can anyone help identify this foweling piece?

[haddockkl]

This came from a Michigan basement and was given to an in-law a number of years ago. It has a 39in barrel that appears un-altered except for the addition of the bolster, its roughly 20ga. It has a hooked breech and has a pair of captured barrel wedges, it looks like it was purpose built as a half stock. Buttplate has upper and lower tangs, and the trigger guard is rather unusual. It has a mixture of English and French influenced engraving.




lower buttplate tang

upper buttplate tang


only markings on barrel






poorly fitted percussion replacement lock

any ideas on this things lineage?

[Dave B]

I would say you have a french fowler there. Possibly from just across the river from Liege. The style of the architecture is french but some others along the northeast borders copied the style so it is possible its not from France. Too bad your missing the original lock. Some french pieces have the town of manufacture on the lock plate. Its from around the 1800's was flint originally I would guess. A very interesting piece none the less, thank you for sharing. Here is my French piece. Was made in Paris by  De??






My barrel is only 36" long and .58 cal. It may have been for a woman or adolescent.