THE NUMBERS OF NW GUNS PRODUCED

THE NUMBERS OF NW GUNS PRODUCED

S. James Gooding’s research on the Hudson’s Bay Company turned up records showing the shipments of English trade guns procured by the company during the 107 year period from 1647-1781 a total of some 46,000 guns made by 79 manufacturers, all London firms.

From “A Preliminary Study of the Trade Guns Sold by the Hudson’s Bay Company,” Hamilton’s “Indian Trade Guns” (1960), pp 81- 95

Whether the gun was Spanish, French, Dutch, English or American in manufacture, the smoothbores have been used in every corner of this land, from the mid 1600's right into this past century. When looking at the history of the development of the New World. There is a steady referral to the use of this firearm, making it one of the few items that survived the test of time.

One of the first collectors to recognize the trade gun as something worthy of study was Edward A. Hawks in his paper “The Indian Buffalo Gun,” The Gun Report, I:5 (1940).(Hawks 1,2)
The late Curly Gostomski of “North Star Enterprises” stated in a company brochure. “First built in the 1600’s and still produced as late as the mid 1900’s, for the Indian it was a practical shotgun, large enough to kill big game, yet, light enough to carry with comfort and ease. Presumably the most used and widespread gun in American history”.

He also stated that the guns sold for 20-22 beaver plews in much of the trades between 1770 and 1860. The trade gun was used in treaty bargaining, between the United States government and various Indian tribes.

Charles E. Hanson, Jr. made this comment in several of his articles when referring to the Northwest Gun. “Probably no other model of gun in American history had such wide spread use for so long a period. The major fur trade companies sold these guns at every post, independent traders carried them to most of the remote tribes, and thousands more were given as treaty payments by the United States Government. Trade gun fragments are common in collections of archeological specimens from historic Indian sites. Flintlock fusils were carried by many Indians painted by Bodmer, Catlin, and other early artists on the frontier. A hundred years ago they were in daily use from the Ohio Valley to the peaks of the Rockies and from the Mexican border to the Arctic Circle”.

These points have been discussed more than any other single subject in this time frame, thus the importance of such a trade item, the Northwest Gun. The NW guns that survived and are available today give us a good idea of the construction details and the different changes between one builder compared to another.

Some writers and experts on the subject of correctness, and the years of production of these guns, talk about looking at the proof marks, the inspector marks, the lock, and the tang screws arrangement along with whether the butt plates is nailed on or screwed on.

EXAMPLE:
o Early NW guns had (3) three lock screws until about 1810, they also had a tang screw inserted from the bottom with a nailed-on butt plate according to some writers
o Belgian guns are dated as early as 1810 with (2) screw locks and tang screws inserted from the top. According to some writers by 1830 nail on butt plates changed to (2) screw units again.
o At the Museum of the Fur Trade is a Barnett dated 1836, made in Belgian with screws inserted from the bottom and tang screw inserted from the top with a nailed on butt plate.
o British manufacturers building for the American Fur Company generally used (2) screw butt plates and tang screws inserted from the top, but a Lacy NW gun built in 1831 has a nailed on butt plate and tang screws inserted from the bottom.

Some think because they have seen several NW guns of the same manufacturer configured the same way, that all guns were produced in the same manner. Not so, they vary slightly and sometimes according to Mr. Hanson “what was at hand at the time of assembly may change the whole picture” as shown by the examples above, some guns do not fit the mold established by several writers.

According to another article both of these makers used two (2) screw lock plates and tang screws inserted from the top with two (2) screw butt plates.

It has been written that US Government contracts with the American makers began in 1814 with Deringer, and with Tryon in 1841 (but there is a Tryon NW gun with a 1837 date at their store in Philadelphia PA seen in the 1960’s), Leman was shown to have been contracted in 1842.

In the book “The Trade Gun Sketchbook” by Charles E. Hanson III states in an article titled “The Evolution of the N.W. Gun” on page 3. With a glance one will notice the changes in ignition, barrel length and the transformation from bulky to stream lined in appearance. A closer look will find caliber's ranging from .58 to .72 and barrels measuring from 28 inches to 50 inches, with a few being a little longer depending on what they were built for.

Dutch settlers complained as early as 1643 to the government of "The Indians being well provided with guns, powder, and lead," which they claimed was purchased from private traders for beaver. (O'Callaghan 1:140)

The Dutch craftsman were excellent gunsmiths and their product was of good quality according to local traders when meeting with the Hudson 's Bay Company factors. In 1685, the Company received 448 trade guns from Holland , a Canadian Pierre Radisson had told the factors that this was what was being traded. The trade of Dutch arms didn't last long, as trading was not what was expected with the Holland guns and the Company switched back to the more expensive English guns. (Rich 147, 149)

Well traveled flight and nesting areas for water foul saw the use of heavy duck and swan guns in the mid 1700's, in .63 to .70 caliber with barrels reaching seven to eight feet in length. This was the beginning of the market hunters that a few centuries later almost eliminated the waterfowl population in some areas.

Guns with barrels of 45 to 49 inches long and bores of .57 to .62 in caliber, with brass mountings and scrolled side plates that have a serpent head on one end. Mr. Hamilton also gives some of the locations where samples have been found from Michigan to Louisiana.
French guns manufactured before 1700, (see the detailed information and the research of T.M. Hamilton). Hamilton has placed dates of 1680 to 1730 for the oldest types. (Hamilton 29)
Later models of the French gun differ in being slimmer with more detail, such as being engraved with animals and sunbursts, used from 1730 through the French regime of 1763. (Hamilton 31)

The letter below may have helped the situation on complaints of bore size and weight of guns being delivered from previous years.
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Let the guns you send next be not altogether so big in the bore, for the Indians complain of the wideness thereof. Let the bore be of that size as to take a low East India shot and let the grasp of the stock be somewhat smaller than the last, for the Indians complain of the clumsiness of them. You sent no short guns this year, which are the most in request with the upland Indians which they continually call for and has teased me so about them that it almost distracted me this summer....


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A light smoothbore of French manufacture called a "fusils fins", usually used for presents to the Indian Chiefs, but also favored by traders or hunters for being of better quality and easier handling. (Hamilton 102,103)

Some of these fusils came with iron mounting and a half octagon, half round barrel with 43 to 45 inch lengths was made at Tulle, France. These guns were referred to as "hunting guns" or "Fusils de Chasse". But when made in Saint Etienne, France they were called "trade guns". These fusils were of great demand in Canada by the Indians, traders, hunters and even the military units. In some of the arms furnished for military use, the barrels were equipped with bayonet lugs.

Spanish settlers and Indian allies in the south and southwest relied on the "escopeta" or short musket in caliber's of .54 to .80, (most recovered weapons were found to be more in the range of .69 caliber). The escopeta was fitted with two barrel bands and barrel lengths of 28 to 39 inches, with strong "migulet locks" that proved up to the rugged life and demanding service it encountered in the 17th century. (Hanson 113)

Hudson's Bay Company traded guns on a large scale from its start in 1670. A standard trade list of goods always included; guns, 4 foot, 3 1/2 foot, 3 foot, in time 48 inch, 42 inch and 36 inch terms were used. Company trade lists can be found in their museum on microfilm by the reels. It is amazing the quantity of arms sent throughout the region and the number of years the trade of guns continued.

Manufacturers of every kind of item used by man was gearing up for supplying what ever was needed for them to trade in the west. The east coast was teaming with the construction of wagons, tools, clothing, blankets, cookware and of course the number one item on all the trade lists was the trade gun.

The trade gun reached standardization with guidelines set by government plans, issued to any contractor bidding for the work of supplying arms. As the fur trade moved westward into the Rocky Mountains early in the 1800's, English firms were producing 42 and 48 inch, half octagon-half round barreled, walnut stock varnished, brass butt plates nailed on (early guns) and government proofed for safety.

An example of orders from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs:  
DATE QTY GUN STYLE  COST
MAR. 12,1845 850 North West guns @ $5.50
JAN. 08,1847 731 North West guns @ $4.83
 50 North West rifles @ $8.69 *
DEC. 11,1847   630 North West guns @ $4.63
DEC. 14,1848   650 North West guns @ $4.93
JAN. 30,1850 716 North West guns @ $5.87
JAN 03,1851   756 North West guns @ $5.57
DEC. 12,1853   489 North West guns @ $5.54
APR. 10,1855 700 North West guns @ $5.50

o This information was given to the author by Charles E. Hanson, Jr. at one of many meetings discussing what he would like to see in this book.

It’s apparent that a $4.63 to $5.87 North West gun had to be cheaply made when compared to the Model 1841 rifle at $8.69 *. These prices for the NW gun where half of the rifle made by Tryon and thought to have a low survival rate, one reason these guns are scarce today. Henry did move arms in smaller amounts through 1837, 1838 and 1845, the smaller numbers of guns is probably why the Henry Northwest guns are so rare today, only one or two specimens are known to have survived. Tryon’s flintlock gun was in demand into the 1850’s, after which the caplock gained greater favor. Some of the NW specimens sell for well over 100 times the price today that Tryon received for them.

Five firms in Pennsylvania - Tryon, Deringer, Henry, Ghriskey and Leman dominated the State’s Indian gun trade. The office of the Ordnance Department’s deputy agent for the North and East was located in Philadelphia and this was probably why these firms where awarded the contracts for Pennsylvania, being located in the same city.

The one big item wanted throughout time has been firearms, whether rich or poor, nations of people have needed them and the Fur Trade in North America is a good example of how an inexpensive firearm took its place in history. The Northwest Gun was traded from one sea to another, the total numbers traded will probably always be discussed by historians for longer than the arm was in existence.
 
The Indian trade preferred the Northwest gun over other types of arms, but the manufacturers of other style weapons were pushing government officials as well as the large trading and fur companies to use their products, listed are a few examples; The Henry's of Pennsylvania, firms from England, Jacob Dickert, Henry DeHuff, Frederick Geotz and George Kreps, arms were supplied for a time and then came the American firm of Henry Deringer. Deringer had a style of his own, when compared to the Kentucky’s seen in the early trade, a distinctive style of trade rifle, roman-nosed, sound lock, brass patch box and mountings. Again Mr. Hanson has done several detailed articles on trade rifles and their development in the fur trade, so we won't go any further on "rifles" as our interest is "smoothbores" mainly the trade gun or Indian trade gun.

The number shown with the contractor's name is the quantity sold to the Ordnance Stores from 1813 to 1816.

Some of the contractors involved in supplying arms:

David BLAIR (at his death his widow took over) 781
Jane Hannah BLAIR 538
Samuel & William DAWES 1,048
Samuel GALTON 2,557
John GILL 943
Thomas HAMPTON 1,135
Richard & William HOLLIS 1,215
KETLAND & ALLPORT 2,779
KETLAND & WALKER & CO. 2,983
Thomas LOWNDES 1,267
MORRIS & GRICE 1,821
Thomas MOXHAM 1,532
William J. ROLFE 1,335
Ramsay & Richard SUTHERLAND 2,587
SHARPE & CO. 162
Henry & John WHATELEY 1,580
Robert WHEELER & SON 1,491
WILLETS & HOLDEN 1,194
TOTAL 26,948

TYPES OF WEAPONS PRODUCED
Shown below is a list of weapons produced for each year of the four years of contracts.
ARMS        1813        1814        1815       1816 TOTAL
COMMON GUNS 2,911 5,595 3,806 344 12,656
CHIEF'S GUNS 3,448 2,934 3,645 91 10,118
RIFLES              0 801           737 0  1,538
PISTOLS 531 1,319 786              0          2,636
              _____ _____ _____ ____ ______
                6,890 10,969 8,974 273 26,948
 
For other archives, you may check the Canadian and British sources. They should have detailed information on supplies or shipments as well as related items sent to the Indian Trade and who issued them.

Listed are makers of "fox in circle" guns; Birmingham

William Grice        1770 -1780, maker
Ketland & Allport Company 1750 -1820, contractor
Ketland & Walker & Company 1766 -1820, contractor
Sharpe        1771 -1794, contractor, (HBC supplier)
Sharpe & Company        1795 -1823, contractor, (HBC & NWC supplier)
Thomas Whately        1770 -        , gunmaker
Robert Wheeler & Son 1778 -1820, contractor, (HBC supplier)

(not shown in records available as to "fox in circle" makers)
John Whately         1734 -1763, gun barrel maker
John Whately         1735 -1763, same
John Whately         1746 -1775, same
John Whately         1786 -1793, gunmaker and dealer in metals
   
London
 
Barnett (no records before 1821), 1821 -1860, contractor, builder for Hudson Bay Company. Earliest known was a1805 according to several articles on Barnett. Barnett was very active in the business before 1800 and made more Northwest guns than any other company.
 
Edward Bond (E. & W. Bond) 1820 -1832, gunmaker (HBC supplier)
Edward Brooks & Son 1852 -1854 (HBC supplier)
William Parker        1837-1855, gunmaker (HBC supplier)
Parker Field        1857-1860, gunmaker (HBC supplier)
Richard & William Hollis (mid 1700's to early 1800's), gunmaker
Sargent & Wilson         (same), gunmaker and dealer

William Wilson & Company firm made guns for the Hudson Bay Company in1731 and finished their last contract in 1833. The list shown was taken from the Company's Book of Merchandise Exported (H.B.C. Archives A.25/2-5) and is published by permission of said company.

William Wilson & Company        1767-1819
Richard & William Wilson CO. 1755 -1790
John Brazier        1765 -1768
Frances Brazier        1769
John Joyner        1770 -1773
Sandwell & Joyner        1774
Stephen Sandwell        1775 -1782
Joseph Heylin        1776 -1782
James Jones        1782  

There's been some question to whether these companies furnished totally Northwest guns, as most examples found are more of the musket or fowler design and not true to the Northwest gun. A sample of a Wilson that dates 1820 is known of, it has the serpent side plate and is comparable to Northwest Company guns of that period.

An interesting item about the guns marked with the "fox in circle"; the earliest gun known of, is a Grice which was dated early 1780's and the latest was a Wheeler which is later than 1813.

(Due to other proof marks in use after that date). Factors from the American Fur Company and the Northwest Company clearly indicate the "fox in circle" guns to be Northwest Company product. Barnett’s with pre-1820 dates and "tombstone foxes" have been reported but not examined. Such guns may have been HBC trail guns, old stock sold after 1820, or could have been intended for U.S. Government’s Office of Indian Trade, for the Mackinaw Company (1805-1811) or for the Southwest Company (1811-1817). Both of these companies operated for most part in American territory.

(Hanson 16*) Barnett guns were considered to be a standard that others had to meet or at least follow, the American Fur Company order to J.J. Henry stated that the Northwest guns "be equal to Barnett's."

Belgium

Belgium guns were not a good quality weapon by others standards. One of the larger firms in North America handling the Belgian gun was Geisse & Korckhauss of Philadelphia , prices for guns varied from $4.25 to $6.50 for the fancier Chief's gun. Firms of their size or larger were stationed around the world dealing the Belgian arms in other market places, as did several of the English firms. India and eastern countries were similar with their demands for quality weapons at a reasonable price.

American
Henry E. Leman   Lancaster, Pa., gunmaker
Henry Tryon   Philadelphia, Pa., gunmaker and dealer of materials for trade
Deringer        Philadelphia, Pa., gunmaker

With the closing of the Office of Indian Trade the need for Northwest guns did not stop. During 1830-1850 various makers received contracts for thousands of fusils and muskets, to be used in settlement of treaties, as Indians were moved further away from their original homes.

Shown below is partial list of contracts for Indian guns after the trade factories had closed;
Henry Deringer 1839 -"guns for Indians" at $8.00
Henry E. Lehman 1842 -(500) Northwest guns at $7.00 each
Edward K. Tryon 1846 -1847, open purchases of Northwest guns, $2926.00
Edward K. Tryon 1847, Northwest guns and rifles, $3967.50.

The H. E. Leman trade guns were of good quality and design, commented an official of the American Fur Company in a letter written in 1843 and found in company records. Leman's were the only fusils known to have used the tombstone fox stamping, all the Leman's inspected are of the short 30 inch barrel model.

Deringer samples studied are of similar construction and quality, well made and typical of the American guns. Only small amounts of badly decayed parts have been found of the Tryon guns for study, by one of Hanson’s reports. An article from the Museum of the Fur Trade shows several Tryon farm guns, (wonder what ever happened to those seen in Tryon’s office).

After looking over the P. Choteau, Jr. & Co. records (microfilm). These account records on file at the Missouri Historical Society, they will give you some idea of the number of guns being ordered by one company. According to Charles E. Hanson, Jr. these account records are not complete of all Choteau Northwest gun purchases for these years. Seems that William Chance Son and Company of Birmingham, England got the large orders and any additional guns were obtained locally in New York and Pennsylvania from Henry and Tryon or from importers with agents here in America , handling Belgian guns.

1850
W.Chance Son & Co., Birmingham [16]
                               160 with 36 inch barrels
                               110 with 42 inch barrels
                               10 with 48 inch barrels
Schuckard & Gebhard, importers - Belgian guns [17]
                               60 with 30 inch barrels
                               60 with 33 inch barrels
                               60 with 36 inch barrels
                               40 with 42 inch barrels
Imported from England (no name) [18]
                               300 with 30 inch barrels
                               200 with 33 inch barrels
                               200 with 36 inch barrels
1851
W.Chance Son & Co., Birmingham [19]
                               120 with 30 inch barrels
                               170 with 33 inch barrels
                               230 with 36 inch barrels
                               40 with 42 inch barrels
                               30 with 48 inch barrels
Edw.K.Tryon, Philadelphia [20]
                               47 with 30 inch barrels3 with 36 inch barrels
                               Philadelphia - 50 more northwest guns, no name recorded but probably
                               Tryon as the same price of $6.00 each is quoted. [21]
1852
W. Chance Son & Co., Birmingham [22]
                               150 with 30 inch barrels
                               150 with 33 inch barrels
                               250 with 36 inch barrels
                               30 with 39 inch barrels
                               40 with 42 inch barrels
                               30 with 48 inch barrels
1853
W. Chance Son & Co., Birmingham [23]
                               60 with 30 inch barrels
                               50 with 33 inch barrels
                               90 with 36 inch barrels
                               20 with 39 inch barrels
1854
W. Chance Son & Co., Birmingham [24]
                               150 with 30 inch barrels
                               150 with 33 inch barrels
                               180 with 36 inch barrels
                               80 with 39 inch barrels
                               40 with 42 inch barrels
1855
W. Chance Son & Co., Birmingham [25]
                               150 with 30 inch barrels
                               150 with 33 inch barrels
                               120 with 36 inch barrels
                               20 with 42 inch barrels

Last payment to W. Chance Son & Co. was for an invoice of 1859 [26].

In later years the Northwest gun was so standardized that contracts stated very little on the information of building, other than the arm was to "equal the Barnett" or "as good a quality as a Barnett". Because of poor data, and record keeping, there has been little available on these guns. Its only been in recent years that detailed articles and research has been done giving those interested the information that other guns have had available, like Winchester or Colt.

What ever happened to the hundreds of thousands of exported arms. As only a very few remain today from the numbers produced. Estimated numbers for those found today are one in a hundred for later guns and much less for guns produced from 1780 -1820 time period.
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WORKS CITED:

• Hamilton, T. M. “Indian Trade Guns” (1960),  “A Prelimary Study of the Trade Guns Sold by the Hudson’s Bay Company,” by S. James Gooding  pp 81- 95
  Edward A. Hawks, “The Indian Buffalo Gun,” The Gun Report, I:5 (1940) 1-2.
  Gostomski, Curly, “North Star Enterprises” company brochure 1971.
  Hanson, Jr., Charles E., "The Northwest Gun", Lincoln, Ne: Nebraska State Historical Society,1955.
  Hanson III, Charles E. “The Trade Gun Sketchbook” - “The Evolution of the N.W. Gun” on page 3. Fur Trade Press, Chadron , NE.
  O'Callaghan, E. B., ed. Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of New York : Procured in Holland , England and France by John Romeyn
  Rich, E .E., ed. Letters Outward 1679-1694.London: Hudson 's Bay Record Society,1948.
  Hamilton, T. M. "Early Trade Guns":1625-1775.OK: Museum of the Great Plains.1968
  Hanson, Jr., Charles E., "Henry Deringer and the Indian Trade Gun". Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly 15.3(1979).
  P. Choteau, Jr. & Co. (microfilm) Missouri Historical Society.
  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOUND AND USED IN THIS SECTION.
  Hanson, Jr., Charles E., "Tryon's Fancy Northwest Guns of the 1850s".Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly 19.1(1983)
  Hanson, Jr., Charles E., "Collection Corner-1650 Dutch Trade Gun from New York ". Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly 20.1(1984)
  Hanson, Jr., Charles E., "Collection Corner - Ketland & Co.". Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly 30.3(1994)
  Hanson, Jr., Charles E., "Collectors' Corner-1650 Mystery Gun". Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly 23.4(1987)
  Hanson, Jr., Charles E., "Collection Corner - Belgian Northwest Gun". Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly 26.1(1990)
  Hanson, Jr., Charles E., "Collection Corner-Last of the Flintlock Trade Guns". Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly 31.2(1995)
  Hanson, Jr., Charles E., "Collection Corner-A North West Company Fusil of the 1820s". Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly 25.4(1989)
  

With permission of the Author of "Success In The North American Fur Trade" copyrighted 1995.

SIDE NOTE: My family has owned over 25 - 30 NW Trade Guns, a pre-1816 Sharpe was the cleanest of them all with Leman and Barnett being the most common found on the East Coast. Charles E. Hanson, Jr. wanted the Sharpes to the point he could taste it, when my father told him he bought that one and several others in the 1920's for less than a dollar to a dollar and a half each. Charley went nuts ......  

SIDE NOTE: My family has owned over 25 - 30 NW Trade Guns, a pre-1816 Sharpe was the cleanest of them all with Leman and Barnett being the most common found on the East Coast. Charles E. Hanson, Jr. wanted the Sharpes to the point he could taste it, when my father told him he bought that one and several others in the 1920's for less than a dollar to a dollar and a half each. Charley went nuts ......   Laughing

That is a true statement, my fahter said "during the depression I was always in hock with my gun buying (have three or four being paid on at onetime)".