Northwest Trade gun Butt Plate width ?

[Steeltrap]

I can't seem to find a pic from the rear of a northwest trade rifle. As the pic below shows\ask, is the width the same from where the bottom stock comes up to maybe the half way point....and then the same width to the top?  Or is there a slight taper from the approximate mid-point to the top?

[Clark Badgett]

They were made by a lot of different companies over a long soan of years. They varied a little.

[Adrie luke]

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/681/1/BP-NW-1-B

[Adrie luke]

More

[Steeltrap]

Thank you.

It appears there is a  very slight taper from about 1/4 up from the bottom (widest point) to maybe 10-20 thousands less at the top bend.

Again, thanks. That's very helpful

[Dave B]

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This is a late model tradegun butt plate i think it apeares to be the same pattern as those i saw at the museume of the fur trade.
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[Clark Badgett]

Northwest trade guns (they weren’t rifles) always had rounded toes. The uniformity kind ends there. From that point they could be straight sided or slightly tapered or even a bit oblong shaped. The bend at the heel could be a noticeable radius to a sharp flat bend. I’m not even going to try discussing the early styles.

[Steeltrap]

Thank you. I'm building a youth flintlock, so my dimensions for the butt plate will be "smaller" or "thinner" than the actual Northwest Trade.

You have likely noticed this from what I've done so far.

My plan is for the butt plate to be 1.25" at the widest part. I don't want it to wide, nor to thin, and I'm just wanting to get the shape\thickness so I can determine what it should look like when complete.

[Pukka Bundook]

That's going to be a pretty small gun if the butt is just 1- 1/4" wide, Steeltrap.
Might whack the youth a bit more than going wider.

If you reduce the width that much, the wrist is going to be about an inch to look right, and that's not much.

all the best,
Rich.

[bluenoser]

I believe that would be about 8/10 scale, or a tad over 3/4 scale.  Is the gun about 3/4 scale?

[Steeltrap]

I was judging the width based upon Track's early Hawken and a Leman that I own. The Hawken is 1.20" and the Leman is 1.375" in width. So my 1.25" seemed (to me) to be about right.

The barrel is 29" long. It's in 50 cal but reduced loads can mitigate the recoil. (I already owned the barrel). Lockplate will measure 4-3/8" x 7/8". I plan on a LOP of 12"-12.5" (haven't made up my mind on that one yet). Trigger guard is going to be the "standard" Northwest trade, unless it will look to out of proportion. (Trigger bow should work fine, but I may need to cut down the front and back. I was going to repurpose an old T\C TG, but the more I look at it the more I don't like it)

Any input on the above is more than welcome.

I should say that I'm not concerned with duplicating a NWTG. I'm just interested in a flintlock that a youth can shoot that's not overly heavy, and still looks good. I'm going for a basic "workman's" rifle here.

[rich pierce]

Wider buttplates are more comfortable.

[Steeltrap]

I do thank you guys for your responses. I have leather slip over recoil pads that will help with “softening the blow”.

Let me ask another question not related to butt plates:

This CVA barrel is for a half stock and I have the under barrel rib.  For the RR pipes I was thinking of using a brass rod (of appropriate diameter) and simply drilling the RR hole. I’ve not read of making these RR pipes for an under barrel rib.

[Clark Badgett]

I do thank you guys for your responses. I have leather slip over recoil pads that will help with “softening the blow”.

Let me ask another question not related to butt plates:

This CVA barrel is for a half stock and I have the under barrel rib.  For the RR pipes I was thinking of using a brass rod (of appropriate diameter) and simply drilling the RR hole. I’ve not read of making these RR pipes for an under barrel rib.

If you are using a ribbed barrel, you aren’t building a trade gun. At that point it becomes more of an English half stock fowler which normally have a much more refined and elegant look to them.

[Steeltrap]

I'm building a half-stock flintlock for a youth. https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=79528.0

I'm not attempting to match any specific historical build. I want a reliable rifle that a young\small frame person can shoot that is reliable and looks good for a plain jane workhorse of a rifle.

Edit:

As I was surfing the internet (on this cool and rainy day) I came across this, which is pretty much what I'm targeting to do: https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=41397.0

And on post #11 stated this:  The cast off is 1/8", the drop is 2 7/8", the barrel length is 31 1/2", and the comb is 8"" long. The butt plate is just under 1 1/2" wide and 4 1/8" deep. The finished gun will weight less than 6#.
And l.o.p. Is 12".

[Steeltrap]

I was searching for a few other “how to” explanations and if you look at page 2 of this thread    https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=29600.25 there is an example of where the builder drilled steel bar stock, and another example using rolled brass sheet to fabricate RR pipes.

Apparently either would work.

[Clark Badgett]

With you goals in mind, why were you concerned about the shape of the NWTG, instead of just making a more contemporary styled functional Fowler?

Making pipes from folded/rolled brass is easier than drilling them from round stock.

[Steeltrap]

Because I have a bad habit of overthinking.  (Honest….I do that far to much)

[Clark Badgett]

Because I have a bad habit of overthinking.  (Honest….I do that far to much)

A common virtue around here.