Hand made by contemporary builder Bob Cowie the design of this flintlock fowler was inspired by example No. 19 from the book by Dr. George Shumway Rifles of Colonial America Volume 1, shown on page 90. The fowler is thought to have been made in the last quarter of the 18th century near Reading, Pennsylvania and displays the strong Germanic influence of this region. This fowler is stocked in black walnut, the furniture is brass, burnished to a satin sheen. The M&G A. Albrecht style flintlock lock has a mid 18th century appearance and has been finished to a dark brown with a light patina. Trigger reach is 13-1/2" to fit today's average size shooter. Weight is 8.3 pounds.

The .20 gauge octagon-to-round barrel by Rice Barrel Company is thickest at the breech for strength, tapers to a single wedding band to round to reduce weight, and flares slightly at the muzzle. The bore is bright. The front sight is a silver blade soldered behind the muzzle. A rear sight is fitted 10-1/2" ahead of the breech. The barrel is finished to a dark brown with some edges and the tang worn to a silvery gray patina.

Stained a medium brown the walnut stock is very straight grain, ideal for a fowler. The buttstock is fitted with a sliding wood patchbox, notched with thumb relief at the base. Compress the door spring toward the head and door and slide it to the rear to expose a deep cut cavity for storing flints, jags, or other shooting accessories. Lightly used the gun has no obvious handling marks, it is crisp and clean. Note the long baluster wrist of the fowler, a feature commonly found on early European muskets and trade guns, it was also adapted in North America on many of the "homegrown" fowling pieces.

The buttplate is wide, tall, and nearly flat to help spread the felt recoil over a large area. The buttplate comb is shaped in French fashion with a long extended finial with sweeping curves. The inletting on the buttplate does have some small gaps. Forward of the wrist the short straight tang is fitted to the octagon-to-round barrel. From below the large square toe of the fowling gun can be seen fading into the bottom of the lock panel. The wooden ramrod is secured by three ramrod pipes, one entry and two forward. The pipes are shaped with raised rings and a thumbnail on the entry pipe skirt. A jagged brass tip has been fixed to the ramrod, threaded 8-32 it is ready to accept your shooting and cleaning accessories. The side panel is fitted with a large brass sideplate with pointed tail and filed moldings across the tail. The walnut stock is shaped with a large square cheek piece.

The M&G A. Albrecht flint lock has a 1750 era Germanic lock appearance with a paneled pan and molding across the tail. The frizzen is filed to a fancy shape, and the frizzen spring is very handsome, retained by a hidden blind screw. The pan is a integral part of the lock plate. Crisp flats on the pan mimic and amplify the octagon theme of the barrel. This early lock is designed without a pan bridle to support the frizzen. The frizzen is tightly fitted to the pan, to keep your powder dry. Trigger release is smooth, due to the high leverage, and excellent trigger geometry achieved by Mr. Cowie.

A stainless steel vent liner is drilled in the side flat of the barrel. The vent is well positioned both horizontally and vertically on the pan. If your flint longrifle suffers from that infamous slow whoosh-bang ignition delay, study the work of today's best gun makers, and position your vent well centered on the pan, high above the bottom, to serve as a window on the center of the flash.

This fowler is lightly used. The barrel and lock have a very slight patina finish with the crisp edges of the parts worn to a silvery gray. The frizzen shows a few marks from testing. The bore is bright and has been well maintained. This fowler would make a fine addition to anyone's 18th century impression. Order it for a ten day visual inspection. You will be delighted. Else if it does not fit you, return it in unfired condition for same-day refund. Postage is your only risk, when you order any one-of-a-kind gun from Track, whether new, used, or antique.