No offense taken and thanks for the kind words.The problem with French trade level guns from all makers including Tulle and others is that in order to sell guns many vendors and makers are taking archaelogical material gathered by T.M.Hamilton and others and translatimg that information into complete guns which are not always as accurate as they should be.A major problem is the fact that there are no commercially available locks which are totally correct.The biggest offender is the banana lock found in many French guns from the 1680's and 90's.These locks were for the most part round faced and not extremely long.I have three French guns made between 1685 and 1730 all three of which I believe to have been made in Liege a major supplier of guns to various European countries including France during the colonial period, Russel Bouchard,"The Trade Gun in New France 1690-1760" in the Canadian Journal of Arms Collecting Vol.15,No.1,PP.3-12 @ P.10 referencing the pricing of guns including those from Liege. The earliest of my guns has a round faced banana lock 5 1/4" x 1". While I think this gun has had a long history of usage in America, I cannot say with complete certainty how long it has been over here. The restoration of the forestock and the American style of percussion conversion suggest a long period here.The other two no longer have the original locks but the original mortices measure approx. 5 1/2"x 1" and are not the banana shaped style but rather are flat faced and have a relatively straight bottom with some drop in the rear.I believe these to have been very possibly Indian trade guns and one of them to have been a Chief's gun.I also believe these two guns may likely have been made in the same shop and possibly under the direction of the same master.The maker could have been influenced by a well known Liege master.
I am looking foward to seeing Mike's efforts in this area since it is sorely needed. At the present time I have been impressed with the R.E. Davis fusil fin kit NOT the Type D kit.A friend is building one now and I had the opportunity to compare it with my two later guns especially the more recent one and the Davis gun looks really good.It has a 48" barrel by Ed Rayl and a sighting rib which is a feature seen on better French guns.The furniture is of course brass and is of fine quality. The side plate is very similar to undrilled sideplates found in the archealogical site of the King's stores in Quebec City and which were made in St. Etienne Ca.1730-1760.There were over 2000 such parts found there,"The Great Peace,Chronicle of a Diplmatic Saga"by Alain Beaulieu and Roland Viau P.23.This excellent book is the saga of the Great Peace of 1701 between the French and nearly 40 Indian tribes.
I didn't mean to be so long winded but it's hard to stop once you get started on a subject you really like.
Tom Patton
