Metal finishing Fusil de chasse

[g2608671@verizon.net]

Having decided on a 20 gage Fusil de chasse I want to thank the folks who have taken the time to give me suggestions and recommendations via another thread.  But before I pull the trigger on ordering the gun, I could use some additional guidance on the metal finish for the firearm.  I am a devotee of the French and Indian War era here in the Colonies and would like the finished product to be an accurate representation of what would be found in the hands of the typical farmer on what was then the frontier. So in that regard I would like to understand what type of metal finish I should be considering relative to the iron mountings. I am thinking blued / browned or in the white with a patina of light surface rust, with tones of honest grime and sweat.

[FALout]

I've built them both with browsed or in the white, I lean toward the latter with slight rust patina.

[little joe]

Would a typical farmer had a French gun? my thoughts would be something more English. Also what part of the frontier would also make a difference. Some New England guns used French style trim but the stock did not have French lines. Confusing ain,t it.

[rich pierce]

Bright with some normal oxidation would be my choice.  There are other options that would have been more common in Pennsylvania, but few kits ready to go.  The Chambers Pennsylvania fowler is one to consider but like I said, if the fusil appeals to you, go with what you like.

[g2608671@verizon.net]

Would a typical farmer had a French gun? my thoughts would be something more English. Also what part of the frontier would also make a difference. Some New England guns used French style trim but the stock did not have French lines. Confusing ain,t it.

Hey, that is a good point and I did roll this over my brain bumps for a spell.  It could be that this particular farmer was among the men who accompanied General Braddock on his attempt to take the fort at the forks of the Ohio from the French and somehow survived the massacre when he crossed the Monongahela River and ended up with a French Fusil de Chasse at the end of the retreat to Philadelphia. It could have happened....! Just read Walter Borneman's "The French and Indian WAR".   On the other hand after doing some numbers crunching, not to mention consideration of your point relative to the pedigree of the gun,  it now looks more likely that I am going to go with an English Fowler from TOTW.  I might want to  use the gunsmithing help relative to soldering lugs and the front sight and I don't think I can get that anywhere else.  Then again, since I do stained glass repair as a hobby - soldering is not something I am unfamiliar with.  Just don't know what soldering lugs and sights  entails.  Flux + solder + heat + soldering jig and a blueprint showing where they get placed?