Caywood English fowler

[fatman]

I have been looking at the Caywood English fowler and fowler game gun. I was thinking about getting it in percussion. I called and spoke to one of the gun makers and after much discussion I am now leaning to the flint. Anybody have experience with the Caywood fowler in the 12 ga 30" game gun or the 12 ga 37 1/2 or 41 1/2 flint? The Caywood is a beautiful gun but before I buy one I need some insight.
When I read about touch holes ,powder pans, flints, and types of powder I get a bit uneasy.I realize that hunting with primitive arms can't always be 100% but before I decide on flint or percussion I really need some help.
Thanks

 

[Bushwhacker]

I've had one of Danny Caywood's guns. Very top quality. Mine was a 62 cal in the Wilson style. :redthumb:

 

The flintlock is easy to learn, but is different than shooting percussion. The stuff about different powders and all that is mostly smoke (no pun intended, or maybe I did). Depending on gauge, you would use either fffg or ffg just like in a percussion. You can prime with the same powder (the old timers did) so you don't really need ffffg. Let the gunmaker worry about the touchhole--if it doesn't work you can always get a liner later, but a Caywood should work. You can forget about looking for caps in your local store, but you'll need flints. They can be harder to find. I mail order mine. Tuning a flintlock can be a little tricky and even the best have a very small delay fire compared to most modern arms--in the best, you'll not notice it, however, but you do have to "follow-through" in your aim/hold. They are fun! Get one and you'll see. :m2c:

 

[ffffg]

37 inch barrel minumum in my way of thinking.. you can shoot a percussion like modern gun, flintlock is a whole new ballgame when your talking fast moving targets.. if your counting pheasants or ducks, youl be unhappy with a flintlock as the trigger to bird time is totally different from modern gun. my 10 gauge percussion sxs worked quite a bit like my modern sxs guns when shooting butwith a long time to reload.. my chambers 16 guage is twice as difficult to hit moving ducks and pheasants with as a percusstion and can take years for you to master.. youl enjoy your new flinter very much, but it will tax you to get a handle on it.. once you can shoot sustained lead, and not jerk the trigger or flinch, youl be fine.. but shotgunning is a response, like ducking a punch in boxing.. its automatic, and automatic responses are tough to aquire and take alot of work. .. dave...

 

[akapennypincher]

Caywood Stuff is GREAT. Great lock, Great Workmanship. Great STUFF. :m2c:

 

[TANSTAAFL]

As per Caywood, installing a liner will void the parts guarantee. Caywood barrels are made from high carbon steel, very strong, unlike the weaker leaded steel used by many others.

http://www.caywoodguns.com/faq.htm

 

[TANSTAAFL]

A good flinter versus nipple gun lock time is indistinguishable by most shooters in the field. A bad flintlock is almost as bad, as a bad percussion gun.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

FatMan ... I have an English fowler similiar to Caywoods for sale in the classifides. Mine is flint though, but $600 dollars cheaper than his. Mine is a 12 gauge also. What kind of info are you looking for? I've shot mine with both ball and shot, and can give you some details on 12 gauges loads. Percussion or flint os a personal choice.
Ohio Rusty

 

I am not a fan of vent liners either, but sometimes they are a solution to a problem. Never heard of "leaded steel". All makers I know of use carbon steel. Can't imagine why anyone would put lead in steel. Alloys do differ and not all carbon steel is the same. Some are 'softer' than others.
P.S.There is such a thing as leaded steel--I stand corrected--but it contains only a small amount and is used to aid machining.

As per Caywood, installing a liner will void the parts guarantee. Caywood barrels are made from high carbon steel, very strong, unlike the weaker leaded steel used by many others.

http://www.caywoodguns.com/faq.htm

 

[newt]

if your counting pheasants or ducks, youl be unhappy with a flintlock as the trigger to bird time is totally different from modern gun.

No matter the gun, the trick seems to be to lead them way out front as almost to miss.
You'll be shocked at how far out you can go before you miss vs. missing while aiming to kill.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Getz, Rice & others use leaded steel, much, much, easier to machine, rifle & etc. But, it is a weaker steel than Caywood uses, I know from experience that a drilled vent hole erodes rather fast in the leaded steel barrels. I tried the drilled vent with internal cone, dropped that practice muy pronto.