NW Trade guns and fowlers

[Huntschool]

A good friend known as Curley started a company years ago making NW Trade guns. It was a risk at the time as the gun was certainly not a gun in favor of reenactors or most buckskinners at the time. However after a bit it really caught on especially with the buckskin crowd that were looking at the early Rocky Mountain trapper and the Hudson bay guys. It seems to get little attention on this smoothbore forum as compared to muskets and other military reenactor fire locks so I wonder how many folks there are, likely buckskinners, that have an interest in the NW guns and may even have pictures and stories to tell about their gun and the stuff they do with them...…

Fowlers are also asked to join in but not military stuff.

"Pickers of nits" not invited to post here.... Its all about the guns you have..... and how you use them. Plain and simple.....

Waiting for some good stuff.... Thanks

 

[tenngun]

 

[Stony Broke]

I've owned a Caywood smoothbore for quite a few years now. It started life as a long barrel, but eventually I had it shortened to 24 inches and added a rear sight. I have taken deer and hogs with it and while it sits for long periods of time in a safe...eventually I miss it and start hunting with it again.

 

[tenngun]

Built froma track of the Wolf kit. With a 36 inch barrel. It handled well and shot good. I had wanted one for years.
However after getting it I found I preferred my center Mark tulle. Turned out I didn’t care as much for the shorter barrel as I thought I would. I sold it for about what the parts cost.
It was on maple, I didn’t have the stamps and left too much wood on the forearm.

 

[Captjoel]

The only NW trade gun I have ever owned was an original from the very late flintlock era. Dated 1870 with a 30 inch barrel (not cut) with a 24 gauge bore.

 

[BrownBear]

I had a chance to buy both a fowler and a trade gun, including the loan of the guns for a month of shooting on which to base my decision. Both were 28 gauge. I came real close to buying the fowler simply because it was 10x the wing shooter, for me anyway, due to stock configuration. And I do a lot of wing shooting and rabbit shooting.

But then a very "bad" thing happened. I got to handle and shoot another fowler belonging to a friend. It weighed close to a pound and a half less in spite of a barrel the same length, and it swung and shot like lightning. The balance was as good as my cherished modern upland bird guns.

The difference was in the barrel. Both of those on loan had 20 gauge blanks bored to the smaller diameter 28, resulting in a whole lot of extra steel out front and frankly rotten balance. The last one was specked just like the originals and had a barrel sized for 28 gauge and bored accordingly, resulting in much thinner barrel walls and much better handling. Easy to see why the fowlers of their day were popular and effective when shooting that one alongside the ones with barrel compromises.

The "bad" thing? It meant that even for very reasonable used prices, the two on loan were a bad investment. I was going to have to have one built with the correct barrel. I'm still saving my shekels for a build, but it's going to be a while.

For me it's very definitely an all or nothing deal. Built right, I'll own one. Built with a 20 gauge barrel reamed to 28 gauge, and I'll pass.

 

[smo]

Here’s my smoothbore, it’s a 16 gauge 44” Colerain octagon to round barrel.

It has an L&R lock, from which I have had zero issues with.

The gun was made by Tip Curtis.

 

[Keb]

I've owned a few (7) Northwest trade guns, 3 of which were Curly's. One was actually made by him. The best was one of Curly's kits my old pal put together back in the 80's barreled in .58" cal x 42" long. It shot like a rifle. The 1st one I made was a Curly kit back in 86'. It was butt ugly but I could hit anything I aimed at. I had a chance to buy it back last summer and passed. I traded a Centermark Tulle for a Northwest gun stocked in ash. It was a real pretty piece of wood. I've also made 3 with cherry wood for my grandchildren. Now I shoot a 11 gauge Dutch gun. It shoots well but it really takes a lot of lead & powder.

I have owned a whole bunch of fowlers & trade guns, too many to remember. There are a few I've let slip through my fingers I'd like back, too.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I remember Curly Gostomski quite well. I have never had a NW gun, never been interested in Western fur trade. Only built one and it was for somebody else. I have owned a couple Carolina guns and more than several fowling guns .

 

[pat i.]

I've been looking for a 36 inch barreled .62 caliber North Star West gun for awhile but they're tough to find. My hope is that if a NSW gun never drops in my lap Jim Kibler will decide to make a kit.

 

[Einsiedler]

Ive owned 2. Both were parts from Curley. 24 gauge and a 20. Young son still has the 20. I gave it to him. Killed deer and hogs with both! Killed my last turkey with the 20.

I know where the 24 lives. Mebbe someday I can get it back.

 

[Huntschool]

Great pics so far folks.

So, with trade guns and fowlers in mind, do you consider yourself to be a buckskinner. Perhaps an added note might be whether or not you do the rendezvous stuff..... Just asking....

 

[Huntschool]

The only NW trade gun I have ever owned was an original from the very late flintlock era. Dated 1870 with a 30 inch barrel (not cut) with a 24 gauge bore.

Captjoel: I find your gun more then interesting. What a great piece. I also have an original and shoot it occasionally.

 

[RonT]

I bought a bunch of pieces (kit) off Curley in his shop in the late 70's. Built it into the top gun, a 20 ga., then made the bottom ~3/4 size one for my oldest son. Next one is a 24 ga./.58 cal.
Cheers,
R

 

[plmeek]

This NW trade gun was built by Michael Hayes in Feb 1979. It's a custom gun built from parts he purchased from TOTW.



The lock was built from castings of an original W. Chance & Sons lock that Doc Carlson of Upper Missouri Trading Co. was marketing. I don't know for sure, but suspect, that Hayes assembled the lock himself as only the castings were sold by TOTW and Upper Missouri Trading Co.

From TOTW Catalog #8



It has a 36" barrel and 20 gauge bore. This gun is an accurate representation of what the American Fur Co. and the Pierre Chouteau Jr. & Co. were ordering from England in the 1840s and 1850s.

 

[Freetrapper]

 

[Freetrapper]

This is my North Star West trade gun .62

 

[Cruzatte]

Great pics so far folks.

So, with trade guns and fowlers in mind, do you consider yourself to be a buckskinner. Perhaps an added note might be whether or not you do the rendezvous stuff..... Just asking....

I consider myself a recovering reenactor. I attend a couple of rendezvous a year. Mostly just attend the monthly club shoots. Below is my Caywood Wilson, 20ga X 41" barrel. This is the gun that has really hooked me into smoothbore shooting. I've had it for over twenty years.

 

[Einsiedler]

I did this to my old Centermark Fusil de Chasse this past summer. Why,?, ‘cause I wanted to! Don’t care about it’s PC-ness. They are a bit of a fantasy anyway. I like it this way.





I also installed a swivel and button. Then twined a new sling from hemp cordage for it.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

December 2018


February 2019



LD