A unusual Fowling Gun

[Feltwad]

Enclosed are images of a gun which represented two different types of shooting , at present it represents a fowling gun for shooting on the seashore it is 7 bore single barrel percussion made by Alfred Clayton of the High Street Southampton about 1850 he was a well known maker of fowling and also punt guns he was mention by Peter Hawker in his diaries for building him a punt gun when he was in business at Lamington Norfolk
The gun has a 48inch barrel made of Damascus twist what was also known has a bank gun The unusual thing about this gun it is built on the style of stock for a live pigeon gun with no ramrod channel, I have come to the conclusion that the gun may have had also a shorter extra barrel of 30 to 36 inches which would have been interchangeable and used for the sport of Live pigeon shooting
Feltwad

 

[Roundball2319]

That's a beast. What does it weigh?

 

[Feltwad]

That's a beast. What does it weigh?

The gun weighs 15lb with a 2 inch breech .
Feltwad

 

[hanshi]

I think you will need every one of those 15lbs when you shoot it.

 

[Walkabout]

Enclosed are images of a gun which represented two different types of shooting , at present it represents a fowling gun for shooting on the seashore it is 7 bore single barrel percussion made by Alfred Clayton of the High Street Southampton about 1850 he was a well known maker of fowling and also punt guns he was mention by Peter Hawker in his diaries for building him a punt gun when he was in business at Lamington Norfolk
The gun has a 48inch barrel made of Damascus twist what was also known has a bank gun The unusual thing about this gun it is built on the style of stock for a live pigeon gun with no ramrod channel, I have come to the conclusion that the gun may have had also a shorter extra barrel of 30 to 36 inches which would have been interchangeable and used for the sport of Live pigeon shooting
Feltwad
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Handsome bruiser

 

[sheriff john]

Thanks for posting. Hard to imagine the craftsmanship required to make a damascus barrel of such a length and size. Neat Stuff.

 

[Treestalker]

Dayyam!

 

[toot]

now that is a REAL PUNTGUN, WATERFOWL GUN!!! USED BACK IN THE MARKET HUNTING DAYS!

 

[Feltwad]

now that is a REAL PUNTGUN, WATERFOWL GUN!!! USED BACK IN THE MARKET HUNTING DAYS!

A bank gun yes A punt gun no.
Feltwad

 

[sheriff john]

Feltwad ...pardon my near total lack of knowledge of English hunting history/traditions. I find your posts fascinating, btw. So, back in the time when punt guns, bank guns, etc. were used, were marshes and seashores open to whomever wished to hunt there? I think I understand the concept of game owned by landowners, not "the people" as is the case here.

Were there regulations regarding punt guns, market hunting, etc. or could just anyone with a skiff participate? Thanks again for posting.

 

[Feltwad]

In the days of the last century and before there were flooded marshes known has ings which was more like common land for grazing of animals where most punt gunners operated also on the sea shore and river estuaries, and the punt gun was a tool of the trade when fowl were in season this was their living today most of these areas have been drained and are private owned there are still certain mud flats when the tide is in where punt guns are still used but these are now fewer.
For game shooting most of the land belonged to a land owner and large estates owned by his lord ship Permission must be obtained by the owner to shoot there is no free for all These estates all employed keepers who jobs to run the shoot for game shooting which is still the same today and any body caught in the old days with out permission was known has a poacher with many were brought before the magistrates and deported to the colonies ,many poachers risked been caught to most it was the only way of putting meat on the table
Feltwad

 

[sheriff john]

Thanks. Curious as to how those log barrelled guns were loaded with a ram rod. I tried "wade and shoot" duck hunting with my flint fowler ..once. Having to wade ashore after each shot to reload took the fun out of that experiment.

 

[ohio ramrod]

The difference between men and boys is the size of their toys. It would take a real man to shoot that gun.

 

[3Setters]

My arms are tired just thinking about holding and swinging that fowler.

 

[david w]

Nice gun! We don't have any pterodactyls around here.

 

[oldwood]

I once fired a 10 ga. Mag. unmentionable on a 45 deg. angle at a squirrel high in a tree. Got the squirrel , but l also got a severe headache from the recoil. Heavy recoil ain't good for ya. I've got a 7 ga. and quit shooting it with a full load. 160 + gr. FG and equal volume shot is ********. If'in somethin' is that hard to kill, I'll use a rifle. That gun is a young fool's game. Guess that lets me out.

 

[hanshi]

Nice gun! We don't have any pterodactyls around here.

We do still have velociraptors however.

 

[andy52]

How would you like to lug something like this around all day....

 

[Feltwad]

How would you like to lug something like this around all day.... View attachment 138915

The man in the image is one of the most famous English punt gunners Snowden Slights of East Cottingwith East Yorkshire UK the son of John Slights another punt gunner and born in 1830 .When the wildfowl season came he punt gunned on the flooded marshes known has iings and small rivers of the Derwent valley, In the close season he worked on farms and also took up trade of basket making.
The gun in the image when doing my research i have handled it and examined it sadly it as in a poor condition this was at least 35+ years ago it was in damp a museum cellar stood in a corner the barrel was full old white wash plaster .This left me so disappointed hope fully it has been moved and saved ,on my research to these place I came across this often when a oily rag would have helped It is our gun heritage and should be looked after and preserved
IT NOT OURS TO DISPOSE HAS WE PLEASE WE HOLD THEM IN TRUST FOR THOSE THAT COME AFTER .
Feltwad

 

[david w]

The man in the image is one of the most famous English punt gunners Snowden Slights of East Cottingwith East Yorkshire UK the son of John Slights another punt gunner and born in 1830 .When the wildfowl season came he punt gunned on the flooded marshes known has iings and small rivers of the Derwent valley, In the close season he worked on farms and also took up trade of basket making.
The gun in the image when doing my research i have handled it and examined it sadly it as in a poor condition this was at least 35+ years ago it was in damp a museum cellar stood in a corner the barrel was full old white wash plaster .This left me so disappointed hope fully it has been moved and saved ,on my research to these place I came across this often when a oily rag would have helped It is our gun heritage and should be looked after and preserved
IT NOT OURS TO DISPOSE HAS WE PLEASE WE HOLD THEM IN TRUST FOR THOSE THAT COME AFTER .
Feltwad

When I was young, there was a army surplus store in a town near by. They had a couple of punt guns on display in their antique section. I was about 12 at the time, IIRC. I thought they were fired from the shoulder. I tried to relate in my mind how much more it would kick than my grandad's single barrel unmentionable.