Smooth rifle vs fowler

[StarnesRowan]

Hey everyone I need some knowledge on a place that I am not very well versed. In central NC (salem and salisbury) pre revolutionary war which wod be more commonly made a mooth fowler or a fowler style gun?

 

[Grenadier1758]

Probably a smooth bored fowling gun. A rudimentary rear sight may have been added, making it a sort of smooth rifle without the rifle architecture.

Smooth rifles will look like a rifle, may even have double set triggers and full octagon barrels in a relatively small caliber compared to a fowling gun's bore.

 

[tenngun]

Before the Revolution rifles were rare anywhere. The most common gun was some sort of smooth bore, and those on a typical smoothbore stock.
Rear sights were placed on the Carolina trade gun, and rear sights on smoothbores go back to matchlock days. Most guns were made without them.
All men over sixteen and physically fit enough were in the militia, and expected to be armed.
Since even a inexpensive gun cost around a months wages many men got an arm from public stock
Few people hunted, and most that did it was small game, so a smoothie just made sense.
One had to have a valid reason to invest in a rifle, if there was a maker near. And likewise anything more then a plain work-a-day smoothie.
Only the rich hunted for recreation.
And snares or fishing could augment your dinner table pretty well

 

[StarnesRowan]

Before the Revolution rifles were rare anywhere. The most common gun was some sort of smooth bore, and those on a typical smoothbore stock.
Rear sights were placed on the Carolina trade gun, and rear sights on smoothbores go back to matchlock days. Most guns were made without them.
All men over sixteen and physically fit enough were in the militia, and expected to be armed.
Since even a inexpensive gun cost around a months wages many men got an arm from public stock
Few people hunted, and most that did it was small game, so a smoothie just made sense.
One had to have a valid reason to invest in a rifle, if there was a maker near. And likewise anything more then a plain work-a-day smoothie.
Only the rich hunted for recreation.
And snares or fishing could augment your dinner table pretty well

As for the hunting aspect the people who where carrying these guns in NC at the time were mostly in the backcountry and There are records of people taking Bison, elk and deer. Though I agree that most guns of the time were smooth bores

 

[tenngun]

They hunted all over, I didn’t mean to imply they didn’t hunt. Just that most people lived in a community, and hunting meat was a unusual event.
Think of Kenton in Kentucky. He was a hunter feeding a fort, most of the folks didn’t hunt themselves.
As a group a community could gobble up the local big game pretty quick.
Most folk got up at sunrise and worked building their homes,farms,and community, going to bed at sunset,or shortly there after.on Sunday they took a rest, as much as they could. Cows or goats still needed to be milked, live stock cared for, but morning found them in church
Only in the afternoon would they kick around.
At special days,such as election,they might hunt a bit. And come winter much work couldn’t be done. In spring rivers would be hit if there was a fish run, and every body turned to to catch and preserve.
In general though, people that hunted were professional hunters. Most settlers concentrated on domestic food over wild.
Venison was actually considered poor eats compared to pork

 

[StarnesRowan]

Probably a smooth bored fowling gun. A rudimentary rear sight may have been added, making it a sort of smooth rifle without the rifle architecture.

Smooth rifles will look like a rifle, may even have double set triggers and full octagon barrels in a relatively small caliber compared to a fowling gun's bore.

What kind of fowler style wise

 

[Grenadier1758]

Best to look at the smooth bored guns pictured in Grinslades book, "Flintlock Fowlers". He has chapters based on geographical location.

https://www.amazon.com/Flintlock-Fo...refix=flintlock+fowlers,stripbooks,115&sr=1-1

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Best to look at the smooth bored guns pictured in Grinslades book, "Flintlock Fowlers". He has chapters based on geographical location.

https://www.amazon.com/Flintlock-Fo...refix=flintlock+fowlers,stripbooks,115&sr=1-1

While that book shows a plethora of fowling guns from the north, it has absolutely nothing for NC or surrounding. I would recommend an import style English birding piece or English imported Carolina trading gun (these were not just for the indian trade but were the equivalent of the hardware store single shot shotgun of the day. See Mullin's "Of Sorts for Provincials" for good original examples in color.

This is a bit east for central NC but I shared this militia list many years ago listing the varying types of smoothbored guns being used in militia service in 1755 Hyde Co NC

http://www.ncgenweb.us/hyde/military/1755MIL.HTM

 

[StarnesRowan]

While that book shows a plethora of fowling guns from the north, it has absolutely nothing for NC or surrounding. I would recommend an import style English birding piece or English imported Carolina trading gun (these were not just for the indian trade but were the equivalent of the hardware store single shot shotgun of the day. See Mullin's "Of Sorts for Provincials" for good original examples in color.

This is a bit east for central NC but I shared this militia list many years ago listing the varying types of smoothbored guns being used in militia service in 1755 Hyde Co NC

http://www.ncgenweb.us/hyde/military/1755MIL.HTM

I know moravian longrifles were present in NC due to salem and Bethabara. Is there a moravian style fowler.