Build Track's English Fowling Gun,
in traditional brass or iron trim,
rifled or smoothbore 42" octagon-to-round barrel
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build Track's
English Fowling Gun,
easy to assemble, 42" octagon-to-round barrel,
traditional brass, or iron trim,
walnut or maple stock
Build a correct replica traditional English fowler or rifle. Choose optional upgrades, including walnut, plain or fancy curly maple; iron or brass furniture with round face L&R Queen Anne flint lock.
Track's English fowler kit is one of our easiest kits, due to the simplicity of our precision inlet tapered octagon-to-round barrel. You need merely square up the rear corners of the machine inletting to achieve a snap fit. Our North West Trade Gun kit has fewer parts, but our English fowler is nearly as easy to assemble.
This American black walnut stocked, brass trimmed English fowler was neatly assembled by the well respected gunmaker David Motto. This is the classic English fullstock fowling gun architecture, that was popular on American flint fowling guns, of the 1760 - 1790 era.
Shown in top view, you can see the English style buttplate comb. The long baluster wrist makes a smooth transition to the buttstock, ending in a wide, flat, comfortable brass buttplate.
This bottom view shows the ballister wrist as it flares to become the butt. No toeplate is fitted to fowling guns, since the toe is rounded, as were most originals. The long acorn English style fowler triggerguard has a bow large enough to allow use with gloves, for cold weather hunting. An acorn finial adorns the front of the triggerguard, perhaps a good luck sign, for a good harvest. The brass ramrod pipes retain a sturdy 3/8" rod, fitted with a brass tip.
An appropriate English fowling gun sideplate is fitted to this fowler. Two fire blued steel lock bolts are fitted, with screw slots neatly aligned with the barrel.
Track's English fowler kit is an enjoyable project, that typically requires about 40 hours for the first time gun builder to assemble and finish. To simplify your work, our gunsmith can quickly and professionally install your breech plug, sights, and under-lugs, within 3 to 5 days shop time, at small extra cost.
Our 20 gauge smooth bored 42", 36", or 30" barrel is tapered octagon at the breech, becoming round, with wedding bands at the transition. The bore diameter is .615", and the breech is 1" octagon, plenty strong, for full loads with patched round ball when hunting deer, or lead bird shot, when hunting upland game.
Use lead shot in our 20 gauge barrel, for upland game, and clay targets. We strongly recommend the new Bismuth bird shot, which is legal for waterfowl, and is as simple to load as lead shot, and is safe in muzzle loading guns. We do not recommend loading steel shot. Load our .595, .600, or .610 round ball, with appropriate patch thickness, for best round ball accuracy.
Alternate barrel choices now include: 24 gauge smoothbore, .54 , or .58 caliber barrels with round bottom rifling. We suggest a rear sight for use with rifled barrels.
We offer a complete set of wax casting furniture in iron or brass, to fit this rifle. Furniture includes the buttplate, triggerguard, toeplate, forward and entry ramrod pipes, sideplate, ramrod, and ramrod tip. As cast, the castings need to have the casting gates removed by filing or grinding, and must be polished, then drilled for mounting screws, as needed.
Select the parts you need for your project. We recommend brass furniture, but a few English fowlers were made with iron furniture. We recommend walnut, maple as an alternate choice, which may be walnut stained and finished.
Stocks, for our fowling gun fullstock is an example of our best workmanship, precision pre-inlet and shaped on Allen's Patent 5 axis pantograph. Inlet for our round faced L&R Queen Anne right hand flint lock, wide fowler buttplate, curled trigger and plate, and any of several triggerguards. The forend is square ahead of the lock panels, to allow easy drilling of barrel and rod pipe retaining pins. Trigger reach is about 14-1/4", drop is about 2-3/4", from the line of sights. The buttplate end is about 2-1/8" wide and 5" high.
This attractive L&R Queen Anne early English flint lock has a round faced cock and plate, and rounded frizzen and pan surfaces. Ideal for use on early English or American longrifles and fowlers of the 1730 - 1770 era, it will make a fine Chief's grade trade gun lock, too. Sometimes called a "James Barbar" lock, after that famous early London maker. The plate, cock, and other surfaces of original Queen Anne locks were often polished to a bright finish.
Internally similar to L&R's famous "Jacob Dickert" lock, the plate, cock, top jaw, frizzen, frizzen spring, and external screws are unique. We stock all the spare parts for this lock should you ever need them. Notice the nice frizzen seating flange which seals the pan, to keep priming dry. The well designed tumbler and sear have raised bearing rings turned around pivot points, for minimum friction. The action is very smooth for an early flint lock!
Flash Hole Liner, touch hole liner, or vent liner, is an essential part of our kit. Our standard vent has the popular 1/4-28 thread. We also offer the Jim Chambers White Lightnin' vent as a option. The special 1/4-32 fine thread allows an extra large concave cavity inside, for use on swamped octagon barrels. Made in the USA, stainless steel, with removable lug for easy installation. Order our #TAP-1/4-32 tap and drill, if you prefer this special vent.
Concave inside, the White Lightnin' vent liner brings the main powder charge very close to the incandescent heat of the priming flash. Position the vent on the center of the pan, slightly above the pan to frizzen joint, sometimes called the "sunset" position. Covered by the frizzen when closed, the hole is a window centered on the heat of your priming flash, for instant ignition, without the whoosh-bang delay, seen in many flint guns.
Typically only the better quality London made guns were factory fitted with vent liners, but nearly all flint guns were later fitted with vent liners, after the vent hole in the barrel became worn from flash erosion, corrosion, or the aggressive use of a vent pick.
The optional thumbpiece inlay, copied from a 1750 era English fowling gun. Wax cast thumbpiece inlays are available in brass, steel, or sterling silver. A thumbpiece makes a nice addition to any fowler.
Gunsmithing Labor Options are a popular low cost method of speeding assembly. Our gunsmith can install the plug (#LABOR-BP), solder front sights (#LABOR-US), and underlugs (3 #LABOR-UL) at small extra cost, with prompt delivery.
#LABOR-BP: Our gunsmith will install your breech plug, in your barrel, with the front face of the breech plug tightly sealed against the inside shoulder of the breech thread, and the barrel maker's name indexed to the bottom flat. Threads are lubricated with Birchwood Casey's Choke Tube Lube anti-seize, so the plug may be removed, even after decades of use. Never remove a breech plug, unless you have a compelling reason. The plug is never removed for cleaning, and should only be removed by a skilled gunsmith, who has the correct tools to avoid marking your polished and finished barrel and plug.
#LABOR-US: Our gunsmith will install your soldered lug or sight: promptly, perfectly centered, ready for use, at low cost. Specify locations, or allow us to choose the best positions. We require fitting the breech plug before performing this operation.
#LABOR-DS: This labor is only required if you want the optional rear sight dovetailed into the barrel. When you buy the sight from us, we will remove any burrs, gates, or parting lines, and hand fit the sight to the dovetail slot, ready for you to finish and use. Many of our rear sights are cast with an oversize base, to allow these to fill oversize slots. It is wise to allow us to trim these to a standard size, before installation in a new barrel. We must install the breech plug before installing sights, rib, or pipes.
Rear sight slots are centered 8.5" from the breech end of the barrel (not including plug), unless your clearly specify another location. Do not embed special instructions within lengthy text of a letter. Place special instructions immediately after your written order for that item, or in the comment field of our on-line order form.
#BOOK-RAL: We strongly recommend Recreating the American Longrifle, by William Buchele. The late William Buchele was recognized as a true master longrifle maker. But his greatest contribution to muzzle loading must be this book. He shares the step-by-step details of his craft. His work has been enhanced by the editors. This book does not assume that the reader is an expert stock maker, but begins with illustrated explanations of the basic concepts. Buchele shows several alternate approaches to most tasks. This newly revised fifth edition includes full scale plans for a carved flint longrifle, and fullstock flint pistol. Over 250 photos and drawings, within 176 pages, 8-1/2 x 11" format, soft cover.
#DVD-BML: Building Muzzle-Loaders VHS video with rifle maker James Turpin. Rifle maker James Turpin takes you start to finish on building a quality Muzzle-Loading flint rifle. Designed for the beginning to intermediate builder. DVD format, 142 Minutes.
#DVD-BE: The Gunsmith's Apprentice Series Presents "Beginning Engraving", taught by gunmaker Jack Brooks. With this video you can learn to engrave in the manner and style of the original masters.
In this presentation the nationally known traditional longrifle builder Jack Brooks teaches the viewer the essentials of chasing, pushing & wriggle engraving. Beginning with the basic tools, Jack shows the sharpening and heat treating of both square and chisel point engraving tools, and demonstrates the techniques used by period American gunsmiths to decorate their firearms. In addition, the engraving of several original 18th and 19th century longrifles is examined in detail. Over 70 minutes long. DVD format.
We also recommend our new catalog, which describes this kit in great detail, explains the options, and shows most individual parts in exact full size photographs. Prices may change, over the years, but the technical data, dimensions, instructions, and precise photos will make this 432 page book an essential too on your work bench.
Gun building is fun! Click the link to view current prices and options, ADD TO CART and complete checkout to send your order, for same day shipment.
Track of the Wolf, Inc.
18308 Joplin St NW
Elk River, MN 55330-1773
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2024 Track of the Wolf, Inc.
