General discussion > Gun Building

Incised lock and side plate panels on fowler

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Lone Wolf:
The minimalistic beavertails I was going for on the lock and side plate panels of this fowler didn't turn out as I expected.  The question is should I leave them be, or should I lop them off so the panels come to a point as depicted in the last picture... because the panels are incised all the way around, would it be appropriate to bring them to a point?  I haven't seen too many incised panels that just come to a point with no beavertail or similar flare.  Thoughts?

Lone Wolf:
bump

smart dog:
Hi,
First, you are carving the moldings too early in the game before fully forming the wrist and lock areas. Shape your forearm and the rest of the stock to almost finished form before working on the moldings.  I think you still have enough extra wood to make over any moldings that you want.  Here is an original high end English gun with no moldings whatsoever, so they don't always have the beaver tails.







In my opinion, tiny beaver tails with a big lock like the Chambers round faced lock are an aesthetic mistake.  IMO either make them good sized or not at all.  Also thin the flats around the lock very thin to almost vanishing.  Prominent flats around a big 1750s English lock is a dead give away for a modern made gun. On the side plate  side round down the step by the barrel breech as in the gun shown above and make that panel more closely form fit the side plate even if it assumes a shape that differs from the lock side.  Just make sure the both sides begin and end at about the same locations on each side but beyond that they can differ a lot.  Here are some examples on a gun I made and 2 originals.




















dave

Lone Wolf:
Thank you smart dog.  Is it OK to have mouldings around the panels without the beavertails?

Mike Brooks:

--- Quote from: Lone Wolf on March 25, 2024, 03:20:12 PM ---Thank you smart dog.  Is it OK to have mouldings around the panels without the beavertails?

--- End quote ---
No. He's trying to tell you that no lock moldings at all is a common thing on english fowling guns.

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