Author Topic: New England Fowling Gun  (Read 1635 times)

Offline Robert Wolfe

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New England Fowling Gun
« on: November 16, 2023, 12:10:45 AM »
This is my take on a New England “parts” fowling gun. It was not uncommon for these guns to recycle parts from one or more older guns. In this case I used a French butt plate and trigger guard from Rifle Shoppe. I made the side plate, thimbles, trigger, and silver front sight. It has a Chamber’s lock with a brass/bronze lock plate and a Colerain 20 ga trade gun barrel. The stock is black cherry. I am afraid the pictures show the wood to be darker than it is in hand.

Happy to have any critique you wish to offer.
















« Last Edit: November 16, 2023, 05:00:34 PM by Robert Wolfe »
Robert Wolfe
Northern Indiana

Offline Daryl

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2023, 12:16:53 AM »
Very nice, Robert. Looks like it might be a nice shooting gun as well.
The butt's architecture and flow is quite striking.
Daryl

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Offline bob in the woods

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2023, 12:36:51 AM »
I really like it.  My kind of gun  :) 

Offline Bob Gerard

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2023, 12:52:38 AM »
Very handsome gun! I really like the mountings you selected and made also.
Does that shape buttstock have a Dutch influence to it as well?

Offline rich pierce

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2023, 12:54:33 AM »
You are making some cool guns!
Andover, Vermont

Offline Robert Wolfe

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2023, 01:09:52 AM »
Very handsome gun! I really like the mountings you selected and made also.
Does that shape buttstock have a Dutch influence to it as well?


The stock shape is French influenced. The side plate is perhaps Dutch influenced I think.
Robert Wolfe
Northern Indiana

Offline Robert Wolfe

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #6 on: November 16, 2023, 02:52:47 AM »
You are making some cool guns!

Thanks Rich, I think we like the same kind of guns!
Robert Wolfe
Northern Indiana

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #7 on: November 16, 2023, 06:49:13 AM »
Nifty. I always enjoyed making those.
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Offline 2 shots

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2023, 07:00:03 AM »
very nice indeed.

Offline MeliusCreekTrapper

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #9 on: November 16, 2023, 04:33:50 PM »
Really nice build. I love those New England guns.

Offline Longknife

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #10 on: November 16, 2023, 06:46:13 PM »
NICE!!! I have one on the bench I may get around to finishing this winter! PS use darker back ground to make details of the picture show up better, LK
Ed Hamberg

Offline P.W.Berkuta

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2023, 06:47:29 PM »
It looks VERY nice to the eye - how comfortable is it to shoulder and shoot? I never handled a gun like that and to me it looks uncomfortable but like I said I never shot one like it. :-\
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Offline t.caster

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2023, 08:19:31 PM »
Beautiful creation!
Tom C.

Offline TDM

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2023, 09:01:46 PM »
Very nice! Graceful and tasteful.

Offline James Rogers

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2023, 11:02:20 PM »
I watched this one take shape.  Very nice piece to be proud of making AND owning.

Offline smart dog

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #15 on: November 18, 2023, 02:15:23 AM »
Hi Robert,
Very nice and beautiful gun.  It is very French indeed and of much better quality than the usual trade gun.  My friend, Richard Colton who was the senior park historian at Springfield Arsenal National Historical Park, has been diving deep into collections and museum specimens of colonial New England guns and he is focusing on a Marlboro, MA gunsmith named Barnabas Mathis. Some of you may recognize the last name from RCA #13, Shumway's French inspired example.  Mathis produced a number of guns that use very high quality French hardware, barrels, and locks, and all of his guns have strong French architecture. Richard believes he had a strong direct influence on some of the greatest NE gunsmiths such as Thomas Earle. Richard believes he was the maker of the famous Hawk fowler, which I am currently reproducing, and his work suggests there was a vibrant trade for high quality gun parts between NE and French Canada. He is not referring to trade and military stuff captured from locations like Louisburg but high end goods coming directly to NE gunsmiths from New France. Keep in mind, the famous Robert Rogers of Rogers' Rangers fame learned his wilderness skills smuggling goods between Canada and New England largely through the wilderness that is now Vermont.  Despite the almost permanent animosity and violence between New France and the northern New England colonies, if you could make money dealing with the enemy, you did, politics and patriotism be !@*%&@.

dave 
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Offline Robert Wolfe

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #16 on: November 18, 2023, 05:32:40 AM »
Dave, thanks for your kind comments and that bit of history. I've enjoyed following your Hawk posting and always pick something up from your posts, anything from technique to architecture. You are absolutely right that there were outstanding New England makers who turned out first rate work using the best components they could get (like Mathis). At the other end of the spectrum there are pieces that appear to have been thrown together quickly with miscellaneous recycled parts and with little attention to detail. But, perhaps the majority of the guns lie somewhere in the middle. I'm not able to recreate that "best" work so try to do a credible job in that mid range.
Robert Wolfe
Northern Indiana

Offline duca

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Re: New England Fowling Gun
« Reply #17 on: November 18, 2023, 04:43:08 PM »
Way Cool, Funny soon as I seen this I thought of the Woodsrunner…great job!
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