Simple New England fowler

[rich pierce]

The Bennington VT museum has a few guns on display. I liked this simple New England Fowler. I guess it’s post Rev War based on the lock. Homemade buttplate, stout but attractive architecture. Tough getting good shots through glass. The lock is marked Ketland and Co.

[whetrock]

Yes, very nice. I enjoy seeing a fine rifle, but what I enjoy even more is a good working man's firearm that seems to have been well loved and well used.
Did you get good photos of the lock? In that one photo, at least, the lock looks to be in much better shape than the rest of the gun. Is it a restoration?

[rich pierce]

There’s a chance the lock is restoration. Someday I’ll try to get a curator to let me handle it. The lock mortise is pretty chewed up, so a replacement lock is quite possible. Didn’t take a picture of the lock.

[OLUT]

Interesting old fowling piece that is great to see ( I'm really old school and still call the shooter a "fowler" and the gun a "fowling piece"). Thanks for posting... Here's a slightly different view of the lock taken from the OP's top image... still hard to tell if the lock is a replacement, but the hammer screw looks new.

[WKevinD]

Thanks Rich, another fine example of a "plain wood" fowler.
I do like figured wood but I'm finding myself being more drawn toward these plain wood, graceful architecture guns.

Kevin

[Avlrc]

Always enjoy seeing New England Fowlers. Thanks for posting.

[Joe Stein]

Thanks, Rich. Nice example of that type of gun.

[silky]

Is that butt plate steel or brass? Great gun!

[rich pierce]

Is that butt plate steel or brass? Great gun!

hi Tom! I couldn't really tell.  It was pretty rough either way!

[silky]

I love it either way — thanks for sharing it!