Author Topic: Outstanding colonial fowler up for sale.  (Read 2557 times)

Offline rich pierce

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 18936
Outstanding colonial fowler up for sale.
« on: October 19, 2021, 10:01:35 PM »
https://www.proxibid.com/Firearms-Military-Artifacts/HISTORIC-AMERICAN-COLONIAL-MILITARY-FOWLER-OF/lotInformation/64421087
This one is in Grinslade’s book on Flintlock Fowlers. Quite an impressive early one with provenance.
Andover, Vermont

Offline Robert Wolfe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1274
  • Great X Grandpa
Re: Outstanding colonial fowler up for sale.
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2021, 11:32:16 PM »
Sweet!
Robert Wolfe
Northern Indiana

Offline DHouse

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 132
Re: Outstanding colonial fowler up for sale.
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2021, 05:53:24 PM »
Wow thank you for posting this! I'm building a NE Fowler right now and was just looking at this gun in Grinslade's book, but some closeup pics are only black and white. This is really helpful for study, good post.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2021, 07:20:17 PM by DHouse »

Offline WESTbury

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1509
  • Marble Mountain central I Corps May 1969
Re: Outstanding colonial fowler up for sale.
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2021, 02:13:21 AM »
The fowler/musket is a great piece even without the historical background. As a former inmate of Connecticut, I can attest to the fact that New Englanders take their Colonial History very seriously.
"We are not about to send American Boys 9 to 10 thousand miles away from home to do what Asian Boys ought to be doing for themselves."
President Lyndon B. Johnson October 21, 1964

Offline mr. no gold

  • member 2
  • Hero Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2654
Re: Outstanding colonial fowler up for sale.
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2021, 08:11:39 AM »
Unquestionably a fine rare piece of Americana and in good condition for it age and its wear. Which leads me to the question about the lock. To my eye, albeit imperfect and getting more so every day, the lock looks like it has been replaced. Perhaps it was done in period and that is fine. A gun which has the forearm
worn through has a lot of mileage and things do wear out. Would that prevent me from buying it if that was a possibility, absolutely not. It is a wonderful gun.
Dick

Offline DHouse

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 132
Re: Outstanding colonial fowler up for sale.
« Reply #5 on: February 08, 2022, 06:10:46 PM »
On the buttstock, what do you suppose is the purpose of the brass nail just above each of the brass name plates?

Offline LynnC

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2084
Re: Outstanding colonial fowler up for sale.
« Reply #6 on: February 08, 2022, 11:27:36 PM »
Wow. 35K.

It really is a cool gun with lots of character. I would agree that the lock patina really doesn't match the rest of the gun
« Last Edit: February 08, 2022, 11:39:45 PM by LynnC »
The price of eggs got so darn high, I bought chickens......

Offline BradBrownBess

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 69
Re: Outstanding colonial fowler up for sale.
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2022, 05:15:07 PM »
Pretty old fowler with a replaced lock. Unless there is a LOT of direct first hand resources discussing the gun that's all it is. This:
"This musket has a number “34” thinly & precisely carved on right side of buttstock making it among the first National arms of the United States."
Is beyond silly - the doodle on the stock is just that - precisely craved????? Not my definition of precise.

I can only see and read what is listed - but to me that's just a pretty old fowler - 4 - 6K would be my tops and that would be if everything else checked out ok - which - since its an auction house - it was not checked out thoroughly I can almost guaranty. No offense to Poulins but I know first hand every gun is not given a thorough checking if any checking at all - many just get the sellers description with no verification "fine print = in no way does the description guaranty authenticity - that's up to you" - you can go read their terms.

Having had some bad experiences lately (not too bad - money back) I'm now stating again - NEVER buy a story buy a gun. And inspect that gun for at least an hour under 30x magnification - pull the lock for sure - scope the bore for barrel lengthening, etc. That brass plaque - unless there is an old (really old) newspaper article, will, something that concretely says that gun was that soldiers and mentions that plaque - it's not his. The number of true provable Revolutionary war used guns could be counted as less than probably 20.

I'm calling "super suspicious, possibly spurious, and basically BS on that story". I could be 100% wrong - BUT - the last iron clad Rev War gun I saw sold went for over 300K.

Offline debnal

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 426
Re: Outstanding colonial fowler up for sale.
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2022, 07:33:09 PM »
"The number of true provable Revolutionary war used guns could be counted as less than probably 20."

I think that is very, very low. I have been collecting identified Rev war weapons for over 40 years. I have been very careful on what I collected. I have nine identified long guns, five swords, and several powder horns that I am sure were in the war. One has to be extremely discerning as to what you buy but they are out there.

I didn't hear about the 300K gun that sold. Maybe someone could expand on that one.
Al

Offline mr. no gold

  • member 2
  • Hero Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2654
Re: Outstanding colonial fowler up for sale.
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2022, 08:44:06 PM »
Al, I think that is a reference to the rather recent sale of the Rochester/Monmouth Rifle that sold in upstate NY. Not a musket, but a rifle.
Dick

Offline Dobyns

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 132
Re: Outstanding colonial fowler up for sale.
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2022, 10:27:17 PM »
If  the story is to be believed, the musket that fired the first shot at Bunker Hill sold for $492K
https://www.antiquesandthearts.com/morphy-auctions-sells-gun-that-fired-first-shot-at-bunker-hill-for-492000/

Offline debnal

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 426
Re: Outstanding colonial fowler up for sale.
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2022, 11:28:11 PM »
Dick,
You may be right but he stated that there were no more than 20 good Rev War guns.
Al