Great Example of Georgian Period English Fowler

[G-Man]

I know a lot guys are asking for examples and photos of English guns from time to time.  There is a great example of a 1760 era, very high end, English fowler on the "Contemporary Makers Blog Spot" today.  There are very good shots that demonstrate the architectural features we have discussed on here many times.  If you like English guns, or want a good example for the lines of a really great Georgian period gun to follow and guide you as you shape that stock, study these photos.  Check out the shaping on those lock moldings.  And how everything tapers forward and rearward from the point right behind the cock.  And how there isn't much of a flat surface anywhere on this gun.  

Yeah - I like 'em both - something as over the top as this, or the elegant plain southern rifle Wayne posted a couple of days ago - it's all about the lines...

Guy

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Darn, I told my wife to keep people away from my gun.............   

What a beauty!!

[Michael]

Stuff dreams are made of!!

Michael

[James Rogers]

Stuff dreams are made of!!

Michael

Yep,
Seems the price is way above my pay grade. 

[Hurricane ( of Virginia)]

Please post the "URL" for this gun. Thank you
Hurricane

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Here you go...foriegn territory..........

http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.com/

[J.D.]

I have been drooling over that one all day. Gotta love that architecture. IMHO, while exquisite, the wire inlay is just window dressing for the "canvas".

God bless

[JTR]

Wow! What a beauty!
This one reminds me of the one posted here some time ago, except this one has even more silver!
Since I don't know diddly about English Fowlers, I assume the name TIMS would be the lock maker, and not the gun maker?

Also, I looked at the pics of the one posted here, and it has a name in the same location on the lock as this one... My picture is not that good, but the first and last initial look like a T and an S. Interesting!

John

PS. then again, maybe Dr Tim made them both!

[smart dog]

Hi Folks,
This fowler is an enigma.  The marks on the barrel do not appear to me to be British proof marks.  I wonder if the barrel was made in England or an import.  The name Tims does not show up on any of my lists of London or Birmingham makers, however, there were plenty of provincial makers like Simpson, Ellis, and Newton that could have made a gun such as this.  I am not sure that Tims displayed so prominently within the engraving on the lock would indicate that he was just the lock maker.  More likely he was the dealer, assembler, or maker of the gun.  I hope somebody else can fill in some of the blanks.  Where is Feltwad when you need him?

dave

[Michael]

The more I look at this Fowler the more I am reminded of the division of trades in England at this time. Each component of the gun is a work of art by itself. Not knowing who the 'maker' is just adds to the mystery of the gun. When I look at the pictures the focus is the artistic enhancement of the the whole gun and each individual part of it. The architecture is spot on, the eye slides along the Fowler from butt piece to muzzle, nothing is out of place. This Fowler is functional art.

I guess the point I am driving at is that one pair of hands did not make this Fowler. Each part of the gun was made by a master in his own craft.

Just the ramblings of someone who has been up since 3:30 this morning engraving. I need another cup of coffee!!

Michael
a maker of trade guns

[James Rogers]

Hi Folks,
This fowler is an enigma.  The marks on the barrel do not appear to me to be British proof marks.  I wonder if the barrel was made in England or an import.  The name Tims does not show up on any of my lists of London or Birmingham makers, however, there were plenty of provincial makers like Simpson, Ellis, and Newton that could have made a gun such as this.  I am not sure that Tims displayed so prominently within the engraving on the lock would indicate that he was just the lock maker.  More likely he was the dealer, assembler, or maker of the gun.  I hope somebody else can fill in some of the blanks.  Where is Feltwad when you need him?

dave

I have looked thru all the information I have and cannot find a "Tims" anywhere either.
Looks like private proofs of a provincial. I have seen some like that in auction books from the Neal collection.
The barrel maker is stamped "IP" under crown if I remember correctly.

I believe the wire gun JTR mentioned was a Paktong gun with some similar features. I think it had a flat lock plate.

If someone can lend me 12K until my "ship comes in" I will make a closer inspection for you guys! 

[Mike Brooks]

I doubt Tims had anything to do with this gun other than contract the craftsmen who built it.

[JV Puleo]

If the description is accurate, the proofs are Birmingham Private Proofs. Unfortunately the only source of gunmaker names we have, other than those on the guns, are from provincial directories - in the case of Birmingham the first was published in 1767 and that is fairly early. I suspect that the mark on the barrel is the actual gunmaker (that would have been the convention of the time) although the trade was already divided into so many specialties that it is unlikely the gunmaker did any more than assemble and perhaps decorate the gun - or at least supervise the workmen who did it. I don't understand the name on the lockplate but I doubt it is the lock maker. Much more likely it represents whoever who sold the gun.

[Feltwad]

Well Dave  Feltwad has been busy on pest control for the last couple of days and just come to read this thread .As for information on this gun I have very little ,the proof marks are London and prior  to 1813 ,Spanish barrels were favoured by English gun makers of that period but they would have had the Madrid Cross stamped on them, other continental barrels would have had the capital letter F stamped for foreign.
The style of this gun is more French than English which could account for the numerous French and Continental gun makers who set up business in London at that period .The trigger guard has the acanthus finial of the 1700-40 s which was favoured by the London Gunmakers.
The name Tims on the lockplate is new to me I have no records of a gun maker with that name.There has been several suggestions what it might be such as a lock  maker or retailer , but it may be the name of the engraver and chiseler who
did the work of decorating this gun

Feltwad