Was wondering if anyone knew about when the hooked breech design entered the scene...was it associated with the half stocked 'Hawken' design, or did it exist in some of the earlier 'longrifles' also?
Roundball, I am in the process of breech plugging a couple of 12 bore barrels. And on pg 223 of tracks catalog they make referance to pre-rev war era fowling guns that make use of hooked breechs.
Hawk, I don't believe that is what Track is saying. I think they only say that the groove of the tang resembles that used on pre-revolutionary pieces, not that the hook breech goes back that far.
In Hamilton's book "Colonial Frontier Guns" On Page 22 there is an illustration of a hooked breech from "Diderot's Encyclopedia" dated 1751-77. Definately flintlock period, but in his footnots he states that they have not found any in North America. That probably just means that there were no Fusil Fin's here with that type breech :imo:
Hooked breaches I believe were in this country during the Rev. period although I don't think they were the norm.I think they were used in Europe in pre-rev times.R.C.A.#145 is a hooked breach also there are three known J.P. Beck guns that have a hook[url] breach.In[/url] areas that have a heavy English influences hook breaches were more[url] common.In[/url] Massachusetts Silas Allen used them about 1810+ maybee earlier.They were also used in Virginia which also had a heavy English influence.
Mitch Yates
