Here is the third flintlock I have built from a kit. This is Jim Chambers English Fowler / Officers Fusil. www.flintlocks.com A fowler (shotgun) is a smoothbore gun for shooting shot at birds or big .61 caliber round balls at things that don’t fly. Fusil means light flintlock. This gun weighs 7 pounds and 12.5 ounces; in the wing-shooting world, this is hardly a light gun, but it handles well in the field. I picked this particular gun because the lines, or style of the gun, appealed to me. Being an aficionado of the English double gun, I lean toward guns with smooth, elegant architecture, and this gun fits that bill. My goal is to take a pheasant and later a turkey with it. I have already bagged a morning dove; it is super fun to shoot.
Putting this thing together was a ton of fun. The Chambers kit requires much more expertise to assemble than a Kibler, and it greatly challenged my ability and level of skill. The stock required much more detailed fitting; the barrel tenons and front sight required soldering; and the screw holes had to be located, drilled, and tapped. This kit was a great learning experience, and I would say I spent 30% of my time putting it together and 70% fixing things I screwed up. I give myself a C+ or B- on the result: a finished gun that I am pleased with and hope to put to use for years to come. Below, I describe some of the challenges and how I overcame them. Hopefully, this will be helpful for others who take this on.
Birdhunter 