Market Fowler

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I currently have in my shop a fowler that I had the opportunity to purchase around 30 years ago, but could not afford to.  So, I passed on the deal to my friend Len, who snapped it up, along with a second very neat ball/shot smoothie.  The up side is that I got to restore the gun, and without much skill or experience I was able to remove the rib which was all but falling off, and re-solder it, along with reconverting the lock back to flint.  The gun is quite complete and in nice shape.  It even still has it's original rod tips - one horn, and the other 5/16" brass c/w wad screw.  The barrel is 48" long and the bore is .905" which is about half way between 6 and 7 gauge.  A seven gauge ball weighs 1000 grains and is .884" in diameter.  I cannot read the name on the plate - theirs nothing on the top of the barrel, so perhaps someone like Feltwad will help out with an ID.  Here she is...

[rich pierce]

Kimberly?

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Perhaps, Rich.  Never heard of a maker by that name, though there is a town here in southern BC by that name, and likely one in England too.

[Daryl]

Looks like  K I M B E R K Y  on the lock.

[smart dog]

Hi Taylor,
There is a Kimberley near Nottingham, England.  Nottingham did have a gun trade in the 19th century.  I wish I had some sources for gun makers outside of Birmingham and London but I'll bet Feltwad could help. 

dave

[JV Puleo]

The Bailey & Nie "English Provincial Gunmakers" lists everyone they could find except the London makers. Most of them were in the B'ham area but the 2nd half of the book lists them by county and town. Along with Blackmore's work on the London makers, I think these are the only two general reference works that are consistently reliable...

That said, I doubt much real "gunmaking" was going on after 1800 and practically none by 1850. B'ham so thoroughly dominated the trade that, at best, other provincial gunmakers were buying in parts and assembling them. By 1850 the Provincial gunmakers were repair men that retailed B'ham products, often marked with their own names.

[Daryl]

Hmmm - that third last letter is definitely NOT an "L" - uinles it's a screwed up stamping- which is probably unlikely.

It feels as if this gun was a very late made flinter- probably for the American Market. Not a high priced gun, but certainly well made. Seems to me the bore of this one is better than the little 11 bore H. Whall I borrowed instead.

 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I appreciate the input you've supplied, and hope Feltwad sees this thread, and is able to fill in the missing parts.

The bore on this gun is very very good, right to the plug.  I've never shot it, but it's owner has.  I doubt my shoulder could take the 2 oz. shot load, even though the butt plate is 2 5/16" wide. 

[Daryl]

Shouldn't be to bad - no reason to shoot more than about 6 drams of powder. that ought to do it - and the shoulder.

Will Tompson used his double 6 bore caplock ball and shot gun (reamed to 5 bore by Holland and Holland during restoration ) for trap. He used 2oz. 7 1/2's and simply powdered them at 16 yards - 5 1/2 drams.

The other trap shooters used to get angry with him for interupting their rythym when he shot due to the smoke obscurring the house - during turkey shoots. He'd just laugh.