Trade Gun

Well ...I ordered a NW trade gun from North Star West I am getting it in the white 24ga.36'' barrel.Matt said it would take three to five months.I can hardly wait to get it,but at least now I will have enough time to put together a horn and pouch for it.Just thought I would let everyone know that I took the plunge regards...rusty

you won't be sorry rusty. ever since i got my trade gun i rarely shoot my rifle anymore. you get a lot of versitility out of one gun going that route.
pieman

:hatsoff:, Rusty, you're on your way to shooting Nirvana! Matt makes a good gun and they're worth the wait--very authentic and reliable and Matt's easy to deal with. What made you go with the 24 gauge? Just curious.

Have fun, bag lots and lots of game.

Be verrrry careful! These smoothies are verrry addicting!
Did the same thing while scouting and waiting for mine. Horn, starter, ball bag, pick, flint pouch, hunting sling, all sorts of things can be made while waiting.
Enjoy.

I went with the 24 because most of the originals were 24...rusty

Rusty you be knowing things! Your right most were 24 ga. & is a good bore or cal.

Thomas

I went with the 24 because most of the originals were 24...rusty

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I kinda figured-it's why most people go with it. I had one in 24, and for shooting round ball, having that extra weight in the barrel wall held the gun on target really well. Only reason I got rid of the gun was that the pull was too short for me. It held a nice tight pattern, too, and was a real game getter.

Have fun!

Stumbles On...

Thanks for the info hey what do you use for a shooting pouch and horn I Can't make up my mind if i should go with a cloth bag like a blanket material or leather,what do you think?...rusty

My new Fusil should be done soon, from A. Palyszeski. I kind of wanted to go with a 24ga just to be different. Anthony convinced me that 20ga was better all around. Thanks to some other threads on this forum, one of the first things I'm going to try is some .570 round balls with real thick patches. Can't hurt eh! Less lead, less recoil, and I'm quite certain the deer won't know the difference. :RO:

Java Man

Rusty,I think you will enjoy that gun.Although I do a somewhat earlier {1690-1770} imression, I think the Northwest gun is a very correct gun for the mid 18th century through the mid 19th century and later.It should make an very good hunting gun.I would recommend two excellent books on the Northwest gun.They are: "Trade guns Of The Hudson's Bay Company 1670-1970" by S. James Gooding.Jim Has done a fine job with this book and TOW sells it for $35.00.The other book is "The Northwest Gun" by Charles E. Hansen Jr. and it may be out of print.The 1992 soft copy reprint sells for about $12.00-15.00 and I think the Museum of the Fur Trade still sells it for about that amount.The Museum can be reached at [email protected] or 1-308-432-3843
Jim's book shows an old horn of the type typically found in Western Canada as well as a repro horn of an old one from Ontario.I think a very simple leather medium sized bag would be appropriate.The Hudson's Bay Company stores probably sold them along with horns all through the 19th century and perhaps in the late 18th century although I don't know how early.By the way, your gun will have a deep trigger guard and many have thought that this was because of the shooter wearing mittens. That is incorrect and the more plausible reason for the large guards was the two finger trigger pull of Indians and was a holdover from the use of bows.
Enjoy
Tom Patton :thumbsup:

Thanks for the info hey what do you use for a shooting pouch and horn I Can't make up my mind if i should go with a cloth bag like a blanket material or leather,what do you think?...rusty

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It's up to you, but judging from your location, I would choose leather if it was for me living where you do...

Blanket material could snag on the underbrush and thorns plus it is easier to waterproof leather... :imo:

Thanks for the info hey what do you use for a shooting pouch and horn I Can't make up my mind if i should go with a cloth bag like a blanket material or leather,what do you think?...rusty

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Hey Rusty,

here's something new I've been playing with. It's a shot pouch that holds shot -- my own almagamation of cut balls, swan, buckshot, a couple of sprues and some pellets (but I use either regular shot or swan when hunting to remain in the good graces of the Michigan DNR) -- and the pocket in the top will hold about a dozen or so .600 rapine cast round balls. I wear it along with my horn or pulverin depending on the gun I'm carrying.

My extra stuff -- flint wallet, knapping tool, tow worms, tow, patching -- I carry in a canvas "wallet" folded over my belt. From what I have seen and gleaned from others here in the lakes, it's closer to PC carrying styles. From what I understand, the "shooting bags" in the Great Lakes region were actually quite small and had open tops -- not my favorite way to carry stuff in a region that gets a lot of sudden freak weather all year -- so I have been doing it this way.

Also, a really really good book about Trade Guns is "Success in the North American Fur Trade" by Buck Conner. You can check it out at www.furtradebooks.com

Have Fun!

BTW -- with a 24 gauge you may not need very thick ticking to run .570 balls. play with it and have fun. Try some tow sometime, too, you might be surprised how well it works......just don't use it over dry grass as it has a bad habit of catching fire on occasion!

Stumblin

My new shot pouch -- idea ripped off from the one below. The bag I made started life as a small belt bag, similar to a sporran.



and the inspiration...

Excellent idea for a small pouch.

Thomas

My new Fusil should be done soon, from A. Palyszeski. I kind of wanted to go with a 24ga just to be different. Anthony convinced me that 20ga was better all around. Thanks to some other threads on this forum, one of the first things I'm going to try is some .570 round balls with real thick patches. Can't hurt eh! Less lead, less recoil, and I'm quite certain the deer won't know the difference. :RO:

Java Man

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Actually, Java, 24 and 28 are more historically accurate for French fusils, but 20ga is easier to obtain stuff for and a little more versatile, so Anthony's right about that. If you run out of balls or find yourself without a cleaning jag or something at a rondy you are more likely to find a 20ga shooter who can help you. Trust me, I have never found anyone else at a rondy that I was at who had ANYTHING for a 16ga...silly me, wanting to be different bit me in the rear. Now I guess I just have to bring my own stuff and quit being a camp dog...lol.....

Stumblin

I have a 20 gauge fowler that weighs a little over seven pounds and I use full loads in it with no recoil problems. I use a .600 ball and .010 patch over 80-90 grains of ffg and recoil is quite mild. Using a .570 ball and extra thick patches or doubling up on patches doesn't make any sense to me since the proper components are readily available. And I would be concerned with blow-by with the smaller ball and it is very likely that accuracy will suffer. At least that has been my experience.

Great pouch idea!

In Madison Grant's Hunting Pouch book there is a ball pouch that is attached inside the curve of a horn that is similarly slick.

Combien les femmes blanches?

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Les Femmes is 39

Russ,

Just thought of the smaller ball idea from threads on this forum. I don't intend to load it up heavy enough to severe recoil anyway. Prolly in the neighborhood you mentioned. Got some .595's to get started with. It'l be up to the gun what it like the best, eh?

Thanks

I went with the 24 because most of the originals were 24...rusty

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Very true Rusty, I am contenplating a 1728 fusil de chasse French Infantry Rifle myself and it should be 24 guage but if its 20 I may get it anyway. Click on the link for a chart to look at:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/ubbthr...mp;page=0#35977

The 1728 French infantry musket and it's countrparts the Tulle Common musket and Grenadier muskets used by the Compagnies de franches de la marine are different guns from the fusil de chasse which was a light weight smaller caliber hunting[url] musket.In[/url] France in the 17th and 18th centuries the term "fusil" {pronounced Fuzee} meant any long arm other than a matchlock.

Okwaho, Wasn't the 1728 french musket a .69 cal. or am I thinking of later french muskets?

Thomas