Fowling Pieces in Military Use

[Stumpkiller]

Sometimes we find what we go looking for.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Odd that one can find a plethora of surviving musket types that are plain Jane and even to "poor boy" standard that were hurriedly slapped together for rev. war yet the civilian gun in it's plain form does have the elements TG mentioned. Even the cheapest of cheap Carolina type guns had some rudimentary scratching on their strapped furniture.

 

[tg]

I think that some just will not out down the current standards and definition of plain and embrace the cultural standards of the 18th century look they RCA and you will see a wide range in the decoration of the guns many are no doubt what would be called plain in the time, you simply cannot develope any theroy about these guns based on current standards meshed with a lack of understanding of what/how things were approached in the past, the military guns the capt mentioned were probably the plainest of plain and they survive in numbers as do civy guns with little carving of engraving the Plain ML of today with no incise moulding or anything at all on the wood or furnitutre is based on todays definition of "plain" If I am incorrect there are several top gun students/builders here who can set things straight

 

[smoothy]

I'm not an expert and I hold your counsel in high regard. I have a better understanding on what you are saying here after re-reading your posts and don't disagree with your opinion on the subject. Stumpkiller is right, sometimes I look forward to jousting when it is not necessary.

 

[Stophel]

I wonder if many people left their own guns at home... "I'm not gettin' my gun all beat up!" (plus, wives and children needed the gun at home), hence the constant complaint of American military commanders of lack of arms.

:idunno:

 

[BrownBear]

My question is, whether it was larger waterfowling/medium game guns used primarily as emergency military pieces only, or if smaller bore guns for upland game also saw use?.... I'd like to know if anyone has an idea as to what sorts of fowlers were going into militia/minuteman use against the British.

While not specific to the guns, there are some illuminating references on the militia and relations with government forces during the seige of Boston in George Washington's Secret Navy

It's been a while since I read it and have lost details, but several things ring through the fog:

The biggest issue was a general gunpowder shortage, with supplies being run in through British blockades from the Caribbean, as well as captured from British ships.

Militiamen showed up with whichever arm they owned, and the army had a heck of a time getting the militia to stick around.

Marksmanship was bad enough to make even a marginal rifle by today's standard a real prize. There are accounts of British boats left grounded on the mud flats by the tides and musket battles broke out with colonists on the nearby shore. The shootouts went on for hours, often without casualties.

Good read, and a "back door" source of info that will be useful to you, even though Navy is in the title.