CenterMark

I've seen some recent posts about Fusils. Haven't seen CenterMark mentioned in any of them. What's the general consensus on them? I have a Fusil Fin with a 38 or 36" barrel. I got it long ago. It was my first flint ignition weapon. I have coned the muzzle, installed a low rear sight, and a sling. Broke the curly maple stock into through the wrist on way to the Eastern several years ago and Michael Lee repaired while at the event. I like it but I confess I know little as to how it would compare to an original or other ones available now.

 

[Deadeye]

Actually there have been several posts about the Centermark.
I'm sure someone will tell you what's wrong with it. I love mine and no one has ever said to me that it should be
any way other than the way it is. One thing though, when Centermark put it together, the front pin holding the stock to the barrel went off on an angle so they just put a short pin in from the otherside to make it look like one pin went through, that was fine til I had to take the barrel out of the stock. :curse: I was able to correct it but it was a pain at the time.

 

The standard Centermark French fusils are fine. Yours, with a curly maple stock and short barrel would be atypical of the originals, which had walnut stocks and long barrels. You could always say that it had been damaged, barrel cut-off and restocked in North America--there are a few originals out there with maple stocks that have been restocked in America or Canada. :thumbsup:

 

The idea for the short barrel was I'm 5'7" and I remembered reading that a lot of short barrel pieces were found cut off on Rodgers Island. I think it was thought that many of the Rangers preferred a shorter handier weapon. Does any one have any information to support or burry that thought.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Considering most French guns for export to the colonies carried barrels that were 42" to 48" long and the fellows that were to use them were 5'4" or less I'd say i'd forget a gun with anything shorter than a 42" barrel. I don't start to warm up to a fowling gun intill the barrel gets past 46" or so....I fall hopelessly in love at about 60"..... :redface:

 

[Tommy Bruce]

Many of the fowling pieces in the New England area had a strong french influence and stocked in maple. Mike's right most of the gun's had longer barrels but I always thought a French gun with a shorter barrel (36-38 inches) would be just dandy for woods runnin. (I'm about 5'7" myself....god bless us short people, at least we'll be the last hit when the sky falls) Anyways I've never owned a Centermark gun but looked at em real hard at school of the longhunter and thought they were a well made gun. I do recall cut off barrel portions being found on Roger's island around 4 inches which would've put the long land pattern bess barrel still well over 40". I saw an origional at a display in Pittsburgh Pa. and it was a bigger hunk of wood & metal than this pup wants to carry on a scout!!

 

I fall hopelessly in love at about 60".....

Seems someone has a length issue, or maybe just braggin :crackup: Mine's only 44", fusil that is :haha: Bill

 

funny how many out there describe themselves as short at 5'7"--actually that was about average for the time period (5'6" to 5'7"). I am even shorter than that! But in that day no one would have taken much notice of my height. Yet, they carried long barreled guns! I have to tilt my 44" barreled gun a bit to see to load it! I have poked my 42" barreled rifles through the woods enough to know it can be done. Like I said earlier, you could claim damage and restocking and use your short barreled Centermark--guns cost too much then as now just to discard. :m2c:

 

[dodgecity]

I'm 5'6". Now that's short, in fact, among my circle of hunting companions, the only one shorter than me is my Beagle,"Rufus". Never the less, my fusil has a 42" barrel and somehow, I always manage to load it even without finding a stump to stand on. Mine is an Old Allegheny which I think was the forerunner of Centermark. I don't know about the accuracy of historical detail, but it is one rugged dependable weapon. After all these years and in all kinds of weather, it shows some wear, but still looks good. Other than ramrods, the only repair in all this time has been to replace the frizzen once.

 

[Tommy Bruce]

Hey maybe we could all get together for a long barreled smoothbore short guy scout!! :haha: :haha: :haha:

 

[fatboy]

I tip mine back to load I aint no bean pole

 

[musketman]

Hey maybe we could all get together for a long barreled smoothbore short guy scout!! :haha: :haha: :haha:

I'm in, I have to use a step ladder to load the Brown Bess... (well, not really)

 

[bnail]

If I wasn't wider than I am tall then I'd look taller than I do! :winking:

 

Besides the CenterMark I have a TVM Fouler that has a 42" barrel and a short Pedersoli Brown Bess. Does any one know why TVM describes their foulers they write that they have their 20 gauge "special barrel". Any one know what they feel is special about those barrels? I think it's special because I won the gun with a 5 dollar raffel ticket at Fort Frederick several years ago.

 

[RiverRat]

I have a TVM fowler also with the Longhammock barrel. A friend of mine, who is a blacksmith by trade and owns many fine ml's,
examined my fowler and was impressed with the quality of the barrel. He pointed out to me that the bore was shinney smooth, and there were no ripples in the steel. I can't compare this barrel to any other because I only own one smoothie. Maybe TVM describes this barrel as special because of it's excellent quality. :m2c: