What's a fowler?

[chawbeef]

if someone asked me what a "fowler" was? I would guess it would be a type of shotgun, but I read things about patched balls in a fowler.
As you can see I am a bit uneducated in these matters..........Daniel

 

[Stumpkiller]

A fowler is a smoothbore used for shooting birds.

There are further sub-categories: English fowler, Virginia fowler, etc. and time periods and regional characteristiscs of various styles and designs.

BUT, when all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail. If you're hungry for venison and have one gun it makes sense to load it with a single patched round ball.

 

[chawbeef]

Thanks Charlie, thats kinda what I was thinking..........Daniel

 

[Capt. Jas.]

I read things about patched balls in a fowler.

I assuming you were reading modern writings?
There does not seem to be any 18th century historical evidence of patched balls in smooth guns unless you have come across some new information.
The historical idea behind the patch was to seal the rifling and impart spin.
Of all the smooth type guns, the fowling piece used by the fowler was what we call the shotgun today. Even in the 18th century while things were developing, the designs used for the stock and the barrel, both inside and out was with shooting flying with shot in mind.
In America, many lower end fowling pieces/shotguns became the the meat gun for the household by using for pot shots on game with shot or ball. Many also saw militia type service and war.

Today, many use the term "fowler" in a generic sense to refer to a smooth bored gun that does not appear to be a military or musket type.
Many of these guns today never see shot in their barrels other than to shoot sitting small game as they are generally used and loaded as smooth rifles. The reasons for this is because of the familiarity of rifle type loading, consistency with a patch, Lack of knowledge of shotgunning (also prevalent with the common settler historically) and the fact that most all current "fowler" barrels that are readily had are cylinder bored with thick walls and fire PRB very well. Historical fowling piece barrels were very thin walled in comparison and many times had varying bore size throughout in early efforts to control shot patterns.

 

[chawbeef]

Very interesting info. Thank you.............Daniel

 

[paulvallandigham]

A "Fowler" or " Fowling piece" is a single barreled, Smooth bore shotgun designed and built for Wing shooting. It tends to have a flat Butt plate, rounded at the top, to make it easier to quickly mount to the POCKET formed on your chest/shoulder when you raise your elbow up level with the shoulder. The style of butt plate helps you avoid hooking the stock on clothing, and the flatter style( some curve, but nothing like the half-moon curved butt plates found on rifles designed to be shot off your upper arm) allows you to rest the butt on your upper chest, without bruising either your collar bone, or your pectoral muscles.

The other design feather common to shotguns is the lighter muzzle weight, so that the gun can be swung on flying game easily. "Fowlers" tend to be half octagon, to half Round in shape of their barrels, running from the Breech to the muzzle. The barrels also tend to be tapered, so that the muzzle diameter is much smaller than either the breech, or back where the round barrel meets the " Wedding band" that separates the octagon portion from the round portion of the barrel. By removing metal from the front, "round " portion of the barrel, the balance point is shifted further back towards the trigger, making the gun feel lighter, and easier to move quickly with little effort.

The presence of a "wedding band" is also one of the more common distinguishing design features of "Fowlers", altho not all historic fowlers have this feather. In fact, the earlier Fowling pieces had very long barrels, making the guns "muzzle heavy", and difficult to swing on fast flying birds. Instead, the guns were used to shoot game sitting on the water, where shooting into a flock of geese, or ducks, guaranteed that several birds were hit with each shot fired.

The half round, half octagon shape of the barrel distinguishes fowlers from most " Smooth Rifles". Smooth rifles are rifled shaped guns with a smooth bore, rather than rifled barrel. Its common to find smooth rifles having a full octagon barrel, and rifle sights on them.

"Fowlers" tended to have only front sights on the barrels as the design shifted to making them easier to swing on flying game. However, you do find rear sights on a lot of original fowlers, as they were used to shoot deer, and turkeys on the ground as often as they were used to shoot upland game and waterfowl. The sights you do see on these old guns are comparatively small to what we put on these replica guns today. The rear sight on originals may be nothing more than a notch in the top of the tang where it meets the breech of the barrel. Some front sights are small thin blades, and some will be round "beads", also small.

The sights are merely alignment reference points to put in your peripheral vision as you focus on the flying bird, rather than on your front sight, a characteristic of shooting open sights on a rifle or handgun.

The different point of focus for the eyes( from the front sight to the target) and the different stance( Rifle shooters tend to set their feet wider than their shoulders, which locks their hips up. They mount their guns so that their shoulders are close to 80-85 degrees to the target and the rifle is aligned across their shoulders and chest. Shotgun( fowler) shooters keep their feet at shoulder width(or less) and point the gun at about a 45 degree angle to their shoulders, mounting the butt to their pocket so that they get the same "cheek" contact to the comb of their stock everytime.) are the main reasons that rifle shooters have trouble shooting moving targets with shotguns.

Rifle Shooters balance their weight, and the weight of their rifle between their feet and shoulders to create the most stable platform for aimed fire. Shotgun shooter move their weight n to the forward hip, to give the maximum ability to move in either left or right direction to hit a flushing or passing bird.

You can shoot a shotgun using the same Aimed techniques for shooting rifles, without much problem. Shooting a rifle using the same techniques used with shotguns is more difficult, but is being done by our military in Close Quarters Combat situations. Our military has not used single shot, muzzleloading firearms since the Civil War, however.

These are the advantages and differences of "fowling pieces" over muskets and smooth rifles. Its still a matter of preference as to what kind of gun you wish to shoot as a "sporting arm". :hmm: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[Capt. Jas.]

A "Fowler" or " Fowling piece" is a single barreled,

Not Always. By the fourth quarter 18th century there were many sxs doubles in England. Prior to they were popping up in France. The turnover had two barrels as well.

"Fowlers" tend to be half octagon, to half Round in shape of their barrels, running from the Breech to the muzzle.The presence of a "wedding band" is also one of the more common distinguishing design features of "Fowlers", altho not all historic fowlers have this

This is a description of what was known as a Spanish form barrel. It is the most available style today

In fact, the earlier Fowling pieces had very long barrels, making the guns "muzzle heavy", and difficult to swing on fast flying birds. Instead, the guns were used to shoot game sitting on the water, where shooting into a flock of geese, or ducks, guaranteed that several birds were hit with each shot fired.

These were a type of fowling piece. A waterfowling type piece that were not just early but were for a different purpose and used at the same time period as "birding pieces". I have held a few originals designed for shoulder shooting in the last few years with barrels around 6 feet long and was very surprised. They were more lively than what you would think due to a super large breech between your hands.

 

[hanshi]

Though it's not to say a smoothbore NEVER got loaded with a patched ball, judging from my shooting with bare ball it probably wouldn't have necessarily helped accuracy all that much. I wouldn't want a properly bare-ball loaded smoothbore fired at me at 50 yds or even 75 yds.

Guns with smooth bores came in so many configurations that the term "fowler" is almost nonsensical. I just prefer to say "smoothbore" when referring to them as a group.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Hanshi, and Capt. James:

I hope I helped the original poster understand more about what "fowlers" are. When someone comes on this form and asks such a general question, like " What's a "fowler", my first thought is to refer to them to some of the books I have in my personal library. BUT, I don't think that is what the poster is asking.

I am reminded of when my 7 year old niece asked my sister where babies come from? She was not asking for a college level lecture on creation, or a gynecological explanation on how conception occurs! My sister gave her daughter an " Age appropriate" response that answered the question without talking about "Storks"! :grin: :v

So, I gave the poster the shortest answer I could to tell him about the "fowlers" he was likely to see today, and how they Differ from muskets and smooth rifles.

YES, they are all smooth bores. But, that doesn't tell the poster anything about their differences, and why we have different "smooth bores". It would be like telling a foreigner that both Formula One Race Cars and Honda Accords are both " Automobiles". They are that, to be sure. But, I also think we would agree that there is a world of difference between how that specialized Race Car functions from that of the Accord.

I want to thank both of you for supplementing my response. I knew about the double barreled guns at the end of the 18th century, as well as the swivel breech guns, but elected not to write about them, believing it would only add more confusion than clarification. And, I knew that we have different KINDS of Fowling pieces, depending on the kind of hunting being done. But, again, I didn't want to discuss this other than to let him know that he will see in museums, and books, pictures of many long-barreled fowlers that do not look like they would swing very easily.

We are blessed by having wonderful books recently published about fowlers, like Tom Grinslade's "Flintlock Fowlers: The First Guns Made in America. American Fowling pieces from 1700-1820." Grinslade goes into much finer details, and his history discusses the different KINDS of fowlers in greater depth than can be discussed here. 40 years ago, when I first became interested in these kinds of guns, There simply were no current books on the subject available to me. :surrender: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[brentp]

Thank you for mentioning the book. I have been looking for literature on the subject.

What were some common gauges? It seems that most people today choose 20ga so it can also shoot a prb. What about 12's, 10's, and 8's? Were the larger gauges common?

 

[rich pierce]

Thank you for mentioning the book. I have been looking for literature on the subject.

What were some common gauges? It seems that most people today choose 20ga so it can also shoot a prb. What about 12's, 10's, and 8's? Were the larger gauges common?

When, where, used for what, made where? If making a Hudson Valley fowling piece or a British style fowling piece, then 10-12 ga is normal. These were waterfowling guns, not upland guns. New England club butt fowling peices tended to be 12 ga, more or less.

"Kentucky" fowling pieces are usually much smaller bore, 20-28 gauge.

Imported British fowling peieces, say 1760-1780, would often run 14-20 ga. These statements are very general.

 

[Okwaho]

Thank you for mentioning the book. I have been looking for literature on the subject.

What were some common gauges? It seems that most people today choose 20ga so it can also shoot a prb. What about 12's, 10's, and 8's? Were the larger gauges common?

Paul and James-thanks for your posts they saved me some typing and I would like to share some thoughts on early shotguns/fowling pieces'

1 The term "fowler" generally referred to the
hunter and not the gun itself.The use of the term to denote the gun itself is fairly late.
2.I do somewhere have a reference from an early 19th century East Tennessee estate inventory listng a "RIFLE GUN AND SHOT GUN".
3.It should be remembered that these guns were hand made and the caliber/gauge was determined by the gunsmith and/or the owner with no attempt to exact standardization.
4.I agree with James on the use of fowling pieces/shot guns being used by military and quasi military use especially in the American Civil War where they were used by both Confederate cavalry and infantry with the majority being used by cavalry.In these instances buck and ball was predominant and up to about 125 yards were just as effective as a smoothbore musket such as the Model 1816 which was used throughout the war by Confederate infantry.I have seen at least one Confederate carbine utilizing a probable British fowling piece barrel cut back for carbine use. In the revised edition of CONFEDERATE CARBINES & MUSKETOONS by John H.Murphy, Dr. Murphy has an excellent chapter on Confederate use of shotguns.The two books {the other being CONFEDERATE RIFLES AND MUSKETS} by Dr.Murphy are the preeminent works on Confederate longarms.
5.For information on shotgun gauges in the 19th and early 20th centuries there is some info that I found useful.
http://gunlore.awardspace.info/shotgun/shotdetail.htm
I hope this helps

 

[hanshi]

It's all much too complicated for me. Hence my decision to stick with the term "smoothbore". Some are easy to put into a category but I'll be darned if I can do it for more than a few. :surrender:

 

[Mickc01]

A fowler is when the ball gets hit and goes to the right of the first base line.....I know, gotta be one in every crowd :grin:

 

[Stony]

No no no, that's the guy who hit the ball. :rotf: