Most common barrel on smooth bore long guns mid to late 1700's

[Blaze]

I am looking at purchasing a smoothbore kit gun appropriate for mid to late1700's. I prefer the octagon to round barrel. I'm looking at kit for fusil de chasse from Sitting Fox. I actually would prefer a kit from Kiblers, with all the positive reviews. However, I like the look and style of gun from Sitting Fox. I'm curious about others who have bought from them.

Is the octagon smooth bore barrel appropriate for the above time period?

I do question, however, the customer service from Sitting Fox, I have no question about Kiblers. Does anyone have experience with Sitting Fox, or should I stick with Kiblers even though they dont have quite the style of gun I'm looking for.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Bnewberry]

Also in the market so I will be watching for replies!

 

[tenngun]

I have bought from sitting Fox and can not praise them enough on service and quality of the parts.
Should you get a compleated gun, Ray hires contractors to do his work and a finished gun won’t have some of the love you find on others.... but is much cheaper then many finished guns so I don’t think a cross comparison between a $1500 gun and a $3000 is fair
Sitting Fox will supply what some call fantasy guns. NWG or FDC as ‘canoe guns’, and I think there are more ‘barn guns and poor boys, made now then back in the day.
He does off hard to find types that can be put together to be very historically correct, such as Dutch and French civilian arm cr 1680, an early NWG, looking more FDC and a good supplier of smooth rifle parts
My smooth rifle from Sitting Fox parts, on a ‘plain maple’

 

[Blaze]

Tenngun, Thank you for your input, I appreciate it. Your rifle is a nice looking rifle, and very nice wood! Did you build it or buy it completed?

 

[Blaze]

What about the PC/HC of the octagonal smoothbore barrel as in Kiblers kits?

 

[nhmoose]

PC/HC they are smooth

 

[tenngun]

Tenngun, Thank you for your input, I appreciate it. Your rifle is a nice looking rifle, and very nice wood! Did you build it or buy it completed?

The half round was seen by the early seventeenth century. And would remain common up till through the nineteenth
It’s hard to fit a lock to a round barrel. So even round had a flat side. So just for looks, or have a flat aiming plain the octagon was handy. By going to round it saved weight
Through the eighteenth century it was possibly the most common style except for rifles and and military arms.
Bought smooth rifle kit. They were unable to get the barrel I first ordered, and upgraded the wood as compensation.... without request by me. Ray went over the top to provide good customer service.

 

[dogfood]

Perhaps im misreading the question, but what people group/region do you want to represent with your piece?
In New England, for instance, being coastal they were big on fowlers- often a .54/28ga with a remarkably long barrel. There you also get your Committees of Safety muskets for militia use- shorter barrel (relatively speaking) and bigger bore. Both are interesting to be sure. And then you get everything in between those two way markers as well, of course.
I can't speak to other regions, other than New France definitely had the fusils de chasse kicking around.

 

[rich pierce]

Dog food nailed it. The answer to your question depends entirely on what sort of gun, where made, by whom, when.

English and French trade guns- averaged about 20 ga, round or octagon to round. Lengths of barrels on English trade guns varied. Know which era and style you want and learn details if interested.

Hudson Valley fowlers averaged 10-12 gauge with barrels often 4 and a half feet long. Round or octagon to round.

British style colonial fowlers, similar to Hudson valley fowlers.

New England fowlers had barrels 20-12 gauge, round or octagon to round, 42-60”.

Club butt fowlers, big bore 10-12 gauge, barrels 42-48”, round or octagon to round.

Pennsylvania smooth bores built like fowlers, as small as .50 caliber up to maybe 16 gauge. Octagon, round, or octagon to round.

 

[Blaze]

Thank you for all replies. My question may have been misleading, I apologize for that. I am in Southeast Michigan and recently joined the Lac Ste.Clair Voyageur which represents mid to late 1700's.
I have a Pedroseli Brown Bess, but wanted a new smoothbore correct for the stated time period and and area.
I really like Kiblers Colonial kits, but they all have octagon barrels. I didn't think full octagon barrels are hc/pc for my chosen area or time period. Am I wrong?
Sitting Fox has the correct long gun with the octagon to round barrel, which is why I am looking seriously at the fusil de chasse.
My inquiries to Sitting Fox were prompt but to the point, not what I expected.
I hope this clarifies the purpose of my initial post.
Thank you again for all replies.

 

[Blaze]

Although it sounds like Pennsylvania Fowlers (full smoothbore) where made from full octagon barrels during the interested time period. I think I have it straight now!

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Smooth bored guns during the time you are interested in were typically military, trade guns, civilian sporting guns called fowlers, and smooth rifles. Smooth rifles sometimes had full octagon barrels and looked like rifles with front and rear sights. Octagon to round barrels were frequently used on trade guns and civilian fowlers. Some were of "Spanish" form with octagon breeches tapering to a decorative wedding band about 1/3 the way from the breech and then round to the muzzle. Others were octagon at the breech which then gradually became round without any wedding band. Still others were 8 sided at the breech then became 16 sided and then round to the muzzle. Many fowlers also had tapered round barrels. Early military guns might have octagon to round barrels but most were tapered round by mid century. So the barrel really depends on the gun you choose and there were many styles used so there is no "one" correct style of barrel and a variety of them were common. Many folks focus solely on trade guns but there were a lot of military firearms and civilian sporting guns on the frontiers. In your neck of the woods, those guns would likely have a French or English flavor with far fewer American-made designs.

dave

 

[Blaze]

Gentleman, Thank you for all information provided, it has helped me immensely, and I think I'm ready to take the plunge! I think the Fusil de Chasse from Sitting Fox
Is in my near future? Please read the thank you in other thread about the fusil de chasse as it applies here as well.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

[Zutt-man]

If for whatever reason you delay, I’ll be able to respond with ‘quality’ through Sitting Fox in a month or so. I have a 20 gauge on the way. Ray has answered most of my questions in a prompt matter as has Kibler. Just wish it wouldn’t take 3-4 months to get your kit

 

[Blaze]

Zutt-man
Thank you, I am anxiously awaiting your response upon your review!

 

[Feltwad]

I have used Sitting Fox Barrels in the past and built flintlock sporting guns in 12 and 16 bore this would have been the late 1970,s and early 1980s. These barrels were octangle to round and I did alter them to a hooked breech plug which was good these guns have served me well with a quick ignition and were proofed at Birmingham Proof house .
Feltwad

 

[FlinterNick]

Half Octagon to half round barrels were very common, however full round barrels turned at the breech were also popular. I think Jim Chamber’s English Officers Fusil is a very good early style fowler, the lock is of a later design. Earliest fowlers had curved or banaNa shaped locks with bidales pans.

 

[Blaze]

Thank you,
Basically, my understanding is that a full octagon barrel was not used as a smoothbore, at least was used infrequently.
Would this be a correct analysis of information provided in this thread?

Blaze

 

[Zutt-man]

If for whatever reason you delay, I’ll be able to respond with ‘quality’ through Sitting Fox in a month or so. I have a 20 gauge on the way. Ray has answered most of my questions in a prompt matter as has Kibler. Just wish it wouldn’t take 3-4 months to get your kit

Still haven’t received my kit…

 

[Rató:rats]

Still haven’t received my kit…

Yeesh