Author Topic: Plain but cool Bucks County fowler  (Read 2985 times)

Offline rich pierce

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Plain but cool Bucks County fowler
« on: October 30, 2019, 06:34:57 AM »
This was posted on Facebook just today. Picked by Greg Dixon. 44” smoothbore smallbore. Cock a period replacement. Brass pan.  Notice the V shaped forearm. I’m guesssing post Rev War, pre 1800. What do you think? I’m going by narrow buttstock, thumbnail buttplate, fully “evolved” Bucks County guard.



















Andover, Vermont

Offline Mike Lyons

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Re: Plain but cool Bucks County fowler
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2019, 07:30:42 AM »
That’s a beautiful rifle.  The two Bucks County Fowling rifles on the KRA disk have different trigger guards and I believe both have the long entry thimbles.  The Lehigh looking forearm is interesting.  I wonder if that brass nose cap piece wraps completely around?   It will be neat to hear what others have to say.

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Plain but cool Bucks County fowler
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2019, 06:03:08 PM »
That's a good one. I'd like to repop that one day.
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Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: Plain but cool Bucks County fowler
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2019, 06:49:09 PM »
Wonderful old  piece!  I've never seen someone add a nut to the cock top jaw screw before...threads must be stripped in the cock's lower jaw, or a smaller replacement screw added at some time during it's long life.  Apart from that, this gun is 'all there'.
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Offline mr. no gold

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Re: Plain but cool Bucks County fowler
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2019, 07:50:03 PM »
Beautiful fowler, used a lot and well cared for, it appears. The frizzen has been resoled and the flintcock has a unique repair, too. Lucky find!
Dick

Offline D. Taylor Sapergia

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Re: Plain but cool Bucks County fowler
« Reply #5 on: October 31, 2019, 03:06:17 AM »
Are you seeing this Fred?  Does it get the creative juices flowing?
D. Taylor Sapergia
www.sapergia.blogspot.com

Art is not an object.  It is the excitement inspired by the object.

Offline BOB HILL

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Re: Plain but cool Bucks County fowler
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2019, 01:10:49 PM »
I love this one! Great pictures. Thanks for posting, Rich.
Bob
South Carolina Lowcountry

Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: Plain but cool Bucks County fowler
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2019, 03:50:16 PM »
Pretty interesting!  I don't think it's any earlier than the 1790s at earliest and it may be first decade of 19th century.  Everything is fully-evolved here.  Also if I may say so, I strongly suspect more has been done to the lock than simply a replacement cock, but nevertheless the plate fits very well and likely we're looking at the original lock plate at least.

That V-shaped forearm (as opposed to fore end) seems to me to be less of a regional thing and more of a quirk-of-the-maker thing.  I've occasionally seen that on rifles from a very wide variety of areas.  Most Bucks and Lehigh guns have the V-shaped fore end but a very squat, well-rounded forearm.  At least, most that I've looked at anyway.

Overall the condition here is fantastic.
Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!

Offline rich pierce

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Re: Plain but cool Bucks County fowler
« Reply #8 on: October 31, 2019, 05:44:36 PM »
Thanks Eric. The lock looks older but makes sense using an older, large lock on a simple gun. I also wondered about the pan, frizzen spring and such. But let’s face it 75-90% of flintlocks are probably reconverted.
Andover, Vermont

Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: Plain but cool Bucks County fowler
« Reply #9 on: October 31, 2019, 06:18:51 PM »
Yeah I'd lean a lot more toward the 90% figure!

There was a really great Peter Angstadt that sold yesterday with an entirely original, probably American-forged lock ca. 1785-1800.  THAT is one heck of a lock.  I wish someone would commercially put out a dead ringer of that exact lock.
Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!

Offline rich pierce

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Re: Plain but cool Bucks County fowler
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2019, 07:18:02 PM »
Eric is this the lock?

Andover, Vermont

Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: Plain but cool Bucks County fowler
« Reply #11 on: October 31, 2019, 08:00:10 PM »
You got it.
Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!