Smooth Bore - Modern History

[Grenadier1758]

I picked up a smoothbore recently. Its a look at the early interpretations of how to put together a smoothbore flintlock. I liked the gun for its parts and it might be brought into more of a historic appearance.

The specifics as I have looked and measured. It is smoothbored 0.700 caliber and 36 inches long. I don't see any markings on the barrel. The lock is a musket sized lock marked with Lott on the plate and stamped "Made in Italy" on the inside.

The LOP is 15 inches and the cut out on the cheek piece helps to line the barrel up with my eye.

I believe that this is an early 1970's build that provided the user with a functioning flintlock smooth bore made from parts available to the builder at the time.

I think that corrections being mainly a new trigger guard and front sight will help this a lot.

Its either that or leave it as a fantasy gun.

Suggestions? Comments.

Barrel is good and it throws good sparks.

 

[Rifleman1776]

This is a game of individualism. And, I belive it has always been, excepting military issue items. Do yer thang with it and enjoy.

 

[bpd303]

I would leave it as is. Shoot the heck out of it. Have fun... be safe.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I will be safe and enjoy it. However that scroll guard just has to go.

I believe that this build was a case if since he had it he used it to make a functional gun.

As it is I don't think it will pass the jury at Fort de Chartres for the April Trade Faire.

 

[Artificer]

I will be safe and enjoy it. However that scroll guard just has to go.

What, you mean they did not use Hawken Trigger Guards on Flintlock Smoothbores? :haha:

One just has to wonder what the builder was thinking, because even the 70's folks knew better than that? :shake:

Gus

 

[Grenadier1758]

Yeah, there's no documentation that no one ever used a scroll trigger guard on a fowler and someone might have.

From what I know of the gun, it was built from parts on hand to be a functional gun. The builder didn't care if it was period correct or not.

This is the kind of fantasy creation that can be assembled if function is the primary consideration in the build process.

 

[Artificer]

Yeah, there's no documentation that no one ever used a scroll trigger guard on a fowler and someone might have.

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: GOOD Humour, there!!

How well does that LOTT Lock spark? I know some folks had real problems with some of them.

Gus

 

[Britsmoothy]

Please show me a photo of the lock at half cock and the frizzen down please :hatsoff:

B.

 

[Artificer]

Please show me a photo of the lock at half cock and the frizzen down please :hatsoff:

B.

I was thinking of what you had to do to your Lott Lock, as well as what others have written, when I wrote about the problems with some Lott Locks. GLAD you chimed in!!

Gus

 

[Grenadier1758]

Look for some photos tomorrow.

 

[bpd303]

I have two old fowling pieces with that trigger guard. Granted not a flintlock and a little later in time frame... but.

 

[tenngun]

That style of triggergaurd became increasinly popular through the percussion period. Many english guns sported them. A little out of date for a flintlock altough it could have been a replacment part. I would shoot it for what it is....although some times things become a burr under your saddle and you just have to fix it. ...Thats fun too.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Look for some photos tomorrow.

Thank you :hatsoff:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Mike, at first I thought it looks like somebody got hold of a Pedersoli tradegun kit, used, that the previous owner had lost a few parts from, namely the trigger guard and butt plate, etc...but the metal from the butt plate that extends onto the comb is a bit too short to have been substituted on the pre-shaped stock, so I think the lock was scrounged second hand, and as you suggest was part of a mish-mash ad hoc project.

LD

 

[Grenadier1758]

Dave,
I showed the gun to several older members of a gun builders' social group. While none of them professed to know the builder of this flintlock, they all agreed that the school of assembly was consistant with that of a West (Saint Louis) county special. At the time (1970) the Italian Lott lock was the only lock available for use in a trade gun. This was before Curly Gostomsky was offering trade gun locks.

I still have no clue about who made the barrel. It is a round barrel from breech to muzzle. The carving at the tang is nice with some evidence of use.

I do think the trigger guard was chosen based on 19th century shotguns that were often seen in the mid 20th century.

The lock panels seem to be too wide and there's alot of wood along the forearm. I can start to see an AWI officer's fusil buried in the originzl construction.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Please show me a photo of the lock at half cock and the frizzen down please :hatsoff:

B.

This is the Lock at half cock. I really need to clean all that old varnish off the face of the lock.

The flint is a musket sized about one inch that had worn down too much for my Long Land Pattern Bess. Its a little short for this application but the full sized musket flint was a little too big.

This is an attempt to capture the sparks during firing.

The touch hole comes in right on the face of the breech. I'm not expecting too much trouble in getting the pan to catch fire.

 

[Grandpa Ron]

Building parts from recycled gun parts is as old as gun making itself. These are usually the ones that end up in the “unusual construction” category of many reference books.

You have a unique firearm, which if found in a historic setting would be dated to the newest component. I would guess such a firearm could have been assembled in the mid-1800’s. So if you want to portray a Rocky Mountain trapper or other upper Missouri River traveler, the gun fits.

If you are not a reenactor then it makes no difference what time frame it represents. You may discover that the gun was built that that way because it was comfortable and shot well for the maker. I would suspect a left master eye on a right handed shoooter.

I would just shoot it and see what it does for you.

Buy the way, the guns themselves rarely care what they look like; they just want to shoot at something. :wink:

 

[Britsmoothy]

Thank you Sir :hatsoff:

My Pedersoli Lott looks like this.



B.

 

[nwtradegun]

back in the 70s and 80s the lott lock was just about the only one available for smoothbore or fowlers. curly goscomski used them one his first model trade guns.

 

[Britsmoothy]

The single most advancement for my lock was made when I had to make up a frizzen spring as the Pedersoli one broke. Rather than be flat it was up swept. I just worked better!
Here is a photo.
B.