Description:
Fowler, possibly made by Martin Smith, in Greenfield, Massachusetts. The inscription: "W&G CHANCE" refers to the Birmingham, England, suppliers of the lock. They exported many parts to North America. The fowler, approximately 20 gauge, has its original ramrod, but the finial on its end is missing. The barrel dates to the period of the French and Indian War and has been repurposed for this flower, the barrel is French made. It was almost definitely made in Massachusetts, possibly in the Conneticut River Valley, but there is no definitive proof it was made by Martin Smith of Greenfield, MA, as originally attributed. Martin Smith's known triggers were always brass, not the iron used in this fowler. The maker was possibly someone who apprenticed with Silas Allen, and Smith was among his many apprentices. The sight has been added.

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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2018.7.1

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