Wading into unknown waters....

[troutabout]

I just purchased this old fowler to have something to pass some retired idle hours on. Can anyone identify this old percussion fowler ? I bought it as a fixer fixer fixer upper - I'm comfortable with wood repair since I rebuild and repair old violins.
I've been a hunter and target shooter for near 60 years but this is my first venture into black powder. I find this forum spellbinding and have already learned much.
Any ID info would be appreciated ! http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/troutabout/Fowler/fowlertriguard.jpg] http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/troutabout/Fowler/th_fowlerlock.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/troutabout/Fowler/th_fowlertop.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/troutabout/Fowler/th_fowlertriguard.jpg ]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/troutabout/Fowler/fowler.jpg

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[DennisPollywog]

Troutabout,
I own a fowler nearly identical to yours...no need to post pics in fact :grin: The lock on mine is marked W.T. Howell & Co. They were Philadelphia, PA importers of London made "trade" guns 1834-1847?
The quality of the guns appear to be typical for the period. If you intend a shooter, please have the gun checked by a competent smith. Pay particular attention to the breech; nipple; and underib...places where 160 years worth of neglected rust can accumulate.
In an attempt to remove the nipple and breechplug on mine, I plugged the nipple and filled the barrel with penetrating oil to "steep" for a few days. During that interim, oil began seeping from the underib, showing holes in the barrel not obvious to a casual inspection :shocked2:
I do not intend to alarm anyone, or discredit the quality of your gun ...only to try to inform with my limited capacity :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Good Luck :hatsoff: , and still a neat gun!
Shreck

 

[troutabout]

Ya see - this is why I just paid for premium membership. Thanks Shrek. The gun is en route to me as it was just bought Saturday online.
Anything you can tell me about the gun would be appreciated. Caliber, percussion cap size, which powder and how much. I'm telling ya , I'm green behind the gills but I love working on antiques. I have somewhat of a skilled background with my hands and I'd like to keep both of them !

 

[boar]

Something doesn't jibe. age 37, been hunting 60yrs? Dilly

 

[LeeinVA]

Something doesn't jibe. age 37, been hunting 60yrs? Dilly

He is telling his story is dog years?

 

[troutabout]

'Sorry guys but everything you read about internet security tells you to never give your actual birthdate or place of birth, ect. The "near to 60 years is the accurate figure. No disrespect !

 

[zimmerstutzen]

 

[troutabout]

Yep - that 'single gun' is pretty close. I just got it this morning and I'm still going over it. 35 inch barrel with 11/16 bore - is that .50 caliber ball ? The hammer/trigger mechanism feels new - no slack and smooth. Someone has taken good care of this gun. The nipple looks in good shape but very small in diameter. Nipple base is about 1/4" and the nipple tit only 1/8". What size caps do I buy ? I want to order powder, caps and shot today so I can shoot it next week after disassembly and reassembly.

 

[Stumpkiller]

The back action lock was very popular in Belgium work (the "Single Gun" image is a sidelock). If you pull the barrel look for proof marks on the underside.

 

[troutabout]

This is a side action lock just like the single gun pictured. Mine has 2 ferrels for the ram rod and a third ferrel at the forestock that is missing. The band that holds the barrel to the forestock is also missing. Does anyone make those for replacement ? I have some brass sheet stock that I can use to make it if I have to.

 

[troutabout]

Underneath the barrel it is stamped SF and 16.8 on one flat and on another it is stamped LWH.
The bore measures 11/16 inch or .6875..What ball size should I order along with shot. Also need to know what percussion cap to buy....see photos : http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/troutabout/Howell/How_LWH.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/troutabout/Howell/How168_SF.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y82/troutabout/Howell/HowNipAA.jpg

Thanks everybody !

 

[TFoley]

Underneath the barrel it is stamped SF and 16.8 on one flat and on another it is stamped LWH.
The bore measures 11/16 inch or .6875..What ball size should I order along with shot. Also need to know what percussion cap to buy....see photos : Thanks everybody !

It is without doubt a continental European-made gun - the bore is measured in millimeters - 16.8.

If it IS a fowler then you should not, IMO, be shooting RB in it, but shot as in shotgun shot.
Even then, AFTER it has been checked out, with very light demonstration loads. Fowlers, as the name implies, were used on birds, not quadrupedal game animals - except maybe foxes with buckshot or similar.

Cap size? You might be lucky and find that regular musket caps are good to go, on the other paw, you might have lucked out.

I'd offer the first shot to my mother-in-law - it's pretty hard to either play or repair a fiddle with only the one hand.

tac

 

[troutabout]

Thanks tac. I took it to a gun store this morning and found out it uses #11 caps and I bought a couple of tins. They only had #4 shot that had been on the shelf since Roosevelt so I bought that for $4.
But nobody around me in 3 counties carries Goex powder. Everybody has Pyrodex. I did a short search on line and found one place that sells Goex only by the case - 25 bottles.
Is there anywhere on line where I can buy one or two bottles of Goex ?

 

[Zonie]

I assume you called the places looking for real black powder?
The gun stores cannot have it on the shelf and you have to ask for it.
Some have found that even asking isn't always enough.

Because the stores have to keep it locked up in a Federally approved storage area many times the regular employes won't even know its there. It's best to talk to the store owner.

If you do find some place that will ship you a few pounds of real black powder be prepared to pay a extra $20 shipping fee because it includes an explosive. That same fee is charged for shipping 1 pound or 25 pounds so the more powder you buy the less the extra shipping fee will add to each pound of powder.

Good luck.

 

[troutabout]

Graf had the Goex "Reenactor" so I ordered some cans of that. I was trying to give my local shops the sale but this will get me started. Also ordered some #7 shot so I'll be heading to the range next week.
This morning I'm working on cutting a 3 inch section of steel broom handle to sharpen one end into a die cutter to make my own cards. It works out to be a little oversized for my 12 ga. fowler barrel.

 

[DennisPollywog]

Troutabout,
PM sent.
Shreck

 

[troutabout]

None of the buttons on this Edsel's dashboard say "retrieve PM"....How does I do it ?

Aaaahhhh - PM as in regular email. Yessir, I am phi beta #11 percussion cappa dumb.

 

[bdhutier]

This morning I'm working on cutting a 3 inch section of steel broom handle to sharpen one end into a die cutter to make my own cards. It works out to be a little oversized for my 12 ga. fowler barrel.

I like to use thick corrugated cardboard cards (think moving-boxes) for the over-powder cards to cushion the shot, and plain 'ole cereal boxes for over-shot cards since they just keep the lead from falling out of the barrel.

BTW, w/a .6875 bore, you have a 14 gauge. 12 is .73. :thumbsup:

 

[troutabout]

One responder said 12 ga. Another said 16 and now 14 ga. All I know is that the guy at the gun store took down a steel ring with a bunch of brass bore guages on it - stuck one inside the end of the barrel and said "Yep, it's 12 guage".
So who do I believe ?

 

[DennisPollywog]

Troutabout,
Who to believe indeed :idunno: :idunno:
In an earlier post, the bore diameter stamped on the barrel is 16.8 millimeters.
The conversion factor is 1 mm = 0.0393700787 inches...which, when plugged in to 16.8 mm, gives a bore diameter of 0.6614 inches, or 16 gauge :hmm: :hmm:
Given the age of the gun, and subsequent wear and tear at the muzzle from loading; cleaning; shooting; etc...it is very possible that a standard bore gauge will " drop " farther into the barrel, giving a false reading as to bore diameter :yakyak: :yakyak:
This is also the reason that many rifled barrels appear to be either smoothbore, or " shot out ", when the rifling actually exists deeper in the bore than can be seen merely by visual inspection at the muzzle. :yakyak: :yakyak:
Or, it could simply be all :bull: :bull: on my behalf...I rest my case :v :v
Shreck :dead: