Chambers Penn fowler

[bob hertrich]

I am interested in building Chambers Penn Fowler. Where those guns generally built with maple or walnut stocks. Where they carved or left plain? Are the folks that have built it pleased with the results.

[rich pierce]

A good book is Colonial Fowlers by Grinslade.  It's hard to get now but has a couple dozen PA fowling pieces I believe, maybe more.  The styles varied widely as they were made across a wide geographic area and timeframe.  Maple seems to have been used more often than cherry or walnut, just like with the rifles of Pennsylvania.  The Pennsylvania fowlers seem to normally be of smaller bore than Hudson Valley, British style, club-butt, and most New England fowling pieces, often below .58 bore and seldom do we see anything in 12 ga or larger among Pennsylvania fowling pieces.  This suggests to me that they were not dedicated waterfowling guns.  Some are carved and some are plain, and it's possible that the ones that end up in the books are the fancier ones.

[Long Ears]

Bob, I have not built that exact kit from Chambers but I have built a few of their other kits. They are top notch kits and great people. They are well worth the money. Ask them your questions and you will get good straight answers like Rich is giving. Bob

[Nate McKenzie]

Here are a couple of pictures of one I made. Well balanced and good shooting. Fairly easy build.

[Micah2]

After several years or research and deliberation, I decided on a Jim Chambers PA fowler.  Please do yourself a favor and go with this gun.  It is perfect for novice builders and has the quality components and inletting expected from a custom build.  Great shooter, long gun, easy cleaning with the .62 bore.  I cant say enough.  I limited my carving to forestock molding lines which helps the already graceful gun appear more slender.  This gun satisfied my every wish as  a hunter, shooter, and student of flintlock long guns.  I purchased Grinslades book on fowling pieces along with others as I researched which gun was right for me.  In the end, Chambers PA fowler was the perfect choice.  I highly recommend it.

[bob in the woods]

I have built one and the only thing I like better is my New England 10 Bore fowling piece .
They are wonderful guns. I am now in the middle of building the Officer's fusil  [ cherry stock] which is probably the best shouldering/balancing gun of them all. You really can't go wrong with any of these .

[little joe]

Nate  If I had your tallent I would be working from a plank instead of a kit

[Pete G.]

Most that I have studied were walnut stocked with a little bit of carving, mostly aroung the tang.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Here's a picture of the one I built for Leatherbelly, and which I eventually bought back from him.  I love it.  For wing shooting, I have a 12 gauge flint double of my own manufacture, a 1861 Manton percussion double 15 gauge, and the Penn fowling piece.  I do best with the 20 bore Chambers gun.  And the stock architecture lends itself to shooting round ball with stout loads, without punishing your face.
All in all, a fine design and top quality components.

Little Joe, you're quite right...Nate has a lot of talent and can build his muzzleloaders from a plank.  But if he's like me, every now and then, he likes to take the easy way out and make up a rifle or gun for himself that has a good portion of the hard stuff already done.  And from time to time, I get orders from clients that have picked out a 'parts set' and want me to build it for them.  There is no shame in that, as far as I can see, even though I am capable of building one from a plank.  I have two favourite guns that I shoot lots and they are both from Chambers 'kits'...the Penn fowling piece, and a .50 cal Virginia rifle I call Voluptious Virginia.  For me, being acquainted with the Chambers themselves probably has a lot to do with it.  But the guns too, speak for themselves.

I've just added a few more pics of the then new fowler.  It's changed a little since then...patination from use, and the barrel is now browned rather than blued.  but the bore is still mint.

[bob hertrich]

Thanks a lot guys, good inputs. Taylor, do you have any other pictures of your Penn Fowler?

[Nate McKenzie]

Thanks Taylor and Little Joe.  This was a customers kit.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Mine was too Nate.  But old LB wanted to shoot 3" to the left all the time, so I bought it back.  It shoots perfectly for me.  It's all how you hold your tongue, I think.

Yes, I have other photos of the gun...will post shortly.

...added them to my first post.

[RHoyle]

Beautiful gun Taylor!  I've got my eye on something like that for my next build.

[Keb]

I built one back in the mid 90's. It was a very nice kit gun but the cast off stock hit my cheek bone something fierce so I sold it. I don't regret selling it at all.

[PPatch]

A simply outstanding fowler Taylor! You have a knack for achieving a sort of overall understated elegance in a firearm that speaks volumes in the details.

dave

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Thanks Dave.

Keb...I don't understand, unless you are left eyed and shooting it off the other shoulder.  The stock does have about 1/4" of cast OFF for a right eyed shooter.  I shoot 85 - 100 grains FFg GOEX and a tightly patched .600 pure lead ball in mine all the time, and never get smacked in the cheek, nor anyone who has ever asked to try it.  The Tulle design though, I can understand...it's difficult to get them shaped down enough so that they don't whack you.

[bob hertrich]

Taylor, Thanks for the other pictures of the fowler. An outstanding looking gun.

[Eric Krewson]

Mr Sapergia, beautiful job the lock. I am cleaning up a similar lock, thought I was just about done but don't have all the outside border cleaned up anywhere near as well as you have done. I have a lot more sanding to do in that dang little border crevice.

[Keb]

Thanks Dave.

Keb...I don't understand, unless you are left eyed and shooting it off the other shoulder.  The stock does have about 1/4" of cast OFF for a right eyed shooter.  I shoot 85 - 100 grains FFg GOEX and a tightly patched .600 pure lead ball in mine all the time, and never get smacked in the cheek, nor anyone who has ever asked to try it.  The Tulle design though, I can understand...it's difficult to get them shaped down enough so that they don't whack you.

Mine just whacked the tar outta my cheek bone. It hit me so bad I developed a horrible flinch and couldn't hit a thing with it. I've painlessly shot them Centermarks and a bunch of others. Only other gun I ever shot that whopped me hard was one of Curly's straight stocked (think 2 x 4) Northwest guns. I am now shooting a old .55 cal smoothbored rifle that is a pleasure to shoot. Totally painless. I still can't slap my hind end with both hands but I no longer flinch :/

[Rick G.]

I ordered The Chambers fowler as well not long ago. Just waiting on the barrel. This is my 2nd Chambers gun, and their will be a 3rd............

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Eric, that's not one of the Chambers' locks with the cast in panel...just the round faced English, with a little engraving to replicate that molding.  Here's a Siler lock on a little .45 cal rifle I just finished for a woman.  Shameless theft of a thread!  There's a little moly grease under the end of the frizzen spring.  The rifle has all german silver hardware and inlays, so the bright lock just adds more bling!

[Acer Saccharum]

Shameless! Showoff! 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Sorry.  I'm so weak...

[Vomitus]

Taylor shamelessly built me a longgg one in .540.(50 inch Getz) He shamelessly engraved it too,the bugga! Chambers furniture,Brit round face.

[Randall Steffy]

Leatherbelly, if you had a picture attached, it did not show up. Maybe try again.