Tell me about this J. Brown Smoothbore .62

[Rawhide67]

From the original post.....
View attachment 203148

Sorry, I missed that photo with his name.


I'm just hesitant to pile on someone like that.

My only other offering would be that that's an ugly piece of wood that probably doesn't help the overall appearance of the gun.

 

[Timber Wolf]

I have to say I am quite taken by the technique used to build the bench that Jackie's gun is resting on.

Thanks, the bench, and adjacent table. are made from reclaimed pallet wood. The bench is made from the skids that are mostly known as “garden timbers”, however these are not even poorly pressure treated. I soaked the legs in a 50/50 mix of diesel fuel and used motor oil. The top is heavily coated in Thompson’s Water Seal.

Back to the Fowler, I shot it today and it did its’ part when I did mine. I like it but need to get some thinner patching. My other smoothbore, a Pedersoli Trade Gun, has a slightly larger .630 bore and likes a .015 pillow tick patch and my home cast .606 balls (from a nominal .610 mold). That combo was a little snug in the JB smoothbore, and over 80 grains of 2f the recoil was rough. I backed off to 65-70 grains and had a pleasurable shooting experience.

I originally bought the Pedersoli Trade Gun as a place-holder until Kibler comes out with his Fowler. I generally viewed this gun in the same vein and figured at a little over component cost I would not be hurt. I paid a negotiated $800 on an asking price of $1000 and think it was fair both ways. I hope that the barrel/breech has set back as far as it needs to and once I relieve a little wood from the chip behind the tang and glue it down all will be well. Past that I will probably shoot it and enjoy it as is. Maybe someday I will use it as a learning platform and refinish it.

Thanks for the responses and discussion.

 

[Kansas Kid]

If you got it for a reasonable price and it’s ok mechanically you won’t be afraid to alter it and use it. I bought an in the white wormy wood poor boy many years ago from Jackie. It is not signed by him. It worked out to be a very reliable and accurate rifle after a little work.

Shoot it and have fun .

 

[victor#0]

Here's my J. Brown...................

 

[Flanders]

I’ve had a few j brown guns over the years, all have been functioning affordable guns that have done what they are supposed too. Are they pretty, no, but not offensive to look at either. Funny thing is, I’ve sold both my Allen Martin rifles and am trying to sell my mike brooks rifle, not because I didn’t like them, but because due to shoulder/neck injury I can no longer hold a long gun properly, so in turn, I’m back to a very short .50 that Mr. brown had for sale about 2 months ago on Alf. Do I miss floating around the woods with the buttery smooth finish of those much finer guns , yes, but am I happy I found a serviceable gun that will keep me shooting for longer, yes very much so. I feel his guns fill a gap between commercial and custom guns at a price that is fair and affordable to most that want to tag along in the muzzleloader adventure.