Finished Fainot inspired Lancaster fowler

[rich pierce]

Frederick Fainot was a French-born gunsmith who emigrated to Canada, then to NY state, then Lancaster Pennsylvania by the mid 1770s. His work is very distinctive and his patchbox designs were unique and complicated. I admire his work and researched his guns and construction of patchboxes, and just finished a fowling piece patterned after his fowlers. I used a figured black walnut blank, a 44” octagon to round Getz barrel, a Chambers Early Ketland lock, and Reeves Goehring buttplate and guard castings, and fabricated the rest. I've been at this too long but enjoyed every minute of it.

I aged the metal some but have not decided how far I will go with the wood. It's such a nice piece of wood and finished well for me with Chambers' Oil.


















Comments and critiques are welcome.

 

[Vaino]

Hi Rich......that's a beautiful LR and displays a Pbox that's different than those built in the Lancaster area.....it certainly has a charm that many don't have. Did Fainot persist w/ that Pbox design or at some point was he influenced by Lancaster designs?

I take it that those round, brass buttons are the heads of retaining pins for the springs? How are they held in? Also....the hinge plate of the lid is a separate piece...is it soldered on?

The carving is nicely done and is high lighted by the shading in the low areas. Really adds to the beauty of the carving.

I can see why you've chosen Fainot guns to emulate....Fred

 

[rich pierce]

Thanks, Fred. Fainot kept his style to the end of his working days. The patchbox construction is very unusual. He must have had a bucket of rivets! The lid and hinge are riveted to the surround, instead of the typical side-opening pb form where the hinge leaf is vertical and screwed into the side of the cavity. Then the latch is also riveted to the surround. All of it is self-contained.

 

[Vaino]

After making this Pbox, it looks like you're now quite a riveter. Fainot it seems thought very differently on how a Pbox should be built.

How did the brass rivets peen after annealing? Did you have to anneal them while riveting and are the rivets soft yellow brass?

Also....you did an excellent job of riveting because there's very little evidence of rivets on the "show side".

I make Bucks County Pboxes w/ the separate hinge plate mounted to the sidewall of the cavity.....actually riveting that plate per Fainot is easier.......Fred

 

[Rifleman1776]

Outstanding.
A reminder that what really attracted me to the ml avocation was not just the camaraderie, guns and shooting. It was, and still is, the appreciation for how all of us, regardless of talent levels, are preserving the crafts and skills found in our history alive. Indeed, we are a foundation for America in remembering that history. This gun is just one of many that reflects that dedication.

 

[rich pierce]

After making this Pbox, it looks like you're now quite a riveter. Fainot it seems thought very differently on how a Pbox should be built.

How did the brass rivets peen after annealing? Did you have to anneal them while riveting and are the rivets soft yellow brass?

Also....you did an excellent job of riveting because there's very little evidence of rivets on the "show side".

I make Bucks County Pboxes w/ the separate hinge plate mounted to the sidewall of the cavity.....actually riveting that plate per Fainot is easier.......Fred

Fred, I bought brass rods from Track but the brass does not match the sheet brass as well as I want. I annealed the rods, peeled a head on them, installed, peeled them down into the countersink on the exterior of the PB then filed them flat. Next Fainot, I will make my own rivets. I have some 0.125 brass plate and will make some from that and hope for a perfect color match.

 

[rich pierce]

After making this Pbox, it looks like you're now quite a riveter. Fainot it seems thought very differently on how a Pbox should be built.

How did the brass rivets peen after annealing? Did you have to anneal them while riveting and are the rivets soft yellow brass?

Also....you did an excellent job of riveting because there's very little evidence of rivets on the "show side".

I make Bucks County Pboxes w/ the separate hinge plate mounted to the sidewall of the cavity.....actually riveting that plate per Fainot is easier.......Fred

Fred, I bought brass rods from Track but the brass does not match the sheet brass as well as I want. I annealed the rods, peened a head on them, installed, peened them down into the countersink on the exterior of the PB then filed them flat. I only annealed the rods once then again after making the head. On my next Fainot, I will make my own rivets. I have some 0.125 brass plate and will make some from that and hope for a perfect color match.

Oops double post. Was trying to fix the auto-spell mistake (peen became peel)

 

[George]

That's a really beautiful gun. I seriously envy anyone who can do that.

A question about fowlers in general...did they commonly have patch boxes?

Spence

 

[Col. Batguano]

There is some serious design time and work in to that PB. I think PB's take about 1/3 -1/2 of the total time it takes to build a (basic) rifle. This shows exactly why. I think it actually looks cooler that the rivets don't match than if they would have. It's a shame that so much of the work in it is buried below the surface and isn't seen. Mike Brooks says that PB's are for others to open.

Sort of like the wedges vs. pins decision. Another huge time eater, and a vastly under-appreciated feature to the casual examiner.

 

[Davemuzz]

Excellent work sir!!!

 

[rich pierce]

Spence, as far as I know Fainot was one of a very few who made such guns that had an odd mix of rifle and smoothbore traits. If this had a square toe and rifle guard, we would call it a smooth rifle, I suppose. If no patchbox, there’s no doubt it would be called a fowler.

Some of Fainot’s smoothbores have cheekpieces also, but never a rifle style guard. Some have no patchbox. His unique style appeals to me. My next build is a Fainot rifle.

 

[Col. Batguano]

They're not for the Fainot of heart are they? :wink:

It's nice to see builders out there that are willing to build stuff that is off the beaten path from what is offered in the pre-carved or ready-made parts smorgasboard. Even nicer to see someone who executes it well.

Getting a gun off the bench is gratifying, but also feels a bit like sending your kid off to college. You still worry about them, but in a different way, because they've been a part of your life for so long, and always will be.

 

[MSW]

that's really gorgeous work!

 

[stubshaft]

Very nicely done Sir :hatsoff:

 

[pargent]

:thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[tlallijr]

Very nice !

 

[George]

His unique style appeals to me. My next build is a Fainot rifle.

I ran across a gun which I find very attractive for the same reason, not a cookie-cutter product. If I could build I'd be shooting one of these.

P. Peloux, octagon to round, 48" barrel .54 caliber smoothbore, iron mounted including the side-opening patch box, curly maple. It's the guard which hooks me. :grin:



Spence

 

[Artificer]

VERY interesting piece, Rich!

Besides the distinctive patch box, the carving is also unusual and interesting.

Hope you enjoy it!

Gus

 

[rich pierce]

Spence, that’s a great looking, late flint rifle-built gun. Would love to know more about it.

 

[George]

Rich, I don't have a lot to offer, bits and pieces, mostly, and nothing verified. The gun is #65 in "The Kentucky Rifle, A True American Heritage in Pictures", 1967, published by the Kentucky Rifle Association. At that time the gun was in the Thomas Maddox collection.

From looking at the original picture I can say it is hook breech with barrel wedges and escutcheons, has light checkering at the wrist, has both front and rear sights, has a 'waterproof' type lock. As I said before, 48" .54 caliber smoothbore barrel, octagon to round, all iron mounted, side-opening patch box, single trigger. And the beautiful guard. :wink:

I guess P. Peloux is Peter Peloulx. I've looked for him, found one in 1814 and in 1855. Peter Peloux/Pelaux?, listed in Kauffmann in 1814 as “armorer”, and in Philadelphia in 1855. Philadelphia business directory has Peter Peloux as gunsmith in 1856. In The Guns of Harper’s Ferry, Stuart E. Brown says, “Next, Irvine caused a musket to be constructed under the direction of Marine T. Wickham, a superior artist who had been employed for many years as master armorer at Harper’s Ferry.” And in 1812, “Peter Pelaux, working under Wickham at the United States Armory on the Schuykill in Philadelphia, completed the musket. Irvine described Pelaux as 'a very complete workman'”¦ 'a very superior workman'.”

Spence