fusil or fowler

For those of you who have tried both which would you pick and why? An American fowler or a French fusil. All else being the same.
Thanks for your opinions.

Its a question of style, and personal preference. Both guns can be well made, and great shooters. Some prefer the French style, while others prefer the balance and style of the American fowlers.

Personally, I believe those who want the French style ( fusil) are more tuned into military re-enactments( Purists) that put actual replication ahead of performance, or balance. Rarely are Fusil owners willing to remove wood or cut the barrel length to get better balance.

The American Fowler took elements from the French, English, German, Dutch, and added elements unique to the American experience to make a slightly different fowler. It may not be a better gun than the French fusil, but many prefer it.

I would encourage you to get "hands on" with them and see. Then decide which "fits" better. Where do you live? Is there a club or reenactment group you might visit to get an opportunity to talk to folks first hand and possibly handle/shoot them yourself?

In broad generalities I prefer:

for shooting shot for birds etc
Fowler: I prefer a longer barrel and French or Dutch (bag but) pattern stocks.

for shooting round ball more often then shot
Fusil: where I may be shooting round ball more often then shot, I like a Fusil's shorter lines better

But that is just me, and please don't think I am saying one or the other is only good for one thing or the other. Merely stating personal preferences in very broad terms. If you are like many of us, you may find firelocks to be like Lays potato chips, you cannot have just one.


Bryan K. Brown www.gunsmithy.com www.jaegerkorps.org
[email protected]
[email protected]

Alle künst ist umsunst wenn ein Engle auf dem Zundlocke brünst.

Asd mentioned above you will have to try them all the French Fusils have two quite different buttstock profiles where the Engish are mostly the same during a particular time period, some do not like the French Pied de Vache buttstock but are comfortable with the straighter French stocks, such as are shown in TOW or Re Davis sites under "C" or "D" "types"

The majority of american guns carried by militiamen in the Rev War were fowlers. I like a fowler myself because
A) The frenchies were the bad guys back then
B) the frenchies are idiots today!
C) the frenchies ain't ever won a war that mattered!
I could go on, but you get my point! :haha:

Stumblin Wolf said:

The majority of american guns carried by militiamen in the Rev War were fowlers. I like a fowler myself because
A) The frenchies were the bad guys back then
B) the frenchies are idiots today!
C) the frenchies ain't ever won a war that mattered!
I could go on, but you get my point! :haha:

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Mr. SW- I think you put your foot in your mouth there, forgetting that the French were our allies during the Revolutionary War! :wink:

Bryan Brown said:

Fusil: where I may be shooting round ball more often then shot, I like a Fusil's shorter lines better

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I would also think shooting balls out of a properly proportioned .62 fowler would be pretty violent.

Someone should of told Napoleon that he never won a war that mattered. Wonder what all those Europeans were scared of?

Oh Yeah, I vote fowler.

Obviously, Mr.SW studied a different history book than the rest of us.

depends on who makes it as to style I prefer english fowler that is baseed on the ones I have put to the shoulder and looks. Look a caywoods and well as Mike brooks. Mikes are pc than caywood but either one is a great shooter and a good value for the money. Mikes are hand made while caywoods are factory made ie stocks are cut though a cnc style machine Mikes are all hand shaped ( some use a machine to shape the blankbut still invole a lot of hand work) Hope this helps.

I believe that if you dig into history a little more you will discover that the French were actually opposed to the English. The French were fighting the English and the New Americans just happen to be fighting against English rule. Therefore it appears as if they we allies, but the French had an entirely different agenda.

Please define the term "french fusil" and "american fowler" then I'll let you know my choice.

My gun is more a round ball gun than a shot gun - it is called a fowler but other than the stock shape it is very similiar in weight and balance to the two fusil de chasse's I once owned - it shoots both acceptably well, but my perference is for shooting round ball.

Once I get to a place to shoot more at birds - then I will probably start caring more about the performance with shot.

All that being said - I initially had lots of problems with my fowler - and would have gotten another fusil de chasse if I could have come to grips with how my character would have come up with one - which is what drove my acquistion - wanting to be more correct in my impression - it took me a long time and lots of soul searching and shooting of my fowler before I have come to a love and understanding of it. :thumbsup:

Stumblin Wolf said:

The majority of american guns carried by militiamen in the Rev War were fowlers. I like a fowler myself because
A) The frenchies were the bad guys back then
B) the frenchies are idiots today!
C) the frenchies ain't ever won a war that mattered!
I could go on, but you get my point! :haha:

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No offense, but the French were far more instrumental in winning the First World War than the Americans.

Please stay on topic and continue the French history discussion elsewhere.

Thanks

Mike Brooks said:

Please define the term "french fusil" and "american fowler" then I'll let you know my choice.

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ditto. Are these terms from a certain product of a repro company or advertiser like TOTW?

Stumblin Wolf said:

The majority of american guns carried by militiamen in the Rev War were fowlers.

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except for all the folks like my famley who fought,died and lived in the North east territory during the 16th and 17th century.

I like both, I use my american fouler for heavy trukey loads but when it comes time to build a period smoothbore for all applications of heavy timber trampin it's gonna be a tulle.
I find the french lines more agreeable to my tast in old school practicality.
:thumbsup:

Capt. Jas. said:

Mike Brooks said:

Please define the term "french fusil" and "american fowler" then I'll let you know my choice.

Click to expand...

ditto. Are these terms from a certain product of a repro company or advertiser like TOTW?

Click to expand...

In my case, I'm deciding between the English Fowler and Type D from TOTW. I just finished a GPR kit, and want to do one of those before moving on to a longrifle. I don't have any particular attachment to either style, it just seems one of those would be a good learning progression to something more difficult. And I absolutely can't stand the trigger guard on the NW guns.

I'm leaning toward the Type D only because it looks a little heavier and the recoil with round balls might be a little less than a fowler or a French gun with the humpback comb. I understand that particular gun is not especially HC/PC, but I like the looks of it and I could learn a little more about gun building with it.

The so called "Type D" precarve stock (like some other "french fusil" precarves) has a horrible fat comb. Even I can't shoot the thing. It can be more properly reshaped, but as it is, it sucks.

"For those of you who have tried both which would you pick and why? An American fowler or a French fusil. All else being the same"

I prefer the French Pied de Vache hunting gun I had enough wood to get a good fit when bringing the gun to the eye so I don't get hammered, it is a very comfortable gun for me to shoot .58 bore 44" barrel. The American and English fowlers I have handled felt very good as well, I am building a French based persona so the Fusil from Tulle was the better choice.