Northwest Gun

[Hivernant1962]

Can anyone steer me towards some good (Top and side) pictures of the carving behind the tang and sideplates on a Northwest trade gun? Thanks in advance.

[smylee grouch]

That can vary somewhat by maker-year, etc. The Museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron  Nebraska has several and if your close by you can see alot of those variations.

[Seth Isaacson]

Here are a few images I had bookmarked:




Several I've seen in person had the same kind of designs, and some have been plain.

[Hivernant1962]

I handled one in the museum at Fort St Joseph while I was in Canada. I'll be dogged if I can find if I can find the pictures... thanks guys. Just wanted to get close.

[Mike Brooks]

Here are a few images I had bookmarked:




Several I've seen in person had the same kind of designs, and some have been plain.

The first pic is a restocked french fusil de trait. The second gun is a classic NW gun(contemporary?) The third is a little later NW gun probably, the screw passes from the tang down.. The second gun would be your best as a guide.
There is a relatively inexpensive that TOTW sells by Ryan Gale that really covers trade guns in detail. It has some mistakes in it but is still a good resource.

[Seth Isaacson]

Oops my bad on the first one. These were all in my "trade gun" bookmark folder. 

[oldtravler61]

Hivernant the Ryan Gayle book is a good book. One important thing about the book is that it gives you several views of each gun.  Compared to  today's standards they we're very crudely built. IMHO  You will see by the different views. A good investment all the same.

[Hivernant1962]

Thanks Traveler. Just ordered it.

[Mike Brooks]

Thanks Traveler. Just ordered it.

Be aware there are some mistakes in that book.

[Clark Badgett]

Thanks Traveler. Just ordered it.

Be aware there are some mistakes in that book.

Mike, could you point out the mistakes? I would like to add the notes to that book.

[Hivernant1962]

Yes Mike please do. I mainly got it for the pictures.

[oldtravler61]

Mike would like to know too. The reason I recommend that book. Is to show the good an bad of the workmanship for that period of time. As for a few inconsistencies on the side plates an locks. I believe they used what they had. Also Leman had several people building the guns at that time. Thus accuracy to detail wasn't of great concern. But please do enlighten us!.....Oldtravler

[Mike Brooks]

I'll have to find my copy. The first French gun in the book is a restock , which is pictured above.

[Hudnut]

The gun in the middle photo is modern.  It looks as if a photo was trimmed; part of the cock, the trigger and trigger guard were removed.  There are other photos of this gun on the net.  The lock looks very familiar, might have been involved with its manufacture, maybe more.  In the early '70s, I was involved with a small business manufacturing reproduction trade guns.

[Hudnut]

The gun in the middle photo is modern.  It looks as if a photo was trimmed; part of the cock, the trigger and trigger guard were removed.  There are other photos of this gun on the net.  The lock looks very familiar.  In the early '70s, I was involved with a small business manufacturing reproduction trade guns.

[Seth Isaacson]

Looked at three antique (1850s-late 1860s) NW guns today. Two had carving similar to the reproduction image I inserted above (second photo) and one made in Belgium had a tang like the last photo I supplied (note that the barrel in that photo has a Liege proof visible).