Smooth Rifle

[Juniata]

I have been shooting one off and on for about 21 years.
Isaac Haines type 54 caliber, 38” swamped barrel, rifle sights, sliding wood patch box, and flintlock. Have even won prizes in woods walk competitions with more than just a few participants, all of them shooting rifles. Works good with shot out to about 25 to 30 yards. Am considering having it jug choked. Ball loads good for deer sized targets out to about 75 yards, sometimes farther.

I have a Haines, I never thought of building one in a smoothie.

 

[Brokennock]

Here is a Chamber’s kit in 54 cal/28 ga, assembled by Mark Wheland.

That is gorgeous.

 

[Brokennock]

Love the characteristics of the Chambers!
Not a fan of that heavy wall on that barrel tho, extra weight.
My trade gun is that way, it's a colerain

Mine has a Colrain barrel as well. Wall thickness is thicker than my Fusil des Chase, but, as much as I don't love the weight, I think that thickness is part of why it shoots better groups. Also, look at some original small bore rifles, barrel thickness was what we would consider ridiculous, I don't think they had the same hangups about heavy guns back than like we do now.

 

[tenngun]

Ain’t that the truth. I’m often surprised to see ‘off hand rifles’ like some Ohio or Michigan styles that sport over one inch barrels and .36ish caliber.
On the other hand we see some big fowlers in the six to seven pound range.

 

[Cattywompuss]

Here's mine. .60 Caliber, possibly Narragansett Arms, signed J. Woods. Octagon to round. Stout built. Chambers lock.

 

[tenngun]

Sweet

 

[DuncNZ]

I have a book called " Flintlock Fowlers , the first guns made in America . American Fowling Pieces from 1700 to 1820 .
Written by Tom Grinslade . This is a most interesting book which has a lot of good information and photographs of different guns from different schools of gunsmithing . A lot, of the later firearms look just like the rifles made in the same period . It is easy to see why these were often called smooth rifles .

 

[david.stieghan]

Here is a form of smooth rifle also called a buck and ball gun. .75” caliber, double set and hair triggers, front and rear adjustable signs, barrel is octagonal to wedding ring to round. Iron furniture, wooden patch box, and J. Garner signature on top of the barrel. Fine shot, buck and ball, or patched round ball. A bit bigger bore than the .50” to .62” smoothies most are happy with. One of my favorites.

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Like stated:
It's a rifle styled gun with a rear sight in a smoothbore barrel.
If it's only got a front sight it's a smoothbore or as fowler.

SO, if you also put a rear sight on a "fowler", that makes it a smoothrifle?
Asking for a friend.

 

[Robby]

No.
Robby

 

[rich pierce]

Like stated:
It's a rifle styled gun with a rear sight in a smoothbore barrel.
If it's only got a front sight it's a smoothbore or as fowler.

SO, if you also put a rear sight on a "fowler", that makes it a smoothrifle?
Asking for a friend.

A rifle styled gun will usually have several of the following features not common to smoothbores:
A rifle style guard with the grip rail well off the wrist
A rifle style buttplate, squared up at the comb and flat at the toe
A cheekpiece
A rear sight
A patchbox

so, merely adding a rear sight to a fowler-built smoothbore does not make it a smooth rifle. It’s not confusing if one thinks about “does it look like a rifle or a fowler or musket? Ok it looks like a rifle. Lemme see if it has rifling!! Nope! Dang, it’s a smooth rifle!

 

[Juniata]

Here is a form of smooth rifle also called a buck and ball gun. .75” caliber, double set and hair triggers, front and rear adjustable signs, barrel is octagonal to wedding ring to round. Iron furniture, wooden patch box, and J. Garner signature on top of the barrel. Fine shot, buck and ball, or patched round ball. A bit bigger bore than the .50” to .62” smoothies most are happy with. One of my favorites.View attachment 110739View attachment 110740

We going to need more lead boys!

 

[TNBandit]

Extremely interesting thread and once again I've learned things I wasn't aware of. Other than that annoying bit that reminded me of that old Monte Python skit where the guys goes to the argument clinic wanting to have an argument...

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Other than that annoying bit that reminded me of that old Monte Python skit where the guys goes to the argument clinic wanting to have an argument...

and accomplished exactly what? Life is WAY TOO SHORT to get wound up about something that trivial. Not worth it!!
But then again, some folks are born to *****, about anything, and will be remembered for just that.

 

[DuncNZ]

The book on American fowlers doesn't mention Smooth rifles at all , they are all called Fowlers .The figures I quote are from a study carried out by the Kentucky Rifle Association . Re the Lancaster/ Kentucky fowlers verses the rifles the differences averagely are . Rifle = grip rail trigger guard , double set triggers , butt stock with a cheekpiece and a flat bottom , butt plate with 3 facets and a squared tang ,patch boxes wooden and brass, barrel octagonal and average 44 inches long .
Fowler: trigger guard rounded bow , single trigger , butt stock oval section average butt thickness was 1.8 inches , butt plate rounded with elongated tang , patch box if fitted wooden on early guns brass on later , average barrel length 47 inches , calibers range from .47- .74 with an average of .58 . 80% had octagonal to round barrels 20% round barrels . None had octagonal barrels . Barrels fell into two groups .70 inch or .110 inch thick . The guns with the thicker barrels are now known as buck and ball guns . 85% had rear sights .
I like the idea of a versatile smooth rifle and maybe one day I will get one with a 50" or more octagon to round barrel , with .70 " walls , a round trigger guard and round butt plate , no cheek piece , in 20 ga and with a single trigger .

 

[Y2GREY]

There is a really great article on Smooth Rifles in the 1995 Gun Digest. I was reading it at the cabin during deer camp. The author provided numerous examples and photographs of different guns and even entered into a discussion on “double balling” I need to see if I can find a digital copy.

 

[Juniata]

There is a really great article on Smooth Rifles in the 1995 Gun Digest. I was reading it at the cabin during deer camp. The author provided numerous examples and photographs of different guns and even entered into a discussion on “double balling” I need to see if I can find a digital copy.

Please let me know if you find it even if it's a personal message some time later. Thanks

 

[Y2GREY]

Next time I’m at the cabin may be early February. I’ll do some other digging before then. I found the article very interesting because I have one of these “smooth bores” .

 

[Brokennock]

If it's only got a front sight it's a smoothbore or as fowler.

SO, if you also put a rear sight on a "fowler", that makes it a smoothrifle?

Nope.
@rich pierce nailed it down pretty well.
Well, really wouldn't the fowler be the person with the fowling piece?

Anyway.

A fowling piece is designed and built to be gracefull and point naturally. If properly built for the customer it should "fit," and thus point naturally at what the shooter wishes to hit.
A rifle might be slender and somewhat graceful, but, because of the rear sight does not need to fit the shooter as well. They also tend to be more ruggedly built. As Rich mentioned, big differences in trigger guards, butt plates and butt stock architecture, barrel profiles, etc.
Not all rifles have nose caps, but I don't think I've ever seen a picture of a fowling piece with one. But, that is just from memory.

 

[DuncNZ]

Have a look in Tom Grinslades book , you will see a few fowlers, mainly Kentucky ones , with nose caps , Some early club butt fowlers are found with a 3-4 inch long brass nose cap fastened with a pin through a barrel key at the muzzle . and a number of Rev war era ones which have had the nose moved back to accommodate a bayonet .