Fowlers or Fowling Piece (Tom Grinslade)
The American fowlers in Colonial America, the first truly “made-in-America” guns, were a testament to the resourcefulness of our forefathers. Serving as both hunting guns and firearms for defense, they were instrumental in providing food and protection against enemy soldiers.
The fowling piece, a prized possession of the farmer, was not just a tool but a lifeline. It provided a game for his family’s sustenance and served as a deterrent against marauding Indians, underscoring its crucial role in the farmer’s daily life.
The first examples were assembled from foreign parts and stocked with whatever wood was available.
By the end of the eighteenth century, facilities for producing iron and steel and the capabilities of American gunsmiths to craft an entire firearm had been developed. However, using recycled parts or purchasing new parts from Europe to make fowlers remains far more cost- and time-efficient. Fowlers produced in the eighteenth century were among the first guns made in America.
CLA artists continue to produce fowlers with art that exceeds the great fowlers made in England and France in the 18th century. The CLA Virtual Museum includes some of the finest fowlers ever made.
Fowler by Ian Pratt, Peebles, Ohio, and Ken Gahagan, Clarksville, Virginia