Fowler

[Maineshops]

Does the term Fowler mean any smoothbore? A search didn’t produce much. Dan

[Bob McBride]

No sir. Fowler’s are always Smoothbore but Smoothbores aren’t always Fowler’s.

Ie

Musket (Big heavy duty Military Smoothbore)
Smooth Rifle (Smoothbore, rifle architecture)
Fowler
Blunderbuss (Mossberg 590 of its day)

Fowler’s are a style of smooth barreled long gun designed for hunting fowl.

 

[Maineshops]

Interesting.....I’m guessing they would be short barreled to swing on birds?

[Bob McBride]

Interesting.....I’m guessing they would be short barreled to swing on birds?

No. Typically longer barreled as chokes were still a dream back then but there are those here who can better get into the weeds on this. Folks hunted birds on the ground and birds on the wing differently, with varying setups, as we do today, if they could afford it, just as today. A Fowler is generically a long, graceful, civilian Smoothbore.

[Mike Brooks]

I owned an original Durrs Egg that was straight rifled. But, the rifling was more like "micro rifling". Something like 17 groves in a 14 bore.

[Maineshops]

Was most of their shooting done on stationary targets ie sitting ducks? Powder and shot must have been expensive and not to be wasted? Dan

[Bob McBride]

Was most of their shooting done on stationary targets ie sitting ducks? Powder and shot must have been expensive and not to be wasted? Dan

Not necessarily. In ‘Boone’ by Robert Morgan there is an excellent description of how they made gunpowder on the frontier. They knew how to make it in bulk. I imagine lead was the harder get. Though, I’m sure they didn’t waste it and if it was short they’d be hunting pheasant, duck, and grouse on the ground instead of on the wing. As well as squirrel, beaver, or anything else edible.

Six parts saltpeter, one part charcoal, one part sulfur by weight. The saltpeter was made by boiling down water leached through guano that had been dug out of caves, until only the crystals were left. The crystals were crushed to dust to be mixed with willow charcoal and sulfur. The mixture was then boiled and stirred until the saltpeter combined with the sulfur. The result could then be doused with urine rendering a black, smelly goop to be mashed to sun dry; urine better oxygenated the mixture and caused the powder to flash with surety.

As Mike mentions, there’s overlap in all these gun descriptions.

[Longknife]

I always understood that a A "Fowler" was someone that went "Fowling"  with a "Fowling Piece" ? 

[James Rogers]

Does the term Fowler mean any smoothbore? A search didn’t produce much. Dan

From a historical standpoint the term "fowler" means one who pursues fowl. He/she may use a fowling piece ,  bird of prey, nets, etc.

In modern times the term is used as slang to describe the gun itself and sometimes to describe a smooth bored gun that is not an actual fowling piece.  I see the term used in all areas of the US but have observed some also use similar slang terms such as "flinter", "capper", etc. I do not see those additional terms used of native southern peoples while they have adopted the use of "fowler".




This misuse or change of terminology is similar to the word "fitment" which is a part or component. Nowadays it is used as a term for the precision in which a fitment is applied such as wood to metal fit.

[Bob McBride]

I always understood that a A "Fowler" was someone that went "Fowling"  with a "Fowling Piece" ? 

I understand the historical use, and it's awesome, but colloquially, a Fowler is a gun. The OP is trying to get his mind around lesson 1, but yes OP, a Fowler historically describes one who hunts Fowl, as, when I set up to regularly hunt the fox that takes my Chickens, I am, archaically speaking, and completely uselessly, a 'Foxer'.

I still go get a beer out of the 'Ice Box' so my bonafides should still be intact...