Swivels on Fowlers?

[JGlaza78]

After reading through a recent lengthy discussion about sling swivels on trade guns, I began to wonder... Were sling's and swivels found on many fowlers? In my stable of modern weapons, only the rifles have been offered from the manufacturer with swivels. Not so with the shotguns. Aftermarket swivels are available everywhere. But what about an English fowler of the 1750s? Or even early American or French fowling pieces?

I'm still building my library and don't have much source material at home so I thought I'd put the question to this fine assembly of gentlemen. Whaddyasay fellers?

 

[Zonie]

I was about to say, no, slings were not used on smoothbores in the 1750's.
When I opened Richard Akehurst's book "SPORTING GUNS" , 1972 ed. OCTOPUS BOOKS LIMITED, London W.1, there on page 22, I found this drawing.
It is from [/i]"Abbildungen dur Jagbaren Thiere" [/i] by Johann Elias Ridinger, Augsburt 1740 and clearly shows the hunters gun with a sling.



This was on the Continent, not in Great Britain.

I've never seen a drawing depicting or a reference made about a sling being used on a smoothbore in North America or Great Britain during this time period.

 

[Stophel]

German guns, yes. French guns, sometimes. English guns? Probably never.

:wink:

 

[Capt. Jas.]

German guns, yes. French guns, sometimes. English guns? Probably never.

:wink:

this

 

[54ball]

A cartoon satire/propaganda...not a reliable source but is one of the few period images showing an Indian with a slinged anything. Most likely it's a musket....has a barrel band and he is wearing a cartridge box belt??? Likely done in a room far removed from the frontier...interesting image though.

The sign on the Guns says Reward for sixteenX scalps??? likely a musket.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Slings will be an exception rather than the rule.

Studies of Fowlers, such as Ginslade's "Early American Fowlers" will have pictures of a few guns made up from recycled musket parts with the hole in the trigger guard for a sling, but lacking a sling swivel on the forearm or the hardware at the trigger guard.

I'm not saying that fowlers with slings didn't exist. The practice of slinging a fowler was rare in the colonies.