Early Trade Guns

I get asked about these guns all the time because of publishing a book on them referred to as Success In The North American Fur Trade.


Early Trade Guns  

French traders appeared in the 1620's with guns, powder and shot for trade through the Hudson 's Bay Company. By the 17th century, English guns found their way to the southern trade. These gun manufacturers claimed to have been the first to have an improved lock that incorporated a pan cover with a new style frizzen. (Johnson 24).

In 1670, the greatest trading enterprise in North America was launched by the newly incorporated "Governor and Company of Adventures Trading into Hudson's Bay". The "Hudson's Bay Company" began its trading operations under the leadership of two Frenchmen who had been ignored by their own government - Groseilliers and Radisson. (Hanson 11). In the middle of the 18th century, the "Northwest" gun emerged as the most traded of available weapons in North America and considered by most merchants, as the one to handle in a growing market among the Native Americans. In a short number of years, the Northwest gun could be found as the gun of choice in all corners of the New World.

In 1763, France was forced to leave to the English control of parts Canada and all of the Louisiana ground east of the Mississippi. From that point, the American fur trade was affected by the English traders. Trading supplies were mainly guns, powder, lead and whiskey, making for drunkeness in villages with the loss of trade goods and lives. The push was for more trade to the north to reap the high profits of fur.

The name “Northwest Gun” is not derived from the North West Company. As early as 1761, the internal correspondence of the Hudson’s Bay Company contains reference to “the N W Guns.”  Per company records the North West Company was not an enduring organization until 1783 - 84. (Hanson 15). The true nor’westers of the early 19th century still used the term; example, David Thompson a known trader for the North West Company in 1811, showed in his records for items of trade, “8 N W Guns” valued at 16 beaver a piece. This is only one example of many found, that the “N W Gun” was a general term when referring to this trade article.

For more than 100 years, the French in Canada and the Northwest territory kept the Hudson's Bay Company region, (from the bay to the upper Ohio Valley ) from being explored by the English or any others. Strict laws and codes made in Paris governed who and what passed throughout the territory. Their main concern was the money to be made from the fur trade, mining of precious metals or any fees that could be collected from the land. It didn't take long for the French and Scots of Montreal to encounter the men of Hudson 's Bay pushing south, the competition was inevitable and sides were drawn.

Do to a need for strength when coming in contact with Hudson's Bay Company traders in 1784, the Northwest Company of Montreal was formed to meet the competition in a consolidated effort of independent merchants. This lasted until 1821, when the two companies merged, retaining the Hudson's Bay Company name. Even though many of the trappers still referred to the new company as the "North West Company" according Ruxton. The "H.B.C." red flag flew higher than ever as did the rise of profits from the new venture.

Example of early trade guns.
See T. M. Hamilton's book on “Colonial Frontier Guns” for early trade guns. The article written by Lee Burke, “A Trade Gun of the 1700's”, gives the reader a good mental picture of the appearance of an arm of this period.  One example: a comparison of locks and similarities of lock plate design, rounded faces and cocks of locks, tumblers, frizzens and differences of various parts unnoticed by the untrained eye. Interesting to those wanting to get that detailed, and a very good reference source.

Listed by type are a few early trade guns;  
Type: A
Date: 1680-1730
Manufacture: French
Description:
Stock: full stocked, pinned barrel
Furniture: iron, one piece butt plate, long finial, two screw attachment, trigger guard flat.
Lock: lockplate, curved on tail, two-screws, tumbler, vise screw slotted.
Barrel: 47 inches long, front sight forged from barrel, octagonal 10 inches from breech, 1 inch to 7/8 inch tapered, pinned to stock.
Bore: .69 cal. (rusted to bad for correct measurement).
Comments: (Hamilton 3)

Type: B
Date: 1680-1730
Manufacture: French
Description:
Stock: full stocked, pinned barrel
Furniture: iron, one piece butt plate, long finial, three screw attachment, trigger guard medium bow, sideplate / butt plate cast in brass.
Lock: lockplate, curved on tail, two-screws, tumbler, vise screw slotted.
Barrel: 48 inches long, front sight forged from barrel, octagonal 10 inches from breech,1 inch to 7/8 inch tapered, pinned to stock
Bore: .56 cal. (rusted to bad for correct measurement).
Comments: (Hamilton 3)


WORK CITED:

• Johnson, W. M., "Early Trade Guns" (1685-1770). PA: Penna. State Historical Society, 1945.
  Hanson, Jr. Charles E. "The Northwest Gun" Lincoln , NE : Nebraska State Historical Society. 1955.
  Hamilton, T. M., “Colonial Frontier Guns” article by Lee Burke, “A Trade Gun of the 1700's”. Chadron , NE : Fur Press, 1980.
  Hamilton, T. M., "Early Indian Trade Guns" (1625-1775). OK: Museum of the Great Plains . 1968.