Shotguns

[Runner]

When did the style of guns we call shotguns begin to be made. I mean the short stock single barrel guns, not a full stock fowler or trade gun. The guns we recognize as shotguns!

 

[rich pierce]

Hmm, good question, my friend. Later flint English fowlers, singles as well as doubles by Manton and many others look like what we call "shotguns". So I'd say from about 1790 at the early end, there would be some English fowlers that begin to look pretty familiar in lines to "shotguns". I'll go out on a limb and say that by 1820 single barrel halfstock fowlers were probably predominant in the settled east. Fullstock trade guns were always cheaper to make and sell than halfstocks. Lower cost and tradition may account for fullstock trade guns being made much later than this.

 

[Mike Brooks]

William Bailes was making half stock fowlers in the 1760's in London. the french and germans were half stocking as early as the 1720's.
Nearly all english sporting fowlers were 1/2 stocked by the 1790's or so. there are always exceptions of course. :winking:

 

[Runner]

The reason I ask is that I am pretty much to the point of moving to a smoothbore gun for all purposes. The one I have is not acceptable because of the caplock and the choke tubes. It is not designed for roundball use at all and the choketubes and caplock disqualify it from all the shoots around here. I do love the style and handling characteristics tho. This one with the two barrels is just about the perfect one gun solution if you don't go to the shoots. Know of any pictures online to use as a guide?