What kind of lock

[petlis]

Howdy all
I'm looking for some info and I'm sure this bunch can help me out.I'm looking for a smoothbore for my persona of a hunter/Trapper/frontier folk in the Kingston/Catskill area of N.Y in and around 1750's.What I was thinking was a handed down fowler. What kind of lock would a Dutch fowler have and would it most likely be stocked in walnut?I'm talking about an original from the late 1600's to the early 1700's Also would they be brass or iron mounted,and lastly what was the typical cal?
thanks for any info on this subject...Pete

 

[Stophel]

Unless you get one from the Rifle Shoppe, or have someone custom build you a lock, NO ONE makes a lock that even comes remotely close to being a good Dutch lock.

Stocks are generally maple or cherry. I'm not certain that walnut was ever used...

.60's and .70's in caliber, and LOOOOONG. Barrels of 60" and much more. I have gotten to see one early Dutch Hudson gun once. You really can't appreciate the sheer scale of one of these guns until you see one in person. The buttplate on this one was probably at least 5 1/2" high and 2 1/2" wide. Beautiful thing. Large, but not "fat" in any way. Generally, they're mounted in brass, but this particular one was mounted with iron, with the buttplate tang in the form of a serpent. I suspect that the hardware was imported or reused from a Dutch gun. I would have loved to have bought it, but didn't have $16,000 to blow.

 

[petlis]

Fatdutchman thanks for the reply
If no one is making one and without having to deal with the Rifle shoppe and the cost of a custome made lock what would be a good substitute? I know it might not be 100% PC but I'm on a limited budget,and trying to get the most out of what I have to spend.Thanks...Pete

 

[Stophel]

First off, the Rifle Shoppe is always worth a try. Their lock number 580 is nice, and musket lock number 552 would be fine as well. The German musket lock 726 would probably serve just as well. Make sure they have one in stock before ordering. I really like their stuff, and the materials they use for their parts works nicely.

An enterprising individual could make a Brown Bess lock into a nice Dutch lock (they're basically copies of Dutch guns anyway...)

You can use something like the Davis early round faced English lock, but I would think this would only get you back to the 1750-1760 time period. Earlier, and I would not think this type lock would have been used....It wouldn't be a "hand-me-down" gun in 1750, as it would be brand new.

To get a barrel as long as the original guns, the only one I can think of that makes them is Ben Coogle. No one else makes one over 48". A 48" barrel on a big Hudson Dutch gun would look downright stubby!!!

 

[CrackStock]

Couldn't you use an L&R Queen Anne lock by altering a few details?

CS

 

[Mike Brooks]

I round up the plate and cock on davis jeager locks when I build hudson valley fowlers. I also use english locks on them too. A chambers virginia lock or a RE Davis english lock would be good choices also.
Hudson valley fowler
The above link is a Hudson Valley fowler I buiolt with a chambers virginia lock and the link below is another I did with a modified davis jeager lock.
another HVF

 

[rich pierce]

All good advice and i loove the Hudson Valley fowlers but think they were a bit specialized for waterfowl and may not have been that common for a woodsrunner or settler (but would be used if available). You could choose between a smoothbore gun made in Europe (walnut or beech stock)and a gun made in New England or NY state (cherry or maple stocked, perhaps black walnut). A militia- capable musket would be a good choice. You might put together a generic smoothbore with Dutch or English hardware and a long barrel and the Davis round-faced lock on a Brewn bess barrel and be pretty close to what was available. Old surplus British military guns were probably common. Take a look at one of Neumann's books on Weapons of the American Revolution and there are lots of styles to choose from. In that time frame, a lot of guns were re-stocks from various parts from different old muskets, fowlers and fusils, etc. It would be dated by it's latest styled component.

 

[Stophel]

Actually, very good advice. Unless you REALLY wanted a Hudson Valley Dutch type gun, you would probably be better served with a gun of more "normal" type.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Just realised you've had a name change O' rotund one. :winking:

 

[Stophel]

I'll be someone else in a couple of months...maybe I'll do French and be "Le Grande Allemande"....or maybe not. :redface:

 

It's not a name change, it still refers to the rotund gentlman from Holland :haha: Bill

 

[Zonie]

Did he say Ro-TON-ed?? :rotf: :grin: :rotf:

 

[Stophel]

Well, that's kind of the reason for the change...The Fatdutchman is German, not "Dutch"....I have always wondered why in America, the Deutschers are called "German" and Hollanders are called "Dutch"....

"Pennsylvania Dutch" is Pennsylvania German. (How 'bout "Pennsylvania Deitsh") My name was inspired by the OLD PA German polka band "Six Fat Dutchmen".

Woo-hoo-hoo!

Wish I knew how to polka...

 

I know whatcha mean. When I get enough beer in me to want to polka, I generally can't stand, let alone polka. :rotf: Bill

 

[Mike Brooks]

Wish I knew how to polka...

You need to move to Iowa. We have "Polka Fests" that last several days. It all seems to revolve around consuming vast quantities of beer and doing the Polka till the early morning hours and finally ending with the last revelers puking in the steet and using the curb for a pillow. :youcrazy:
POLKA TILL YOU PUKE as they say here in Iowa. :blah:

 

[LSU TIGER]

Here in Louisiana, we's eat boiled crawfish and drink beer until the wee hours, but never polka...
:youcrazy: :blah:

 

[CrackStock]

Stop by the Deutches Haus in the Big Easy some time.

You will learn that some Louisianians polka; drink beer and eat crawfish.

Prost!

CS

 

[petlis]

Gentlemen just wanted to stop in and thank you all for the input on the Dutch fowler I have been looking at a couple of other ideas anyway just a quick thanks for the help.
you know when I was small my grandmother tried to teach me how to polka but being Polish I just couldn't get the hang of it :grin: