Finally - 20 gauge fowler - finished

[Old40Rod]

Here it is. My 3rd build from a precarve... made it from a Pecatonica maple fowler precarve with just the barrel channel cut and rr drilled, Octagon to round .20 gauge barrel, Chambers round faced lock, iron mounted. I don't know if its kosher but the stock came with this unsightly bump at the front of the comb... my rasp made short work of it whether it was HC or not it looked hideous to me.

Ferric nitrate/denatured alcohol mix for the color, no stain over it. First time I ever used it and I will use it again. The color is amazing, very rich, the photos don't do it justice. I did 2 coat/blush cycles, but I think one would have been enough. BLO/spar mix for a finish with my own beeswax, turp, BLO stock wax over it.

The stock had unusual striping/markings on the butt, very interesting. Oxpho blue on the metal, rubbed back with steel wool to a nice gray.

First shot at about 22 yards... the picture is rotated... bottom of the target is at the right side.

So... let the critique begin

 

[GreyWhiskers]

I'm likin it! Were you shooting balls and shot? GW

 

[Old40Rod]

No, sorry. My buddy put a few balls into the target before I shot

 

[Matt85]

looks good! ive always been a fan of the simple iron mounted guns.

-matt

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Since I have never built a fowler all I can say is looks good to me. I need to make one but I still have a double 50 w/interchangeable 12ga barrels and have never fired the shotty barrels maybe one day I will.

 

[Staggerwing]

Beautiful gun! Did you have the barrel jugged? This is going to be my next project when I finally get my .50 cal done. How did you apply the wax? I'm a beekeeper as well so I have plenty!

 

Beautiful looking gun. I love the Octo to round barrels... they make a very handsom gun. Nice work!

 

[don hepler]

Just my style! Looks great, thanks for pics, and now we need to see some game laying beside it in the next photo.

Good Luck.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Lookin' fine.
Be proud. :thumbsup:

 

[Old40Rod]

Thank you all for the nice comments... it was a fun build. I thought about jug choking, but it is going to be my grouse gun and open cylinder should do just fine in the woods.

Re: the wax, I just made up a mix of wax/turpentine and BLO. Melted the wax in a glass jar placed inside a water bath on the stove, then off-stove mixed in the turpentine and BLO. IIRC, it was around 1:1:1 by volume mix (google it), but I eyeballed it adding a bit more BLO/turp to get a soft paste consistency after it set up. Put it on and rub off just like Johnson paste wax.

I would also say that I really like the Oxpho Blue. Its about as easy as it gets, and it seems to be pretty durable. I used it on my .50 pistol I built some time ago and it holds up well.

 

Really dumb question... what is BLO?

 

[GreyWhiskers]

Boiled Linseed Oil

 

[david50]

nice job! :hatsoff: would like to see a full length photo,did you put a nosecap on it

 

[hoochiepapa]

Very nice. :hatsoff:

 

[BillinOregon]

Old40, I hope you enjoy many years of putting that beauty to use on grouse. Really like the wood grain, the color and the finish. I, too, have been very impressed with Oxpho Blue -- best cold blue I have used. Come to think of it, I need to send an order to Brownells as I am also out of Marvelux.

 

[fahopity]

:thumbsup: Looks great.

 

[TinStar]

Very, very, nice!! There is just something about an "ern mounted" gun that I like. And I like the tapered oct/round barrels too!

I used Birchwood Casey cold blue in a tube and like it a lot. Rubbed it back a bit and I like the effect on steel.

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

 

[wattlebuster]

I like it LOTS. Like the stock color even more :thumbsup:

 

[Old40Rod]

Unfortunately I don't have any good full length shots. I took a few but they don't show much because I'm a lousy photographer Its a 36" barrel. I didn't use a nose cap. I just tapered the nose back an inch and a half or so, so there is a nice round transition to the stock and room to grab the ramrod with grimy fingers.

I'm not a big fan of brass mounted guns, just a taste thing. That's why they make chocolate and vanilla I guess I hear its easier to mount a brass buttplate tho... the iron ones I have used resist tapping to close gaps like I understand you can do with brass.

If you like the color, I strongly recommend trying the ferric nitrate crystals mixed with denatured alcohol. It is a very simple process. Just mix it up, brush it on, let it try thoroughly and blush it with a heat gun. Just be careful with the heat gun or you will cause more than the stock to blush :grin:

BTW, no grouse were harmed by this fowler this season. It was tinder dry in the woods until recently, and we had multiple forest fires in our area.

 

[agill]

Beautiful gun! :hatsoff: