This NorthWest Indian Trade Gun is stocked in maple and trimmed in brass furniture that has darkened to a mellow patina from use. This 20 gauge smoothbore has a bright well maintained bore and is ready to shoot. Fur Trade Companies were importing Trade Guns before 1690, and they were popular in the Northern United States and Canada, until 1890. Powerful, inexpensive, and cheap to shoot, North West Trade Guns were made before the Brown Bess was standardized, and after the Winchester rifle was popular. Made primarily for the Canadian fur trade, North West Guns were found around the world. Weighing in at 7.6 pounds the trade gun has a trigger reach of 13-7/8" making it well suited for today's average size shooter.

The 20 gauge tapered octagon-to-round barrel is 42" long. The octagon breech transitions to a single wedding band before tapering round to the muzzle. The bore measures .620" diameter and would be ideal for use with our 20 gauge cards and wads. The exterior of the barrel is finished to a dark brown. A brass blade front sight is soldered behind the muzzle, no rear sight is fitted in fowling gun fashion. This trade gun qualifies for the NMLRA Trade Gun Match rules, shooting both round balls at paper targets, and shot at clay birds.

Classic N.W. Trade gun lines can be identified in the piece, including the long baluster wrist that is derived from the British military muskets of the period. A top view of the trade gun shows off the tapered comb, at the rear a brass thumbnail extension of the buttplate loops over the heel and is inlet flush with the comb. The sheet brass buttplate is retained by small square nails. Nailed on buttplates are one of the three common mounting patterns found on antique Northwest Trade Guns. The wrist rises up to meet the breech of the barrel where a raised beaver tail carving surrounds the flared tang.

From below the rounded toe of the trade gun can be seen. The brass triggerguard is surface mounted. An inverted tang bolt secures the triggerguard ahead of the bow, while two screws secure the grip rail. The ramrod is held in place by two corrugated ramrod pipes. No entry pipe has been used on the gun, in typical Trade Gun fashion. The 3/8" wooden ramrod is fitted with a brass loading tip. The rear is fitted with a brass tip threaded to accept 10-32 cleaning and loading accessories. The brass serpent sideplate is retained with three screws. Serpentine sideplates were common on early English guns, especially English Sea Service Muskets, where the serpent probably represented strength and stealth at sea. The brass serpent became a standard feature on trade guns made in England, Belgium, and America.

Ignition for the trade gun is provided by this large L&R Queen Anne flintlock. The lock is browned to match the barrel. We recommend that you order our #FLINT-ENG-7 7/8" gun flints for this lock. The single trigger provides a smooth release of the lock. A stainless steel vent liner is correctly centered and positioned above the pan. If your flint longrifle suffers from that infamous slow whoosh-bang ignition delay, study the work of today's best gun makers, and position your vent well centered on the pan, high above the bottom, to serve as a window on the center of the flash.

If you are in the market for a light weight flint lock trade gun for hunting or reenacting, then consider this well made example. The bore is bright and this trade gun is ready to shoot! Order it for a ten day visual inspection. You will be delighted. Else if it does not fit you, return it in unfired condition for same-day refund. Postage is your only risk, when you order any one-of-a-kind gun from Track, whether new, used, or antique.