What is the difference between a Roman Nose Stock and a Cows foot Stock?

[jd945043]

Guys please educate me a bit on this subject. I really want to know

 

[FlinterNick]

Roman nose stocks were a typical feature of early french guns (and some Spanish). The cow’s foot design is more customary with less drop and a thicker wrist.

The best example is a a 1754 charleville (Roman nose style) and a 1763 Charleville, (cow’s foot). The french abandoned the Roman nose style as it was in general a very weak stock for military use, the cows’s foot proved to be the longer lasting option over that of comfortable shooting. More stocks could also be produced quicker with a cow’s foot design rather than a Roman nose design.

 

[PathfinderNC]

I never heard of a cow’s foot stock. Learning something new!

 

[FlinterNick]

I never heard of a cow’s foot stock. Learning something new!

Its not a common terminology used to describe a buttstock shape, but I’ve read about it before.

 

[jd945043]

I never heard of a cow’s foot stock. Learning something new!

The French trade gun's had this type of stock

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I have never been able to see a cow's foot in any French gun. They must have weird cow's over there.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I never heard of a cow’s foot stock. Learning something new!

Going back a couple of years, here is an answer I supplied then.

The Cow's Foot Butt is the translation of the French term "pied de vache" used to describe the gracefully curving butt profile of the French Muskets, mainly the 1766 Charleville. That design characteristic was carried over to the Roman Nose design of some Pennsylvania rifles.

A search of the net turned several references to the term. A decent description is found here:
Kentucky Fowler - An American Restock of French Parts (collegehillarsenal.com)

 

[Dutch7]

I have never been able to see a cow's foot in any French gun. They must have weird cow's over there.

I was thinking the same thing, their cows do say "Le Moo" though.

 

[tenngun]

I don’t speak French but wouldn’t it be les moo?
I have always heard the term Roman nose applied to the gentle curve found on some federal period Pennsylvania guns, and understood this was based on profiles of the French guns. Done while America was developing stock design.
German, Spanish, French, English, Dutch all developed different but not necessarily ergomatic stock design. As humans tend to be built the same way evolution of stocks tended toward similar designs
The French pied de vauch got to be called Roman nose in America, to my untrained eye they look the same.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I think pictures of originals better serve to illustrate the differences. Both are highly curved, but of different buttplate designs and different profiles, e.g., comb height, drop, and/or buttplate pitch, etc.

Roman Nose - Original

French ‘Pied de Vache’ - Original

Note, the exaggerated positive pitch on the PdV butt can cause that stock to WHACK you good, if it doesn’t fit you well, as the buttstock climbs your shoulder in recoil …

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I think pictures of originals better serve to illustrate the differences. Both are highly curved, but of different buttplate designs and different profiles, e.g., comb height, drop, and/or buttplate pitch, etc.

Roman Nose - Original

View attachment 215471

French ‘Pied de Vache’ - Original

View attachment 215472

Note, the exaggerated positive pitch on the PdV butt can cause that stock to WHACK you good, if it doesn’t fit you well, as the buttstock climbs your shoulder in recoil …

Still doesn't look like a cow's foot.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

The cow's foot looks like something only a Frenchman could devise.

 

[2 shots]

I have never been able to see a cow's foot in any French gun. They must have weird cow's over there.

thats where the yuppies get the french vanilla stuff for their star bucks

 

[Jason holgate]

Good to know always something interesting

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

Never heard of a cows foot design but roman nose is common I think.

 

[waksupi]

I've never fired a Roman nose that didn't whop my cheekbone.

 

[GREENSWLDE]

I was thinking the same thing, their cows do say "Le Moo" though.

That's a Load of Le Bull!!
Should read La Moo!! O.D.

 

[Dutch7]

I stand corrected, my German linage is showing through.