Best bet for a first smooth bore

[FlinterNick]

Where would one get an Officer’s Fusil these days without having to go the India route?

chambers or the rifle shoppe

 

[smoothshooter]

chambers or the rifle shoppe

I’m of retirement age, and might not have enough years left to wait on TRS to come up with all the parts.

 

[FlinterNick]

I’m of retirement age, and might not have enough years left to wait on TRS to come up with all the parts.

The chambers fusil is what id go for

 

[dave_person]

I’m of retirement age, and might not have enough years left to wait on TRS to come up with all the parts.

Hi,
TRS is doing much better these days since their move. I am having good success with them recently. However, if you require an assembled lock from them, you could wait a while. Most officer's fusils were privately purchased not government issued so you could substitute a Chambers or Kibler round-faced English lock for any lock from TRS and just use their other parts. After 1765 or so, the fashion was for flat-faced locks on better quality guns. So you have a range of choices because some officers might order cheaper military style round-faced locks while others ordered more expensive flat locks. There are many original fowlers misnamed as "officer's fusils" because they have military themed engraving and decoration. The decoration can be a red herring. A true fusil will have sling swivels and be cut back for a full sized bayonet, not the silly short ones that are stored in the butt of the gun. It may or may not have military themed engraving. That was the choice of the buyer.

dave

 

[FlinterNick]

Hi,
TRS is doing much better these days since their move. I am having good success with them recently. However, if you require an assembled lock from them, you could wait a while. Most officer's fusils were privately purchased not government issued so you could substitute a Chambers or Kibler round-faced English lock for any lock from TRS and just use their other parts. After 1765 or so, the fashion was for flat-faced locks on better quality guns. So you have a range of choices because some officers might order cheaper military style round-faced locks while others ordered more expensive flat locks. There are many original fowlers misnamed as "officer's fusils" because they have military themed engraving and decoration. The decoration can be a red herring. A true fusil will have sling swivels and be cut back for a full sized bayonet, not the silly short ones that are stored in the butt of the gun. It may or may not have military themed engraving. That was the choice of the buyer.

dave

I have a few kits coming out next week, but I think the standard wait with most suppliers now is 3-6 months. Track of the Wolf took 6 months to get me a Brown Bess Stock, so my kit was incomplete for about a year.

Yea, they’re down on folks that can assemble locks, right now I think its just Jess and one other guy. I ordered a few lock kits this year, going to give it a shot.