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Author Topic: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse  (Read 8671 times)

Offline alex e.

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St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« on: January 18, 2015, 05:01:37 PM »
I still have a few tiny things to finish up on this .I thought some would like to see it.The originals were not this nice....... :)For the most part I'm  kinda happy with it.One thing I'd do different it to just use/ make my own entry pipe.The ones from TRS are incorrect,they give you the same ones on most of thier  "French guns" The  TRS lock is off an original and is overpriced for the quality you get. The TOW "Tulle" lock is almost identical in shape and size and is of much better quality. There are probably only three  St. E.  FDC's known to be intact,and all three vary differently in thier arhetechure
Enjoy!

European Walnut stock, Inlet by  Mark Weider,Lock ,buttplate,triggerguard from the Rifle Shoppe. .62 caliber,46" O/R barrel patterned from an original FDC barrel made by Nicholas Carteron in the 1740's[which I own]. The fusil wieghes a tad over 7 pounds and is a joy to carry. The new owner should enjoy it!









« Last Edit: January 18, 2015, 06:02:47 PM by alex e. »
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Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2015, 05:31:34 PM »
Of course I like it. ;D I think it needs knocked about a little though.... ;)
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Offline alex e.

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2015, 05:37:40 PM »
I agree Mike, if it were mine,I'd of took a couple rocks to it and drug it up the drive with the tractor. :)
The next one for myself will have those marks....
« Last Edit: January 18, 2015, 06:01:45 PM by alex e. »
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Offline FALout

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2015, 05:47:43 PM »
I've made a few myself and think that looks good.  Is that a cartouche on the trigger guard?  I can't see it well on the device I'm viewing right now.
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Offline alex e.

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2015, 05:59:39 PM »
That's just one of my stamps/makers marks.
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Offline iloco

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2015, 06:17:29 PM »
I like it.  If it had Mikes signature touch to it I would like better.
 Work well done.
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Offline old george

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2015, 08:19:38 PM »
looks very nice indeed,

george
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Offline E.vonAschwege

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2015, 08:44:32 PM »
Very nice gun Alex!  Though I'm partial to some patina on a new gun, I like that this one is built "as new".  It doesn't look flashy, it looks authentic and appropriate.  A few seasons of use and there will be a great spotty patina on the iron and the stock will darken up a lot anyway.  Did you buy the lock from TRS assembled, or as castings?  I really like working with their castings when I can get my hands on them, but I've never handled one of their assembled locks.  Thanks for sharing,
-Eric

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Offline Kermit

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2015, 08:44:48 PM »
I love it that you resisted the temptation to build a used gun. The new owner can acquire that patina honestly. Job well done, IMO.
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Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2015, 08:57:41 PM »
I notice this 1740's period gun isn't as "cow's footy" as the later contracts. I always suspected that the severe cow's foot archetecture was a product of the late 1750's and closely copied the fusil de trait (and etc.) archetecture of the same period. I believe several experts disagree with me,  they claiming the radical cow's foot shape to be exclusively a de chasse "thing" both early and late. I believe your archatecture is spot on for the 1740's date, the other french fusils sharing the same stock shape in that period. What think ye?
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Offline alex e.

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #10 on: January 18, 2015, 09:09:11 PM »
This was one of their built locks.  I don't have too much  desire to assemble locks. From TRS some are good,some are just okay. Being off of originals you wonder just how good the originals were.
  The customer wanted it 'as new'' . A gun of this type in the period was not finished much past ''well filed'' . It was a production guns being made at a fixed priced,you got what you got..
My long barreled Anchor marked gun was made ''as new'' also . After a year of reenactments, tacticals, and hunting, it looks much different. Some are harder on equipment than others. Nothing like good honest use.
I just put a few rounds through it this morning, it shoots quite well! I hate to see it go :'(
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Offline alex e.

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #11 on: January 18, 2015, 09:21:00 PM »
Some say the ''cows foot''/pied de cache was an earlier feature.. I'm not so convinced. A few Grenadier  and civilian arms exhibit this feature. I have a TRS stock that has quite a bit  PDV. Using dated guns,it seems that the buttstock combs got higher over the decades from 1700 or so. Some speculate the PDV was maybe the result of just a few individual craftsmen and the way the built them. That being said,the three SE guns in Kevin's book vary in buttstock Architecture.
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Offline Lucky R A

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #12 on: January 18, 2015, 10:01:33 PM »
   Hey Alex,  it is a good thing that you built that gun, I would have a hard time not "antiquing it."   Occasionally I get a request for "as new," but most want their guns to look old, some more so than others...that gets hard since I gave my Farmall Cub to my son to plow his drive...
    When is the Winter Rond?   We will have to have "Show & Tell" at Grandma's...
See you
Ron
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Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #13 on: January 18, 2015, 11:49:52 PM »
I was wondering....are the TRS front and rear trigger guard finials concave underneath?
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Offline alex e.

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #14 on: January 19, 2015, 12:02:30 AM »
No. They are about the same as any other casting you get.
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Offline wattlebuster

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #15 on: January 19, 2015, 03:54:10 AM »
I like it. I would love it if it had some age throwed all over it
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Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #16 on: January 19, 2015, 05:08:07 AM »
Quote from: alex e. on January 19, 2015, 12:02:30 AM
No. They are about the same as any other casting you get.
Can I assume that your original trigger guard finials are concave on the bottom? My original fusil de trait trigger guard finials are.
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Offline alex e.

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Re: St. Etienne Fusil de Chasse
« Reply #17 on: January 19, 2015, 12:40:51 PM »
We're  talking  about  underneath, ? As in concave from being forged? Where it makes contact with wood, correct? If so, then no.
« Last Edit: January 19, 2015, 12:57:07 PM by alex e. »
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