POTD: Bavarian Swivel Breech Fowler – Engraved, Inlaid, Carved

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have an elaborately decorated Bavarian swivel breech percussion fowler from the early to mid-1800s, marked “JOHAN ARNED” and “A. WIRZBURG” with silver inlay at the breech.

This is a lot of gun to look at. The lock plate, hammer, barrel tang, trigger guard, and buttplate all carry relief-engraved floral scrollwork with grotesque heads and birds worked in. The pierced sideplate matches the same motifs. Then the stock itself is covered in incised and relief carvings, and running along the lower contour of the cheekpiece is a carved dragon with the initials “FS” on its belly, either the carver signing his work or the owner marking his property.

The swivel breech let the shooter rotate between two barrel sets, a standard feature on European hunting guns of this type. .62 gauge, 29-inch flat-top barrel.

All of that engraving, silver inlay, and hand carving represents an enormous amount of labor. This was built for someone with money, most likely a nobleman or wealthy patron who wanted a functional hunting gun that also looked like it belonged in a display case. Bavarian gunmakers of the period were genuinely skilled at producing both at once.

Most of our POTDs utilize images from our friends at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms auction in the United States. Take some time to browse their current auctions – who knows, maybe you’ll find a piece of history to take home!

“Relief Engraved and Silver Inlaid Bavarian Swivel Breech Percussion Fowler with Carved Stock.” Rock Island Auction, www.rockislandauction.com/detail/5032/104/engravedinlaid-bavarian-rotating-superposed-percussion-fowler. Accessed 28 May 2026.

The post POTD: Bavarian Swivel Breech Fowler – Engraved, Inlaid, Carved appeared first on AllOutdoor.com.