French or English 1750-1760 gun?

[hawkeye1755]

Is this a French or English 1750-1760 gun?

:hatsoff:

 

[richardn]

IMHO its French due to the lock, chisel engraving and irom mounts.

 

[Craig]

I am guessing French from the cock and the detail work on the metal parts.

 

[Stophel]

Well, it's continental.... I'd be just about willing to bet that it was Belgian or even Dutch.

Heck, it could be Russian! I Don't think so, but it could be. :grin:

 

[hawkeye1755]

Chris,did you notice in the third pic the cheekpiece,curious. :hmm:
:hatsoff:

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Dutch, maybe. Sure is a neat old gun. The cheek piece isn't all that rare on these fowlers--especially a fancy one like this. It's interesting that so many European guns have survived in such fine condition.

 

[Stophel]

It's not the most attractive cheekpiece, I'd say...

You'll find cheeks on guns from areas other than just Germany. You'll even see the occasional French gun with one, but they're definitely not common there.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

When I was a kid--admittedly many years ago--I saw a number of plainer guns brought home by WWII GIs. These "bring backs", most likely German, often had small cheek pieces and except for the lack of embellishment resembled this gun. It was these guns and the Davy Crockett films that got me hooked on muzzleloaders. I guess I'm really dating myself here!

 

[JoelH]

This fine flinter could easily be Italian. The area around Bresica was noted for similar barrel and metal embellishments. Also the frizzon spring screw is a blind screw, comming in from the inside of the lock plate. Another Italian characteristic.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Could be austrian too. One thing it isn't is english!

 

[Stophel]

It's just generic enough to not be able to say for sure, but I still think probably it is from somewhere in the Holland/Belgium/Flanders/NW Germany area. Just the gut feeling.

Mike, did the French really do half stocks much? The only French half stocks I have seen were all doubles.

 

[Mike Brooks]

did the French really do half stocks much?

Not that I know of. I associate that more with the Germanic countries and even Itallians. I suppose there were 1/2 stocked french guns, just not as common as the others countries.

 

[tg]

Is that lock 1750-60 or later?

 

[Mike Brooks]

1730 - 1750 I'd say. I'm going by the buttplate and trigger guard finials as much as the shape of the lock.

 

The only French half stocks I have seen were all doubles.

And even then they look like full stock amputee's :grin: