful good to have been made without a lot of fuss. I would definitely have to fuss a lot to get something finished that well.
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Thanks again everyone,
Dave, thanks. I look forward to seeing you on the fourth. Silky, the acorn might refer to English oak but I understand it to be a symbol of good luck. Later, they used a pineapple finial that I believe also meant good luck or good tidings. Mark, I fuss during planning and figuring out how to do things. Once I am ready at the bench, I work pretty fast. For example, the lock was inlet on this gun in about 45 minutes. The shell carving is a little uneven and took about 30 minutes to cut once drawn on the wood. I normally design my engraving carefully on paper and then print it out on transparency to be transferred to the metal. On this gun, I simply drew directly on the metal with a film marker and cut it. It has a "free hand" and imperfect quality that matches my original fowler very closely. I think the end result is a credible example of what someone importing a decent quality gun from England in 1770 would expect. Little Joe, before the end of the year, I should be able to show you my version of a 1st quality English fowling gun.
dave
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Beautiful piece of work kloke hund :)
Runar
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Beautiful work Dave !
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Dave - Beautiful work - Love the finish - Looking forward to meeting you at Dave's on the 4th. You can give me pointers on my Fowler - :) -
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Dave,
Super work! It could be mistaken for a beautifully preserved original. You captured the "feel" and "soul" of the English gun of the period. "Second quality"? You crack me up!
JMC
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Nicely done, Dave! That lock looks even better on a finished piece...
Ed
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I really like it. How'd you color the stock?
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Very nice.
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Hi Singlemalt,
I mop yellow aniline dye on the black walnut. Depending on the result, I may sand it back a little with maroon Scotch-Brite pads. Some black walnut may need a little reddish brown dye on top of the yellow but not all. Laurel Mountain Forge's walnut stain has a pretty good red-brown hue that works as well on top of yellow. The color and finish on my fowler look better in person than in the photos.
dave
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Hi Singlemalt,
I mop yellow aniline dye on the black walnut. Depending on the result, I may sand it back a little with maroon Scotch-Brite pads. Some black walnut may need a little reddish brown dye on top of the yellow but not all. Laurel Mountain Forge's walnut stain has a pretty good red-brown hue that works as well on top of yellow. The color and finish on my fowler look better in person than in the photos.
dave
Thanks, Dave. That'll come in handy with my Brown Bess project. The beauty of LMF stain is that it can be cut with denatured alcohol to make subtle shades.
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Dave,
That is beautiful, I love it. i think that was the gun that I saw in progress, is that right?
It definitely inspires me to build a fowler.
Thanks for showing!
Cheers,
Norm.
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Thanks Folks,
Norm, yes that was the gun you saw on my bench. Now it is that big maple musket stock and barrel you also saw. I have to build the lock, which is almost done.
dave