Author Topic: NW Trade Gun Trigger Guard  (Read 1858 times)

Offline Nhgrants

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NW Trade Gun Trigger Guard
« on: March 11, 2019, 12:36:20 AM »
For those of you that have made  NW style guard, what would be ideal thickness to use for a steel trigger
Guard? I have made a full size pattern using the Trade and Treaty book. I have some 12 gauge steel that is about 0.100 thick.  This looks to be a little on the thin size.  I was thinking that 1/8 Inch may be better
As the edges could be beveled a little and some forging could be done on the loop. Appreciate any comments.

Offline B.Barker

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Re: NW Trade Gun Trigger Guard
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2019, 02:55:16 AM »
I would think that .100" would be plenty. However I've never measured an original guard. Old southern rifles used pretty thin iron and cupped the trigger guards to add strength. Just grabbed my copy of Hanson's trade gun book and he has trigger guard bows being between 1/16" and 1/8" thick. So .100 falls between the two.

Offline Ray Nelson

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Re: NW Trade Gun Trigger Guard
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2019, 05:05:22 AM »
A Tryon original guard thickness of mine measures between .093 and .109.

Ray

Offline B.Barker

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Re: NW Trade Gun Trigger Guard
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2019, 03:51:55 AM »
Ray, is the bow thinner than the front and rear returns?

Offline Ray Nelson

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Re: NW Trade Gun Trigger Guard
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2019, 05:21:49 AM »
Yes! Looks to average around .085

Ray

Offline Ray Nelson

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Re: NW Trade Gun Trigger Guard
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2019, 04:50:58 PM »

Some extra thoughts of mine for your consumption:

The pre 1860 original trigger guards I have examined over the were all thin, well under .125 in thickness. The front and rear areas were rounded of course to a sharp edge with the bow rounded as well but not to a sharp edge. The very late HB guns I've seen were thicker appearing however. When I made Trade Guns using Curley's kits many years ago I always spent extra time trying to achieve the thinner look. I believe his trigger guard supplied was 1/8" material that allowed opportunity to file away the unwanted excess.


Charles Hanson's The Trade Gun Sketchbook and Pryor MT. Bill's Whately 1770 and Barnett 1830 books describe the specifics very well and are worth having in your resource collection if no original is accessible.

If you want to follow an accurately described copy or a general trade gun amounts to the effort you wish to apply to achieve the details. I've built both and most times details are mostly unnoticed and I need to pridefully point them out. Originals were accomplished by hand work and thus variance in many details is notable. Generally the Native populations demanded a few important details calling for small wrist size, barrels that don"t burst, bore size around 24 gauge, shortened length, knot free dark color stock, locks that don't freeze, and the guard bow large enough to admit two fingers inside mitton during cold temps. I've noticed they accomplished the bigger bow of course but then mounted the guard whereas the trigger was too centered or forward for easy two fingers use. That detail is a must for me!

Nice to see some NW trade gun questions. They were considered simple and cheap but had to be quality. That is early common sense!


Ray
 

Offline B.Barker

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Re: NW Trade Gun Trigger Guard
« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2019, 05:16:54 AM »
Ray thanks for those observations. Don't see that much interest in these guns now days. I would like to make one but have too many other guns to build.

Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: NW Trade Gun Trigger Guard
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2019, 06:00:49 PM »
 When I built a few tradegun years ago I used Prior Mt. Bill Newton’s book on trade guns. It has a lot of full sized patterns for all the parts, and a couple of stocks. I used 1/8”X1” mild steel strap to make my triggerguards.

 Hungry Horse