Author Topic: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler  (Read 2719 times)

Offline Ats5331

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Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« on: April 26, 2023, 11:10:01 PM »
Good afternoon gentlemen,

Bought this Fowler at an auction a few months ago. It looks like there has been repair to the forestock and lock panel, but the buttstock of the gun is untouched.

No signature on barrel, but a nice octagon to round original. Tang screw looks to be a modern replacement.

I had a fellow KRA member attribute it as early Lehigh. Perhaps 1770s.

A penny for your thoughts! There are some bucks county characteristics to the incised carving. Fleur de lis are present on backend of lock panels and at comb terminus. Stock looks like bucks to me, but I could be wrong.
















Offline rich pierce

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2023, 11:46:12 PM »
Super cool wherever it was made. Son red of those builders never went to “schools”!
Andover, Vermont

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #2 on: April 27, 2023, 04:24:42 AM »
Nice Catch !!  Grip rail guard, cheek rest. Is there a rear sight? Oct to round barrel? :-\

Offline smallpatch

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #3 on: April 27, 2023, 04:32:10 AM »
Definitely Bucks.
Very nice.
In His grip,

Dane

Offline Ats5331

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #4 on: April 27, 2023, 04:52:27 AM »
Nice Catch !!  Grip rail guard, cheek rest. Is there a rear sight? Oct to round barrel? :-\

Rear sight is on barrel, yes! Nice Octagon to Round barrel with patina on it. The stock shape and incised carving designs scream bucks to me

Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #5 on: April 27, 2023, 05:31:01 AM »
I think it's definitely Bucks, probably immediately post-war or thereabouts in the 1780s.

I believe this is the same guy:




Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!

Offline Ats5331

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #6 on: April 27, 2023, 05:34:07 AM »
I think it's definitely Bucks, probably immediately post-war or thereabouts in the 1780s.

I believe this is the same guy:





Eric, do you know where that photo is from? Or the maker please? Thanks

Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #7 on: April 27, 2023, 06:13:06 AM »
I took them probably 20 years ago.  A friend who is now deceased temporarily had the gun.  We both felt it was clearly a Bucks piece, possibly early enough to be War era but most likely 1780s following the War.  I have a few more pics, will post.  It has a funny little face carved forward of the guard, looks like an indian.  The barrel is oct/rd and as best as I recall, was @47-48" long.  The piece was quite heavy - thick wall barrel.
Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!

Offline Ats5331

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #8 on: April 27, 2023, 06:17:58 AM »
I took them probably 20 years ago.  A friend who is now deceased temporarily had the gun.  We both felt it was clearly a Bucks piece, possibly early enough to be War era but most likely 1780s following the War.  I have a few more pics, will post.  It has a funny little face carved forward of the guard, looks like an indian.  The barrel is oct/rd and as best as I recall, was @47-48" long.  The piece was quite heavy - thick wall barrel.

Thank you, Eric. Sorry to hear your friend passed. The Fowler I have is slender, slim piece with a 43” barrel. No face carved on this one. Has a decent pull though. It’s really joy to carry. Very light, only about 5 lbs 10oz

Offline mr. no gold

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #9 on: April 27, 2023, 08:06:12 AM »
Strikes me as having 'Bucksian' features and a darn nice gun at that. Looks like that architectural style and the carving is incised which seems to be the most favored kind. Good piece and am glad that you found it. Thanks for posting the good photos and letting us have a look.
Dick

Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #10 on: April 27, 2023, 02:14:04 PM »











Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!

Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #11 on: April 27, 2023, 02:15:38 PM »








Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!

Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #12 on: April 27, 2023, 02:27:34 PM »
Sorry about the poor quality of the photos but it was a long time ago with a little camera and it was a rainy day.  The only way I could get decent light was to try to get photos out under a front porch roof of a hunting cabin.  It was Rich Hujsa that had it.  The story as I remember it was that he was at some folk festival or something down around Kutztown and there was a "little old lady" dressed up in colonial clothes, leading a mule, and she was carrying this thing that was as big as she was.  As I said, it's a heavy sucker (look at the muzzle photo and you can see why).  **I think** the entire lock was missing but I'm not sure - might have been just converted or something, I don't remember exactly now, but Rich told her if she let him borrow it he'd do the lock over which he did.  That's about all I remember.

I was particularly interested in this one because the little face is CLEARLY an indian, no doubt there.

I don't think there's any doubt that your piece and this one were made by the same guy.  I also like if you look closely how the carved detail around the tail of the lock panels looks like a little face with arms thrown up in the air!  haha, it really does.

The stock work is quite accomplished but his carving seems wild and wooly, very freeform and "quick" to my eye. 
Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!

Offline Ats5331

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #13 on: April 27, 2023, 02:37:57 PM »












Thanks, Eric. Really neat Liberty head on that one. I think it’s the same maker for sure, mine looks a bit more rudimentary ? I think the stock shape on the one in the photos looks a bit more Fowler like too.

Anybody have any info on a maker? Thanks!

Offline Shreckmeister

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #14 on: April 27, 2023, 02:55:35 PM »
Love your great old Fowler. Nice to see you guys posting some eye candy recently. Condition of your Fowler looks outstanding. Hope you can figure out the maker. Bringing it to KRA?
Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.

Offline Ats5331

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #15 on: April 27, 2023, 02:58:50 PM »
Love your great old Fowler. Nice to see you guys posting some eye candy recently. Condition of your Fowler looks outstanding. Hope you can figure out the maker. Bringing it to KRA?

Thank you, sir! Yes, i plan to bring it to the show. It’s got a great feel to it. Very nice shape!

Will you have a table?

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #16 on: April 27, 2023, 03:46:27 PM »
I now have the trigger guard for the top rifle in case anyone wants to repop that gun.
 
NEW WEBSITE! www.mikebrooksflintlocks.com
Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'?

Offline Tom Currie

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #17 on: April 27, 2023, 04:08:41 PM »
Very cool. Thanks for sharing. I especially like the elongated tang carving ! Lots of whimsy on this gun.

Offline Eric Kettenburg

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #18 on: April 27, 2023, 05:30:08 PM »
So on the piece that I posted, I'm thinking the guard/sideplate/buttplate are British and may have been recycled off something.  Anyone have any ideas as to what?
Strange women lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!

Offline Mike Lyons

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #19 on: April 27, 2023, 06:04:31 PM »
Those are absolutely beautiful guns.  Is it safe to assume by the carving that the man who made them had some sort of connection with other makers in the area?  That carving is popular with Lehigh and Moravian guns.     

Offline rich pierce

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #20 on: April 27, 2023, 06:11:26 PM »
Any specs on the first gun?
Andover, Vermont

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #21 on: April 27, 2023, 06:14:17 PM »
So on the piece that I posted, I'm thinking the guard/sideplate/buttplate are British and may have been recycled off something.  Anyone have any ideas as to what?
Some sort of English fowling gun. But I think these mounts may have possibly been commercially available.
NEW WEBSITE! www.mikebrooksflintlocks.com
Say, any of you boys smithies? Or, if not smithies per se, were you otherwise trained in the metallurgic arts before straitened circumstances forced you into a life of aimless wanderin'?

Offline Ats5331

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #22 on: April 27, 2023, 06:40:12 PM »
So on the piece that I posted, I'm thinking the guard/sideplate/buttplate are British and may have been recycled off something.  Anyone have any ideas as to what?
Some sort of English fowling gun. But I think these mounts may have possibly been commercially available.

I agree with Mike. I think these were probably commercially available parts that the gunsmiths could use and eliminate time of casting their own.

Mike, I may take you up on a guard casting. I like the way this gun handles and may duplicate it, but make it a rifle.

Offline Ats5331

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #23 on: April 27, 2023, 06:41:31 PM »
Any specs on the first gun?

What specs you looking for? I would be happy to take measurements. It’s very sleek and pulls up well.

Offline rich pierce

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Re: Bucks or Lehigh Fowler
« Reply #24 on: April 27, 2023, 06:59:30 PM »
Any specs on the first gun?

What specs you looking for? I would be happy to take measurements. It’s very sleek and pulls up well.
Width and height of buttplate, length and breech and muzzle diameter of barrel, bore diameter, rifled or smooth, rear sight or not. Thanks
Andover, Vermont