made many duck guns for the Carrol Island Shooting Club on Chesapeake Bay for point

shooting on high-flying, overhead canvasbacks and redheads. They were all laminated-steel,

single barrels and not less than 5 feet 8 inches with the bore diameter being

an inch or more if requested, with the gun weighing 20 pounds. The size of

these guns was larger than any shoulder gun that most had ever seen.

a fowling piece of sterling qualities, his muzzleloading duck guns brought

$150. If a cover, case, and small appliances were wanted, they sold from $10 to

$20. His finer quality guns lasted longer, resisting affinity of lead to the

barrels, as well as the corrosive qualities of gunpowder; hence his preference

for steel barrels, or next to them, steel mixture. A mahogany “over-case” for a

gun cost more, $25.

breechloaders became somewhat in general use after the Civil War, American

sportsmen bought English breechloading shotguns from a wide variety of English

gunmakers. Patrick knew he had to adapt to the changing conditions and

circumstances by shifting gears from making percussion muzzleloaders, which

were becoming antiquated, to making breechloaders, even though many of the old

timers were reluctant to surrender to the new innovative breechloader but did

so not without mental reservation in favor of the old muzzleloader.