Web article by Hanson on NW Trade Guns

[Canuck Bob]

I stumbled on this article by Charles Hanson who I understand to be a bonafide expert on the subject.

https://americansocietyofarmscollectors.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1966-B14-Indian-Trade-Guns.pdf

I'm sure many are aware of it but for greenhorns like me it is an eyeopener.  I considered his large published work once but balked at the price.  It now seems like a wish list "must have" someday. [Edit: Just realized that James Hanson wrote the book after visiting the MFT site, Charles is James father it turns out and both are important to the Museum of the Fur Trade in Nebraska]

If my research leads to a gun this article has verified that a 30" barrelled 24 gauge HBC type is the model I'll strive for. It will be a RH even though I'm a lefty. Truth is the research is a hobby worth pursuing by itself. 

[jerrywh]

I just got done building one of these but it was a 20 ga.

[Canuck Bob]

I just got done building one of these but it was a 20 ga.

Details please and a pic if possible?  First I am going to try and get a gun before building through trade hopefully.  It is likely that it will be 20 gauge so shooting experiences sure appreciated.

[Clark Badgett]

I just got done building one of these but it was a 20 ga.

Jerry, for some reason I just can't imagine you building such a plain gun. Your normal builds are worthy of Kings.

[rmnc3r]

At an NMLRA Winter Shoot in Phoenix many years ago, I came across a NW Trade Gun that was carved in a Northern West Coast Indigenous style. It was unusual and striking. Sadly, I din't have the extra discretionary funds available at that time to buy it.

It was an interpretive piece, to be sure, but it was handsome.

[Hungry Horse]

 The first gun I built from scratch was a Northwest Chiefs grade with a 30” barrel in 20 gauge. After a little practice, and a barrel bending session, it shot like a rifle out to about seventy five yards. It was all built from the cheapest parts. It’s barrel was an unfinished shotgun barrel from Dixie that had never been finished on the outside. I added the octagon to round detail on the the top of the breech with a file. It had a Lott lock with a better mainspring from TOTW, and brass blunderbuss furniture and a brass dragon from Dixie. I had a hundred bucks invested.
 I chose to make a chiefs grade, because the traditional standard Northwest gun is not comfortable for me to shoot. The extra drop, and rounder profile of the stock made it quite comfortable to shoot.

  Hungry Horse

[Canuck Bob]

Hungry Horse I almost ordered a North Star West lefty Chief's Grade gun then got sick and waited too long.  I've sorta narrowed a possible build to a HBC suppled style since.  I think the Chief's grade was not a HBC supplied gun?

[Mtn Meek]

Hungry Horse I almost ordered a North Star West lefty Chief's Grade gun then got sick and waited too long.  I've sorta narrowed a possible build to a HBC suppled style since.  I think the Chief's grade was not a HBC supplied gun?

Depends on which "Chief's Grade" gun you're talking about.  The North Star West Chief's Grade gun was a specific pattern that didn't appear until after 1800.  We know that the British government ordered thousands of them for their Indian allies during the War of 1812.  The Northwest Company and/or the Michilimackinac Company may have been ordering them before then.  This pattern did not have serpent sideplates.

The HBC was also ordering guns of higher grade that can be called "Chief's Grade" guns, but these were typically earlier English fowler patterns with fowler type butt plates and trigger guards (smaller guard bow than typical NW gun), but still had serpent sideplates like the NW trade guns.  Even earlier than this, there were higher grade guns similar to the Type G that had cast trigger guards and better locks than the typical Type G.