This New England styled fowling piece was made by Phillip Smith of Boomer, North Carolina. This is Phillip's second gun and his first gun from a blank. This gun took the blue ribbon this year at Dixon's in the fowling piece category. Phillip hand carved the trigger guard in wood, poured a lead pattern and sand cast the brass example as seen on the gun. The buttplate was hand hammered from bar stock. The side plate, ramrod pipes, trigger and plate were also all handmade by Phillip. The barrel started out as a large blank from Rice and was profiled by Jim Hash of Appomattox, VA. The fowling gun is stocked in cherry and utilizes an English round face lock by Chambers in which subtle changes to the cock and plate have been effected.
Copy and photos supplied by James Rogers.
Phil stopped by my booth this last weekend at the Cla show to show me his Fowler and I have to say I was very impressed with his work. His metal to wood fit was excellent as well as all the hardware that he had made himself including a triggerguard he had cast himself from his own master. Very well shaped stock that had none of the mistakes that you might normally see from an early builder. I had my laptop with me and was going to show him my first scratch build gun but couldn't get a internet access but it's just as well I would have been embarresed. Phil was like a sponge trying to take in any information that would help him a better builder. I have no doubt he'll be a good one and can't wiat to see his next rifle.
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