New England Fowler / Militia Gun

[Second-rate Marksman]

Friday morning I watched Ethan Yazel's video where he finally opens his Chambers New England fowler after it sat quietly for two years, and it felt oddly perfect, because I had spent the previous evening contemplating getting one of my own and decided I'd sleep on it. Yesterday, I pulled the trigger.

I'm pretty excited to finally share my New England Colonial Fowler / Militia Musket, built by Cory Joe Stewart. It's exactly the kind of honest, workmanlike piece that keeps pulling me deeper into this period.

Paired with it is a plug bayonet by Nathan Allen, which absolutely completes the martial side of the story, and a beautifully done woven strap by Shayna Matthews that ties the whole thing together (literally and aesthetically).

There's something special about seeing a project come together from multiple skilled hands. This one feels right at home in the colonial / militia world, and I'm looking forward to putting it to use.

Grateful for the craftsmen keeping this tradition alive.

Photos courtesy of Mr. Stewart.

[BlackPowderManiacShooter]

You're gonna LOVE shooting that rascal..!

[Second-rate Marksman]

I sure hope so, Mark! When I was first introduced to smoothbores a couple of years ago, it awoke something primal in me. For sheer fun, I'm convinced they're impossible to beat. Honestly, it doesn't even matter if I miss nine out of ten targets-- I'm still grinning through the curses. Hard to put my finger on what it is about 'em that truly gets my motor running.

I'd really like to venture into the realm of historical trekking do some turkey/small game hunting. I think this gun ought to make a fine companion in those endeavors.

[Rob DiStefano]

Now THAT there is one heckuva beauty!!  Great image taking, too!!

I'm all in with fowlers, no rifles.  I built my Kibler 16ga (.662") for Rev war reenactments and also added a plug bayonet.  Much lighter at 7lbs than an 11lb Bess or Charlie. 

That there is no provenance documentation yet discovered about the use of the plug bayonet beyond the F&I war, but common sense prevails that at least early on when George was commanding a truly rag tag army of farmer militia sans uniforms and sporting simple clothes and fowler firelocks, that plug bayonets had to have been used by some.  We know that some did get their fowlers to a gunsmith who fashioned a socket bayonet, but it was far easier to make and use a plug knife.  A bayonet makes a firelock into a 5ft spear and that makes for somewhat safer CQB hand-to-hand fighting than employing a knife, 'hawk, or even sword.  YMMV!

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