French Fowling piece 1750's

[Dave B]

This will be my third attempt. Lets see if it works.
I Just got this fowler back from being on loan and wanted to share it with those who like the european stuff.











Can any body make out the Delp__f  Paris.

[Michael]

Dave

Nice fowler! A couple of questions.
Is the cheekpiece covered in leather?  What is the barrel length and the bore size?  Can you estimate when the fowler was made?  I see a future project!!

Thanks
Michael

[Mike Brooks]

Great gun, thanks for posting. Yes , that is a leather cheek cover. Common on high end english guns too. I've always been amused how the english copied the french in style, always about 20 to 30 years behind. The "pillar"  on the trigger guard, and the carving on this gun.  This style of carving can be seen on late 1780's english work, although some what englishfied"

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Notice how far off-centre the trigger is? ... way over toward the lock.  Carving like that is tough in walnut.

[Dave B]

Thanks for  your comments, The Barrel is 36 1/2" long and is flaired at the muzzle to .643 cal but suspect that if you were to measure back in side it would be closer to .62 cal. It is very light to point.
the padded section is horse hair packed leather bound by a cotton or linnen edging nailed down. the butt was also coverd but naught but the sanks of the tacks remain.

[Clowdis]

I wonder if the triggers were offset to accomodate a short arm on the lock sear or offset to make it more accessable to the trigger finger?

[flintriflesmith]

Can any body make out the Delp__f  Paris.

To me it looks like the last letter is another E. As I wild guess I'd say Delpile, Delplle, or Delpike.

Who has access to that expensive list of European makers?

Gary

[Bill of the 45th]

Un Fusil Fin For sure

Bill

[Feltwad]

The barrel on your French piece is of Spanish manufacture from Madrid and off the middle 18Th century.The cross is the Madrid cross the three oval are the Fleur DE Ly's and the shield is where the makers name should be the two stamps on the other flat are the proof marks.
I have restored several guns with this type of barrel of which most are English which was common for that period because Spanish barrels were considered the best
Feltwad

[Stophel]

The offset trigger is virtually universal on European guns.

[Levy]

We have recovered at least a dozen French cavalry pistols from a 1715 wreck with similar sideplates, but not quite as fancy.  The pistols have 16" barrels and are .615 cal. (iron mounted).  A similar pistol appears on page 251 of Neumann's book, 'Battle Weapons of the American Revolution'.

James Levy

[Stophel]

That gun has extremely fine lock inletting (from the photos on the other thread).  Even reaching the level of English, uh, retention.

Somebody's pried all the gold out of the barrel stamps!

I like how the moulding around the triggerplate is not square and flat, but beveled down.

[Dave B]

Stophel,
I think your right about the gold being pried out. I cant see any indication of a name on the touch mark crest inlet.
When those that were trained in Europe move over here they did some of the same things they did back home. I have a kentucky rifle that has an off set trigger notch and have seen a few others with this same feature.