Author Topic: Holmes Fowler  (Read 6228 times)

Offline Nate McKenzie

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Holmes Fowler
« on: August 25, 2009, 08:35:31 PM »
Here are some pictures of an English half stock fowler I picked up at Dixon's. It is extremely light weight and a natural pointer with about thirty in. barrel and I think a Knox pat. breech. I think it was flint but has been modernized to percussion.  Inlayed  plate on barrel marked Holmes-Liverpool. Any comments or observations are welcome. Please excuse my bad photography and busy background.  Nate.







































Thanks for looking and commenting.
« Last Edit: August 25, 2009, 09:59:29 PM by Nate McKenzie »

Offline Steve Collward

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Re: Holmes Fowler
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2009, 11:38:41 PM »
Nate:
  Nice looking fowler.  Carey's "English, Irish, Scottish Firearms Makers" lists a Henry Holmes working between 1800-1850 in Liverpool.
I have an unmarked percussion fowler with a similar "starburst" pattern/lines on the top of the barrel.
  Steve C.

Offline Feltwad

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Re: Holmes Fowler
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2009, 12:20:56 AM »
What you have is a typical English half stocked fowling piece circa about 1810  by Henry Holmes .My records show that he was in business in 1804 at 12, Castle Street, and moved to 55 Paradise Street  1806-1811,then to 12, Castle Street 1812 -1830. His next move was to 88 Lord Street 1821- 1825, and finally to  1 Harrington Street 1826-1837.
His son also called Henry and a gun maker began at 9 Parker Street in 1831.
I would say that your piece was converted to percussion at a later date because it is fitted with a percussion breech plug  and not the standard way of a drum and nipple .You do not give the bore size  but I would say it is a 12 or 14  which is big for a flinter most are 20 .
One question I must ask is there a name on the lock plate because it was common to fit another barrel to an existing gun  thus the barrel with a percussion breech plug , there is a possibility that only the barrel is by Henry Holmes and the rest by a unknown maker

Feltwad

Offline Nate McKenzie

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Re: Holmes Fowler
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2009, 02:37:43 AM »
The lock is also marked Holmes. On real close examination the breech looks like a flint breech. What looks like a snail in the photo is a badly eroded drum. The fence is on the lock not the breech.  Barrel mikes about .790 in.

Robin Hewitt

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Re: Holmes Fowler
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2009, 03:22:31 AM »
The bent top leaf on the pineapple says 1810 which makes it flint and the bolster suggests an American conversion. The lockplate has been cut away to accomodate the bolster swinging on the hook breech, is there a name on it? The engraving looks right, can you zoom in on the plate? Can you find evidence of pan closing spring holes (rivetted shut) showing on the back?

Offline Nate McKenzie

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Re: Holmes Fowler
« Reply #5 on: August 26, 2009, 07:03:24 AM »
Here are some closeups of the lock area.
















Robin Hewitt

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Re: Holmes Fowler
« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2009, 11:58:27 AM »
Aha! It's not a bolster, it's a brazed on lump, could be an English conversion



Everything looks right, unlike the conversion in my pic the engraving is first class, beautiful gun. Rather surprised the trigger isn't flipping back against a watch spring, perhaps it has seized up.

Robin

JBlk

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Re: Holmes Fowler
« Reply #7 on: August 26, 2009, 04:14:06 PM »
That looks very similar to John Mantons work.

Offline rich pierce

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Re: Holmes Fowler
« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2009, 06:55:46 PM »
Nice catch at the front of the lockplate.  you got a great gun there.
Andover, Vermont

Offline Curtis

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Re: Holmes Fowler
« Reply #9 on: August 26, 2009, 08:14:02 PM »
Extremely nice find you have there, Nate.  Very pleasing example of engraving & looks to be in very good condition overall.  Thanks for sharing it!
Curtis Allinson
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Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing

Offline Feltwad

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Re: Holmes Fowler
« Reply #10 on: August 26, 2009, 11:04:56 PM »
Most conversions of flint to percussion are using the drum and nipple principle, I have enclosed an image of a stand of English Fowler's from my collection using this principle
Feltwad

« Last Edit: August 26, 2009, 11:13:36 PM by Feltwad »

Offline Dan'l 1946

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Re: Holmes Fowler
« Reply #11 on: August 27, 2009, 12:36:23 AM »
Most conversions of flint to percussion are using the drum and nipple principle, I have enclosed an image of a stand of English Fowler's from my collection using this principle
Feltwad


A comprehensive series of photographs of your fowlers would be most appreciated and illuminating. You could start posting at any time that you find convenient. I ask not for myself, but for others who may be be too reticent to speak for themselves.... ;)

Offline Nate McKenzie

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Re: Holmes Fowler
« Reply #12 on: August 29, 2009, 07:45:40 PM »
Thanks for the comments everyone.