NW Trade Gun?

I've been contemplating getting another muzzleloader for quite a while. Right now I have a percussion GPR and Kentucky Pistol and can't decide if I desire a percussion shotgun or a flintlock more. I'm certainly not one who has a budget for getting a new gun every payday, so can't afford both, so thought about splitting the difference and looking into a smoothbore flintlock.

I read a great article in Muzzleloader Magazine by Mike Nesbitt about duck hunting with a Trade Musket. He had a short barreled one that looked like it was pretty handy.

I don't see a whole lot of Trade Guns advertised. Is that mostly a custom gun? I see Track of the Wolf sells kits. Are there any makes of that gun that should be avoided? Thanks.

Your decision will depend on the availability of real black powder which is necessary for use in a flintlock. No substitute has proven reliability unless real black powder is used to ignite the substitute. Yes, you can have black powder delivered to you if no dealers want to go through the regulatory requirements for storage and sales.

I think a Northwest gun looks better with a flintlock. There is also great satisfaction in mastering the art of shooting a flintlock.

What is your planned use for the gun? What is your experience in wood working and metal working?

Most kits are parts sets. Unless you have access to the tools to assemble a collection of parts, I would suggest that you consider an in-the-white kit which has the gun assembled, but still requires final finishing. Contact Tip Curtis or TVM about in-the-white kits. There are other builders who also offer kits, such as Caywood or Jim Chambers.

To get a near perfect NWG you have to do it your self or buy from a custom maker. Others are avalible that are not perfect copies but have the same general look and function the same way. Pedersoli has a very good gun that’s near to the originals and I’ve seen it used by museum employees to demonstrate trade guns. Loyalists arms offers one but I have no experience with them.

You will very likely grow to enjoy shooting a flintlock very much. I got my first NWT rifle about three years ago and have used it turkey hunting and shooting upland game. I read the same Nesbit article you did and liked the short barrel model as well. However for all around use my preference would be a barrel no shorter than about 36" on that rifle. If you buy a kit try to get one that has a Chambers lock. They work very well.

I put one together for a friend of mine and he loves it. He got it from TOW and packed it around for 4 years. He tinkered with it a few times but did not gave the right tools so he boogerd it up in a few places trying to use a Dremil tool. I was able to get it put together for him in a long weekend. I probably could have taken more wood off of it, but it came out pretty good and he is very happy with it. He finished sanding it and staining it himself and loves it. I was impressed by how well it shouldered.

Good Luck! I think you will like it!!

I reckon that you are on a very good track. A smoothbore such as a trade gun or a fusil or a musket is one of the most versatile of firearms. If I were looking for another such gun I believe that I would search around as patiently as possible at classified ads and such until a good one came up for sale. You could build a kit if you're handy, but nobody did this in the olden days! Good luck GWW

I built the Track of the wolf one, very happy with it in general took about 100 hours.

TOTW are great, and I believe Dixie Gun Works is currently selling both the finished, and kit Pedersoli NWTGs

Thanks all for the great replies. I suppose I really need to be realistic about my time if I choose to build a trade gun. I already have a large project going on and don't want the gun to sit unfinished for years. I have done a little wood and metal work and could probably muddle my way through a build, not to say there isn't a good chance of messing up and making it ugly..and jrmflintlock isn't going to be here to fix it for me! Nice gun btw Jrm!

Like was suggested, I'll just keep my eyes open...gun show this coming weekend so who knows.

Real black powder is not readily available here which is why I started out with a caplock, but It can be had with a little planning. Our club does group powder orders now and then and Great Northern Guns sells it in Anchorage (the last I heard) I definitely want it in flintlock.

I'm thinking mostly fun shooting with the Trade Gun, but would also enjoy taking it on walks in the woods with the dog with an eye out for grouse...Maybe consider going after something larger if I can shoot enough ball to get confident of shot placement.

Pedi kit would be a weekend or two project, it’s not a perfect copy for sure but I’ve seen thin in museums demos. The variation from a real NWG are minor cosmetic. No one can give you manure over the mote in the eye of a pedi owner till they get the beam out of their own eye.