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Mowry

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newtewsmoke

45 Cal.
Joined
Nov 28, 2009
Messages
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Location
Nebraska Sandhills
i have a bud that has a couple Mowry rifles and he seems to love 'em. They are almost never mentioned or discussed here, why? ...rare?, junk?, not sought after?, cant find?, too expensive? :idunno:
 
I believe you mean "Mowrey."

I have always liked them and wish I owned one of their iron mounted rifles.

I do own one of their 12 gauge shotguns. It needs work done and one of these days I will get around to it.
 
I bought one back in 78/79. It was a 54 iron mounted with a nice maple stock. Very good well built gun. Shot good an IIRC I took 4 or 5 deer with it. Then I discovered the world of flintlocks an I sold it. I was young an foolish :idunno: . Now Im older but not much smarter, :hmm: but Im smart enough to wish I had kept it an just saved up the money for the flinter
 
newtewsmoke said:
i have a bud that has a couple Mowry rifles and he seems to love 'em. They are almost never mentioned or discussed here, why? ...rare?, junk?, not sought after?, cant find?, too expensive? :idunno:
If you search for "Mowrey" you'll find a bunch of discussions here.
 
They are good guns, simple, rugged, accurate and no longer made. They don't look like anything else so they don't have a big following. They are copies of Hopkins and Allen (did I get that right?) rifles made in the 1830's - 1840's. I never got around to buying one when they were available, kind of wish I had.

Many Klatch
 
I did the search and it came up with current posts. Anyway I bought one of the brass rifles in the late 60's and it shot ok but the hammer wobbled as the hole thru the side plate was a hair to large. I only had the rifle for a short time but I believe it had a u shaped main spring! Geo. T.
 
Geo T said:
I did the search and it came up with current posts.
Not sure what you mean by "current", but if you type the name correctly, your find many references to the "Mowrey".
 
Seem to recall there were some guns with the "Mowry" spelling, maybe made later after the Texas company went out of business. Like how to tell the two makers apart? Original was made in Olney, TX, the later by Deer Creek?

I still recall a pair of brass mounted Mowrey's I passed on - .50 and .54, for $125 apiece. Just wasn't into BP at that time. Today? I would grab them up.
 
According to Flayderman's Guide your on the right track but Hopkins & Allen didn't come along until about 1902.

The Guide shows a rifle and shotgun which use the solid metal lock/grip and attributes them to Allen & Wheelock, one of Ethan Allen's many companies over the years.

Ethan Allen (not related to the Ethan Allen of Revolutionary War fame) started producing cutlery in 1831 and shortly thereafter started making a cane gun.
He started producing his "Pocket Rifle" in 1836.
He formed Allen & Thurber in 1836 and produced pepperbox, pocket and target pistols.

In 1854 a brother-in-law named Thomas P. Wheelock joined the company so the name was changed to ALLEN, THURBER & COMPANY.

When Thurber left in 1856 the name was again revised to Allen & Wheelock.
 
Been a while since I've seen one as well but always liked the looks of them. I also have liked but never owned the Tryon rifles (spelling)? as well.
They remind me of each other for some reason.MD
 
I once owned an under hammer target rifle built by Bill Mowrey in the 70s . I believe it was the same Mowrey that started Mowrey gun works. It had a 36in x1 1/8 50 cal and the most beautiful birdseye maple stock I ever saw, all the others I have ever looked at had curly maple. Shot good killed a couple deer with it also won several matches with it. Wish I still had it but sold it a few years ago and no longer know who has it :idunno:
 
I have one with the brass frame in .45 that shoots great, very accurate with 70gr ff and a pillow ticking patched .454 rb. GEO Tyour right about the u shaped mainspring, Some of the mainsprings like the one in mine are weak.

Mine was made early as it is marked OLNEY TX.
 
I have owned a couple of the Mowrey rifles over the years. They seemed to shoot OK but interest in flintlocks and more into earlier styles led me to sell them off. I find it funny how this black powder affliction runs a certain coarse. For me anyway. When I see a Mowrey today I feel that Curly Maple is a lot like Bacon, it will even make a dog turd look good.
 
I just put my Mowrey on Armslist and stumbled across your forum. It's a Allen & Thurber replica of the Plains Rifle in 50 and their bicentennial model. I'd put up pix here but don't yet know how. Wouldn't life be simpler with a simple cut and paste of pictures or at least an attachment? Great shooting rifle but heavy as hell.
 

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