Got a new smooth bore flintlock please help

[MooseHunter92]

Hello all, I recently acquired a smooth bore 16gauge flintlock muzzleloader from a 95 year old farmer. He said that it has been in his family for many generations. Had no children to pass it on to. So he wanted it to go to good use and a good home. He said it was built in 1796.
It has a Damascus barrel, horn and antler accents. Had a stamp on the barrel which I am unsure what it is. And the lock reads “FOTHERBY” in all caps. Hand engraving on almost all metal parts. I paid 1100 for this. What are your thoughts? Do you guys have an knowledge on this smoothbore? Maker or any info. And how much it might be worth? Greatly appreciated everyone. And thank you, I can add more photos if needed

 

[SDSmlf]

Welcome to the form from North Carolina.

Nice find. You will get responses, but it would really help if you can take some better photographs, maybe outside with natural light, but not in direct sunlight. Try for at least one photo showing the entire gun.

 

[MooseHunter92]

Welcome to the form from North Carolina.

Nice find. You will get responses, but it would really help if you can take some better photographs, maybe outside with natural light, but not in direct sunlight.

Howdy, thank you for the advice. I will do that

 

[SDSmlf]

Howdy, thank you for the advice. I will do that

Look forward to see the photographs.

 

[pilot]

Very nice. Great condition, too. You did NOT over pay.

 

[MooseHunter92]

Very nice. Great condition, too. You did NOT over pay.

Sweet I’m glad to hear. I got it for my lady so we can shoot Turkey this spring.

 

[pilot]

Sweet I’m glad to hear. I got it for my lady so we can shoot Turkey this spring.

Okay, that did it, I'm really jealous now. I've been wanting to find one like that to hunt turkeys with but no luck so far.

 

[MooseHunter92]

Okay, that did it, I'm really jealous now. I've been wanting to find one like that to hunt turkeys with but no luck so far.

You will find one! Took me a lot of time to find the right one. But I’m glad I did. She just finished buturing the front shoulders of my red stag I shot last week. And she loves to shoot muzzleloaders. And cooks pretty dang good if you ask me! And works harder than most men do these days. I’m truly lucky. She got her first buck last year. And in the same day shot a coyote at 85 yards with my jaeger .58 cal flint smoke pole!

 

[MooseHunter92]

I’ll post more photos as soon as I get home

 

[MooseHunter92]

More photos

 

[Ponderosaman]

Nice looking gun. I have heard people outside of the forum say that Damascus barrels are somehow dangerous, but have not heard that on this forum. I would trust the folks on this forum concerning the care and feeding of a Damascus gun.

 

[MooseHunter92]

More photos #2

 

[MooseHunter92]

Nice looking gun. I have heard people outside of the forum say that Damascus barrels are somehow dangerous, but have not heard that on this forum. I would trust the folks on this forum concerning the care and feeding of a Damascus gun.

appreciate the concern. And I will definitely look into it a lot more. Think I should have a gun smith look it over before shooting it?

 

[painter]

appreciate the concern. And I will definitely look into it a lot more. Think I should have a gun smith look it over before shooting it?

You could, but if the bore looks good, without major pitting or so shiny that you suspect it was honed, I'd just shoot it with reasonable loads of powder and shot. Damascus barrels in good shape are just as safe with black powder as they always were.

 

[MooseHunter92]

Right on, I just dropped a little flashlight down the barrel and it actually looks surprisingly nice for its age. Very very minute pitting and it does not look like it’s been re bored. Just took the barrel out of the stock and someone must have cared a lot about this smoothbore because there was a good coat of wax on the underside of the barrel and absolutely no rust. The only rust I’ve found so far is on the inside of the lock. Which I will be cleaning up with a brass brush and re greasing with some home made bear grease

 

[MooseHunter92]

Do any of you fellas know what something like this would be worth?

 

[russellshaffer]

I am absolutely not an expert but I would bet that you got it for half price. If you and the seller are both happy then it was a bargain. I think he could have got a lot more if he didn't care who got his gun. It has found a good home.

 

[MooseHunter92]

I am absolutely not an expert but I would bet that you got it for half price. If you and the seller are both happy then it was a bargain. I think he could have got a lot more if he didn't care who got his gun. It has found a good home.

Thank you for the kind words. And yes we were both very happy with the deal.

 

[William Lincoln]

Damascus barrels require field loads-- medium charge. I have owned
several. The key question is the value of the gun. Auction houses, like
Rock Island might help you better. You would not want to put in
jeopardy a serious collector's piece with an avoidable flaw caused
out on a hunt. You also want to have it examined by a smith for safety.
Great find. Rare.

 

[SDSmlf]

appreciate the concern. And I will definitely look into it a lot more. Think I should have a gun smith look it over before shooting it?

I just dropped a little flashlight down the barrel and it actually looks surprisingly nice for its age. Very very minute pitting and it does not look like it’s been re bored.

If you can’t find a gunsmith that specializes in muzzleloading shotguns, at a minimum, I would take a close look with a borescope. If you don’t know someone with one or own one yourself, they can be had for well under $100 dollars. Niece’s farther in law had an old double with Damascus tubes. He knew I was into muzzleloaders and asked me to take a look at it. Although it looked good, from the outside and with a small light down the bore, my borescope told a different story. Look like a couple miles of bad road. Niece’s husband and FIL decided to test fire it. Smoke came out of the breech area on the first shot and the stopped. The right barrel split at the breech, and further examination revealed collateral damage to the left barrel. Guess what? It was determined it was my fault for not raising more of a fuss that the barrels were suspect.

At a minimum, get a borescope and check out the bore. The gun deserves that. There are countless old guns with Damascus barrels being shot today without issue, just make sure yours is up to the task. Suggest you wait for a couple of our British forum members to offer their opinion (folks like @Feltwad and @Britsmoothy), they are very familiar with older smoothbores, more so than most here or I will ever will be.