Lot 118: Colonial America Assembled Club Butt Fowling Piece

This gun is featured and discussed on pages 81-83 of "American Military Shoulder Arms, Volume 1: Colonial and Revolutionary War Arms" by George Moller where it is listed as an "Assembled Club Butt Fowler" and noted as having influence from the French buccaneer gun and built with a lock from a British musket from 1700-1715. He also notes that the 20th Regiment marking on the barrel dates the "barrel at 1753 or later, when British muskets were marked with regimental numbers." "It might well be categorized as a colonial musket assembled from salvaged British musket components, except that the barrel is quite long and it has no provision for a bayonet." The barrel has a rounded blade front sight and is marked "XX-REGT." on top in the breech section and has faint Ordnance Department markings. The lock originally had a back catch and appears to have be marked "R/ALLIN" at center. The furniture is brass aside from the iron trigger guard. The stock has the distinctive club butt profile, and a small "GDM" collection stamp is near the toe. Provenance: The George Moller Collection

Fair with mix of dark brown patina and applied artificial brown finish on the iron, heavy oxidation and pitting concentrated around the enlarged vent and lock, new lock screws, chipped muzzle, aged patina on the brass, and moderate overall wear. Moller notes, "The barrel was extended at the muzzle..." The barrel is also obstructed starting three to four inches ahead of the breech. The repaired stock is fair and has a 9 1/2 inch splice in the forend tip section, multiple other repairs including a replaced section between the lock and upper tang, some insect holes, occasional cracks, and mild scrapes and dings. Mechanically fine.