Pennsylvania Fowler

[Jamie]

Hello, I'm a first time builder looking for information on American fowlers circa 1760.  I have Jim Chambers' parts kit for the above gun, but I'm going with a blank stock rather than the precarve.  I have several books on building longrifles, so I think I have the building basics covered.  For the shape and proportions of the stock I have the pictures on the Chambers website, Grinslade's American Fowlers and the TOW plan for their English Fowling Gun - which I believe is at least in the ballpark.

I am looking for any other sources that will help me create something true to the time, books, templates, whatever.  Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.  I don't plan to actually cut wood for several months as I have a small backlog of unfinished projects to clear up before I start.  I hope to use this time to draw the perfect shape, historically correct and tailored to myself of course.  (I hear the fates having a good giggle in the background, but a guy's gotta dream, right?)

Thanks in advance,

Jamie

[Nate McKenzie]

For your first build, you might be better off with the Chambers kit. It will give you a feel for how things go together. I have built several of these and it is a really nice handling gun.  Balance is right on.

[Jamie]

Nate, I expect you're right, but after some thought I decided to try it this way - the woodworking looks to be the most enjoyable part of the job.  And there's the challenge too.

If I make a hash of it, the I can always go back, hat in hand, buy the precarve and start over.

Cheers,

Jamie

[Micah2]

I have a PA Fowling gun that I built from a kit with premium walnut stock and I love it.  If you are going to go from a blank, i might suggest approaching it like a kentucky fowler found in the book.  Feel free to make it a smooth rifle, in other words, add a rear sight and make the stock however it suits you.  I made mine from a precarve and am happy I did.  My next gun was a rifle from a blank as you suggest.  Now I want a smooth gun that looks like a rifle.  Have fun.

[smart dog]

Hi Jamie,
Eventually, you will need to decide what style of fowling gun you want to create.  It sounds like you are thinking of a British style gun.  The Chamber's parts are appropriate in style for an English gun made during the 1740-1760s, perhaps as late as 1770 for an export grade gun.  If you are doing a British-style gun made in America, the plug and tang are fine but if I were doing the project, I would order a hook tang and breech with the appropriate hump and sighting groove and use barrel keys rather than pins.  Perhaps a local library has copies of Neal and Backs books on "Great British Gunmakers" so you can see what English guns actually look like.  They are not simple builds.

dave

[Jamie]

Micah2, thanks for the encouraging  words on the fowler.  I must admit I chose the gun entirely on its looks and on Chambers rep for quality so it's good to hear from someone who has used the same.

Smart dog, I'm hoping to reproduce virtually the same gun that Chambers shows in his website.  I liked the look of his stock, but wanted to do my own carving.  I'll start with the measurements his website shows, along with scaling up the photos, but I'm looking at any other sources for similar guns.  The Penn. fowler looks similar to the British-style guns in Grinslade, so I'm looking at those, but want to keep to the British heritage, American made, theme.  I haven't seen a lot of information on those, but on the other hand there appears to be a lot of flexibility of choice, within limits.  (I'm also happy not to deal with the hooked breech as well, just yet.)Thanks for the book reference, I'll try the inter-library system - if there's a copy in the province, I'll be able to get it eventually.

I'll also try to adjust the proportions of the stock to fit me, but will avoid any major changes.

Cheers