Original Item: One-of-a-kind. Most impressive, this MASSIVE 8 Bore Seal & Walrus Fowler is based on a Scandinavian design, featuring a Dog Safety Catch on the large three screw lock plate. The lock is marked WARRANTED across the tail, and the barrel shows the early 19th century CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS / BPC proof and CROWN / CROSSED SCEPTERS / V viewed marks of the city of Birmingham, England. This city had a very large firearms export business, and is where many of the firearms for the Hudson Bay Company trade were made. It measures 73 inches in overall length, with a 56 1/2" barrel.

This massive weapon is straight out of the attic, probably having been stored or displayed for the last 150 years. The fittings are fairly spartan, with the barrel secured by three wide sheet brass barrel bands, and there doesn't appear to be any provision for a butt plate. There is no trigger guard, as these were almost always used with heavy gloves or mittens. Guns such as this were used in the Arctic North when Walrus were hunted for their blubber oil and Seal for their fur when Seal Skin hats were the fashion.

The fowler is in very good shape, considering the somewhat primitive construction used. The wood stock is in very good condition, though there are some apparent old stock repairs under the lock plate on the right hand side. We checked the lock, and it holds correctly at half cock, firing at full, though the lock screws are loose and look to be partly stripped out. There is a wooden ramrod under the barrel, but it looks to be made from cane, and is not really a functional item.

A great and very rare example of which few a still known. VERY RARE. Ready to display on your wall, if you have the room!

Specifications: 

Year of Manufacture: circa 1810
Caliber: 8 bore - about 0.835"
Ammunition Type: Lead Shot & Powder
Barrel Length: 57 1/2 inches
Overall Length: 73 inches
Action: Flintlock with Safety Dog
Feed System: Muzzle-Loaded

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.