New England fowler finished

[rich pierce]

I’ve finished a New England fowler based mostly on NE 11 with bits from NE 13 in Grinslade’s book on American fowlers. It has a 43” octagon to round, .58 Longhammock barrel, a Chambers round faced English lock, cherry stock. I made the buttplate, sideplate, trigger, wrist inlay, and thimbles. The guard is modified from a French fusil guard casting.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Very nice. I'd be proud to carry that one.

 

[bpd303]

I'd say ya done good.

 

[Doc Ivory]

Holy smokes, great job!

 

[Leadball loader]

I f I owned it would have a hard time taking it out to shoot! It is a dream gun!
LBL

 

[Magungo1066]

I f I owned it would have a hard time taking it out to shoot! It is a dream gun!
LBL

Dream gun is an understatement!!!

 

[Blaze]

Very nice indeed!

 

[Kev308]

Very nice!!!

 

[toot]

KUDDOS to you!!

 

[Brokennock]

Fantastic. Love the fruitwood stocked fowling pieces. Would love to see a similar gun done in apple some day.

Questions on the ramrod. I would like to do a similar one for my FdC, how large a blank did you start with, and, what is the diameter of the thick end?

Thanks for sharing more of your fine work.

 

[rich pierce]

Thanks, all. I start with a half inch ramrod blank. In this case most of the ramrod is tapered down to 5/16”. I drilled the ramrod hole at 11/32” diameter. I find that the swelled end will automatically center a hard thin wad at this diameter and not allow it to flip.
I’ve not seen original ramrods on colonial guns with the machined flared brass ramrod tips one can buy. Or for that matter, the straight sided ramrod tips often used to tip both ends of ramrods. On the small end of the ramrod I use a long tapered tip made of rolled sheet steel, with a brazed seam as originals used. Occasionally I make some from rolled sheet brass, with a soldered seam.

 

[Doc Ivory]

I keep coming back to look at the pics.
What a great job.

 

[Brokennock]

Thanks, all. I start with a half inch ramrod blank. In this case most of the ramrod is tapered down to 5/16”. I drilled the ramrod hole at 11/32” diameter. I find that the swelled end will automatically center a hard thin wad at this diameter and not allow it to flip.
I’ve not seen original ramrods on colonial guns with the machined flared brass ramrod tips one can buy. Or for that matter, the straight sided ramrod tips often used to tip both ends of ramrods. On the small end of the ramrod I use a long tapered tip made of rolled sheet steel, with a brazed seam as originals used. Occasionally I make some from rolled sheet brass, with a soldered seam.

Thank you. Recommendation on where to get such a thick blank?
I didn't think flares brass jags/tips were all that correct, thus, why I want o make one like yours shown here. My ramrod pipes are for a 5/16" rod, which tapers more at the end inside the gun to clear the lock bolts, that's a lot of material to remove. Does yours clear the bolts without further taper?
What do you use for finish on cherry? No way to keep it from darkening over time?

 

[LawrenceA]

Awesome work.
Certainly something to be proud of

 

[rich pierce]

I bought about 40 ramrod blanks about 10 years ago and the guy retired. I’ll see if I can look up who took over his side hustle.
I use a hand made tapered sheet iron ramrod tip on the small end. I roll it up on a tapered rat tail file then insert a small threaded plug and braze it together. All originals I’ve seen are made like that. It clears the lock bolt. Where the lock bolt goes through it just breaks into the barrel inlet and ramrod hole.
Cherry will always darken over time. That’s ok, just looks better.

 

[RB POWELL]

That is really nice. Great job!

 

[muzzlecap]

Great looking rifle. Very nice work.

 

[Magungo1066]

Want to update. Rich's work was fantastic. Got to the range last week and again yesterday. The fowler shoots both shot and ball like a mad man. Was all over the bullseye at 50 yards once I figured my sight picture out. It also swings and handles like a magic wand

 

[Artificer]

I bought about 40 ramrod blanks about 10 years ago and the guy retired. I’ll see if I can look up who took over his side hustle.
I use a hand made tapered sheet iron ramrod tip on the small end. I roll it up on a tapered rat tail file then insert a small threaded plug and braze it together. All originals I’ve seen are made like that. It clears the lock bolt. Where the lock bolt goes through it just breaks into the barrel inlet and ramrod hole.
Cherry will always darken over time. That’s ok, just looks better.

Rick,

Congratulations, that is a nice Fowler.

However, the part or your post I emboldened is what I wanted to ask about.

How far back do those tips go? I've never seen documentation on them or originals, that's why I ask.

Gus

 

[rich pierce]

Hi Gus,
I took a quick look- the best documentation I have at the moment is a tapered iron ramrod tip on a 1774 Oerter rifle featured in Moravian Gunmaking II by my friend Bob Lienemann, pg 123. It does not specifically state it was brazed. I suppose a skilled smith could forge weld something this thin but I’d burn 9 out of 10 using sheet about 0.025”.