Have barrel, need to decide what to build

[rich pierce]

I hope this fits under smoothbores. If not and it gets moved to "building" that's OK by me.

I bought an old round 12-14 gauge barrel 36" long, originally halfstock percussion (drum hole in the side, good threads), with a rib and pipes on it. It is the heaviest barrel I've seen at the breech- over 1 and a quarter inches. It's hefty. The bore is definitely OK. I was thinking of making it into a turkey-shooting flinter. I am looking for ideas. Maybe I could build it as a cut-down colonial fowler, a composite gun? It's going to need a huge lock for that barrel. Maybe a Chambers Virginia etc. What comes to mind for you when you think big gauge, huge breech, round barrel, just 36" long? I paid about $40 for the barrel, black paint and all, so intend to not gild the lily on this one. I could turn it down and mill it octagon to round I suppose, but that would sort of defeat the purpose. Anybody have a big early lock they could sell for cheap (the theme is a gun built from old parts)?

 

[onefeather]

i am in the same boat i am going to make a english fowler with my small barrel :agree:

 

[Runner]

There is a lock on Ebay that is over 6 inches.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I've got the Chambers round-faced English lock(essentially the same as the early Virginia style but with a waterproof pan and some edge molding) and it is a very reliable and durable lock. Great sparker and the fine bead around the edge of the plate and cock give it extra eye appeal to me.

The only lock I have is a Jack Haugh designed 1750s era flintlock. This is a really early version, and is different from the one on TOW's web-site. It is about 5.6"x1.1" and is a rugged old thing. The frizzen spring, sear spring , mainspring and tumbler bridle are different. I bought it at a gun show and it was fully assembled and hardened, and they had done some finish polish work on it. It has never been on a gun. I picked it up with the idea of building a F&I era long rifle around it and a fine piece of shell maple that I bought from Allan Sandy last year at Ticonderoga. Not sure it's right for a fowler, though.

Eric Kettenburg used to have a photo on his web-site of a smoothbore he built for use in the woods around his home. As I recall, it was a half stock, early style flintlock fowler, solidly made. The barrel had no under-rib, and a single ferrule for the wiping stick was out near the muzzle. I think there was a Germanic influence to the gun and I believe the stock was painted. I've always thought that this would be a good all around firelock--maybe all a man would need. It would surely be versatile. Now that I think of it, I have this piece of plain walnut...

 

[rich pierce]

I've been looking over some Committee of Safety muskets and some are cut down and the 36" barrel should be OK. I want an English-styled lock, I think. Among current offerings I am trying to decide between the Davis offering, Chambers Virginia, and the Chambers Ketland lock, possibly the L&R trade lock but it's a little odd-shaped (wide). For fun I'm aiming at keeping parts under $300.
Paid $40 for the barrel
Paid $50 for the wood (I have a very plain maple blank already)
Probably will pay $125 for the lock (but I'd take a used one in a minute)
Think I can get by paying $50 for furniture and small parts (I'll make some of them)
This should be do-able and I may be able to offer someone a strong-shootin, pre-Revolutionary-styled 12 gauge turkey gun for under $600 finished. Counting labor at $3 an hour, of course!

 

[scott k]

This should be do-able and I may be able to offer someone a strong-shootin, pre-Revolutionary-styled 12 gauge turkey gun for under $600 finished. Counting labor at $3 an hour, of course!

$3 a hour! Don't most people bulk at that kind of outrageous labor cost? :shocking:
Lehigh...