Favorite Smoothbore
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Bob McBride
54 Cal.
Now we’re talkin.....
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Daryl Crawford
50 Cal.
I believe research indicates that .58 was the most common bore for fowling pieces in the second half of the 18th Century, but will kindly leave that, and defer to the experts here who've examined such things.
I’ve only had 3 smoothbores as my personal guns. A restocked original 18 gauge percussion double, a 20 gauge barrel for my percussion halfstock, and my .69 flintlock New England fowler made from parts from a French fusil ordinaire Kit from The Rifle Shoppe. It’s stocked in cherry and needed some patching in the buttstock. I aged it and gave it a “story of origin”.its fictional backstory is it was originally a captured arm from the French and Indian War. The worst ones with stock damage or other issues were sold off cheap and a Vermont gunsmith restocked it in cherry. A Vermont farmer militiaman took it when called up in the Revolutionary War. When reloading in battle the buttstock took a musket ball. Frugal Vermonter that he was, he took it to the same gunsmith when on furlough and had him patch things up instead of a complete restock.
It shoots a round ball beautifully. I’m almost shocked. Can’t explain it but just live with it! Good shot patterns at 25 yards. Plus, as an old codger I like an old gun with a story. Look closely at the buttstock to see the patch jobs, glued and pegged into place.
It shoots a round ball beautifully. I’m almost shocked. Can’t explain it but just live with it! Good shot patterns at 25 yards. Plus, as an old codger I like an old gun with a story. Look closely at the buttstock to see the patch jobs, glued and pegged into place.
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I think that gun fits the story very well.
I tend to follow my yankee ancestors when it comes to keeping perfectly good stuff that just needs a little fixing.
Looks really good to me !
LBL
I tend to follow my yankee ancestors when it comes to keeping perfectly good stuff that just needs a little fixing.
Looks really good to me !
LBL
That is such a unique gun! I am impressed every time I see it, especially the work done on the stock. The fictional explanation for how it happened makes it all the more interesting.
Bob McBride
54 Cal.
Sometimes perfection isn't found in the perfect. This is an example of that.
As long as I was able to use it, my repro (Navy Arms/Pedersoli kit) Brown Bess was my favorite. Health and age issues forced me to retire it. But, when using it was one of the mostest funnest guns to shoot I ever had.
I have two smoothies, a 20ga. NW trade gun (Green River Forge), which I got used and a T/C .56cal. Renegade SB, which was unfired. Both are very accurate @ 25 yd., but a work in progress @ 50. It's difficult choice, as I had to do a lot of work to get the NW trade gun to shoot reliably and accurately, which pleases me to no end. OTOH, the Renegade doesn't really fit me well, but is deadly from a bench rest position at the aforementioned short[er] distance, which is a good thing. Both may be dependably accurate out to 50 yd. with tow wads instead of the patched RB's I normally use, but that's still pending (and I'd be thrilled if they were!). Decisions, decisions!
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Pedersoli Bess and Sitting Fox NW Trade Gun.
Respectfully, Cowboy
Respectfully, Cowboy
Treestalker
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Larry, you know what they say about a man who only has one gun! I really like your outfit, too, especially the double shot pouch.
My only smoothie, TVM .62 Fowler with 42” barrel.
My only smoothie at the moment is a TVM fowler as well and I love it! Shoots straighter than my eyes can see. I was very surprised how well it performs with shot considering it has no choke.
I like my flint smoothies LONG ...
First up is a 62-cal ‘basstard bore’ club butt, a so-called ‘Boy’s Musket’ with a then (early 1700s) smaller than the norm caliber roundball. By Jackie Brown, 48” fully tapered round barrel by Greg Christian, and light as a feather at ~ 7-pounds; unreal for its length! The lock sparks like a ‘house afire‘ and it is THE most accurate smoothbore I have ever shot!
Second up is longer & bigger ... another one by Jackie Brown, early Dutch/Hudson Valley fowler of 75-caliber and 60” barrel with a nice tiger-striped stock. She turns heads wherever she goes!
First up is a 62-cal ‘basstard bore’ club butt, a so-called ‘Boy’s Musket’ with a then (early 1700s) smaller than the norm caliber roundball. By Jackie Brown, 48” fully tapered round barrel by Greg Christian, and light as a feather at ~ 7-pounds; unreal for its length! The lock sparks like a ‘house afire‘ and it is THE most accurate smoothbore I have ever shot!
Second up is longer & bigger ... another one by Jackie Brown, early Dutch/Hudson Valley fowler of 75-caliber and 60” barrel with a nice tiger-striped stock. She turns heads wherever she goes!
I guess my next favorite would be my 1st build, the Fusil de Chasse that I just finished making last year and took up to Anticosti Island (aka ‘New France’ hundreds of years ago), in Quebec province.
She represents an arm from the armory at Tulle (TVLE) built using the early French measurements of pieds and pouces, to the exact 1727 contract requirements. Made left-handed in 62-caliber wearing the correct FdC barrel of > 44” long.
She represents an arm from the armory at Tulle (TVLE) built using the early French measurements of pieds and pouces, to the exact 1727 contract requirements. Made left-handed in 62-caliber wearing the correct FdC barrel of > 44” long.
The Hudson fowler is one of the coolest guns I've seen. I have no doubts that she turns heads, like you said.
