MVTC Fowler

[weirdjack]

At the risk of another generalized meandering thread about India muskets and how much you pay your plumber....
A new lot of the Middlesex Village "New England Fowler" arrrived and I was on the list for one from this batch. It should ship out on Monday. So I should have it sometime next week or so.
After it arrives, I'll post my initial impression. Then I'll post again once I have a chance to take it down to the club and do some shooting with it. Which will probably be the day after it arrives because I can't wait to try it out!
The people I have heard from who actually own and shoot this gun love them. They tell me that the gun shoots well and is quite reliable. Sure, some have refinished the stock to look more walnutty. I plan on deglossing mine, revising the rammer a bit to get that modern jag off the end, and aging the barrel, lock, and hardware....I'm not into shiney
And probably later on I will thin things down on the stock. I want to shoot it awhile first, so I can make any other changes I might desire as I rework the stock.
The reason it won't ship today is that Middlesex checks the guns out first, drills the vent, tunes the lock as needed, installs a flint and makes certain it sparks well at least 10 times in a row...then they ship it. The lock has a lifetime warranty, if anything goes wrong they'll fix it or replace it for free. But the lock is a bruiser, so it should be fine.
Nice folks at Middlesex...very good people to deal with so far. They answer questions via email, and the phone only rang twice before Wendy answered to take my order. And the gun arrived two weeks before I thought it would.
Yes I know all the flap about India-made guns, yes I know about global economy (I work for an international company with manufacturing facilities worldwide...three in India), and yes I know about other options for smoothbores. :yakyak:
Jack

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

Be nice to hear a report from someone who actually owns one.... Looking forward to your report.

 

[jchochole]

Hi, thanks for your offer to let us know how the MVTC fowler is. I am on the next list to recieve one and would be very curious about the quality and authenticity. Please do let us know.

Thanks
James Chochole

 

since you brought up the India gun flap--I got a chance to handle a couple of their French muskets (1717 I think)last weekend and I was impressed by them--good buys for the money IMHO. They looked good and handled good and sparked great. Shor'nuff not walnut, but a little stain and finish would hide that fact. Good reenactor's guns.

 

[bnail]

Shor'nuff not walnut

What type of wood were they using?
not Ramin I hope! :haha:

 

[weirdjack]

Shor'nuff not walnut

MVTC says in the FAQ; "The stocks on these are made of teak or rosewood.". Loyalist and MH both say similar things also.
Both woods are common in India...unlike walnut. I've been told that the finish can be removed easily with common stuff like Formby's remover, then a walnut stain applied to give a more PC look.
Jack

 

[dkloos]

I was on the list to recieve on of their fowlers... but I opened up my spot on the list when I cancelled and bought a Fusil de Chasse kit (which is now a French fowler after much modification). I really like MVTC, great service overall. Plus I think its great that they ship it to you with everything you need for an event included. (flashguard,hammerstall,flint,sling,bayonet,scabbard) I definatly recommend them based on friendliness etc., even though I don't know much about the actual product. :m2c:

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

They look good in the photos, and the price is right, I'm anxious to hear how they shoot and handle.

 

[Chiefs50]

I didn't know MVTC offered a Fusil de Chasse kit. How does a French fowler differ from a Fusil de Chasse?