Long smoothbore hunting guns were popular in the northern colonies during the late colonial era and into the American Revolutionary War and doubled as service weapons for many militiamen. This fowling piece, or fowler, is signed "Serajah Stratton" on top of the barrel. Serajah Stratton (March 7th, 1705-July 30th, 1758) of Hartford County, Connecticut was an early Colonial American settler who was a farrier, blacksmith, and gunsmith. He enlisted on May 1st, 1758, as clerk of the Connecticut militia company organized by Captain Nathaniel Holcom under commander in chief Phineas Lyman of the provincial British Army. Serajah Stratton died on July 30th, 1758, at age 53, just shy of three months after his enlistment, likely in combat or from wounds received in combat. The time of his death indicates Stratton was very likely involved in the Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, between July 6th-8th, 1758, considered to be the bloodiest battle of the American theater of the war, with the British Army suffering over 2,000 losses after a failed attempt to overrun the French occupied fort and approximately 400 losses suffered by the French. The signed barrel dates to around the mid-18th century and is fitted in a cherry stock with a later mid-19th century replacement "W. PARKER" marked engraved pistol sized lock that has been reconverted from percussion with a replacement cock and frizzen, iron ramrod, and replacement brass fittings including the ramrod ferrules, trigger guard, small sideplate, and buttplate. Absent end cap. Includes research documents on Serajah Stratton.

Good as reconverted to flintlock configuration with a replacement lock assembly as mentioned above, with dark brown patina overall, scattered light pitting, and clear markings in the metal. Mid-19th century replacement brass fittings retain an attractive golden aged patina. Stock is also good as lightly sanded and re-oiled with some scattered light scratches, some chips/absent sections on both sides of the forend, repaired and spliced sections around the lock and left flat, and a chip at the undersized toe. Mechanically fair, the cock releases intermittently. Three absent barrel retaining pins and the end cap are absent as mentioned above.