Dave,
Thanks, I see there is also a subforum for identification of these, I'm going to start a new thread there as well
Bill
Thanks, I see there is also a subforum for identification of these, I'm going to start a new thread there as well
Bill
Is there a line running down the frizzen face that looks like it could be a casting line, or do my old eyes deceive me? Again.
Frizzy hair that gets frozen in the winter?Ok, what is a "frizzen"?
Bill
Sorry Bill. I actually thought you were pulling my leg. My bad.Ok, what is a "frizzen"?
Bill
Is there a line running down the frizzen face that looks like it could be a casting line, or do my old eyes deceive me? Again.
Sorry Bill. I actually thought you were pulling my leg. My bad.
Looks pretty close to 11/16" or 0.6875 or taking away a guess at the barrel wall thickness it may be 0.66"
Fine firearm , I think it is too ornate to be a military firearm .
. The 3 small marks on the barrel flat look like English marks but need a close up with as much crud removed as possible .
I have just had a look at my Flintlock Fowlers book and it looks like a club butt fowler which either came with a bayonet or was fitted with one in the French and Indian war or the American revolution.
Besides a better look at what appear to be proof or makers marks we need the most important photos for identification , that is a close up of the lock and trigger guard/grip from the righthand side . Also the right of the Butt .
All the interesting brass bits do not help in identifying the firearm , except to say it is a special and interesting firearm , a lot of American made fowlers had that sort of fancy brass work
The CS in the wood is most probably the owners initials
TFoley if you read "Flintlock Fowlers , the first guns made in America by Tom Grinsdale" you will see all the guns in the book were full stock , some were fitted with bayonets as I said above .
These early American fowlers usually had British made barrels and locks , so Brit proof marks are not out of the question
Hi,
I don't think it is a Spanish barrel. There is no city mark or cross and other European makers stamped their barrels in ways similar to the Spanish. I think it is Dutch all the way down, built as a civilian sporting gun and then cut back for a very poorly made bayonet. They could not fit a proper one because the cut back would take out the forward ramrod thimble. In Arne Hoff's book on Dutch firearms, there is a fowler made in Maastricht with almost identical hardware and stock. It might be good to remember that Maastricht was under Spanish rule during the first half of the 17th century so they have been influenced by the Spanish.
dave
You will need an inside measuring digital Vernier caliper to get the bore diameter measurement. Both @dave_person's speculation of a 62 caliber bore and my estimation of a 66 caliber bore based on the picture are just that guesses. Until the bore is measured with a more precise measuring device, we can only guess. Both bores would have been likely for a Dutch civilian fowling gun converted for militia use.Based on my measurement pic above, any idea on Caliber?
As always, your assistance is appreciated
Bill
We all reach the same delimma with potential heirs as you, antique firearms especially. Suggest obtaining an in-person appraisal from a company specializing in the sale of such firearms. Your gun in present condition with matching bayonet is valuable. Trying to determine what it's worth from photographs will be an educated guess, even from experts. Going through same thing as you with family items. Thanks for posting.
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