Ketland Northwest Trade Gun
Ketland & Co. · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1780
Also known as: Northwest Gun, Ketland Trade Fusil, Ketland Trade Gun, North West Trade Gun
Overview
The Ketland Northwest Trade Gun is a smoothbore flintlock trade musket built in Birmingham, England, by Ketland & Co. and exported in large numbers to North America during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. A light, plainly finished long arm chambered for a roughly .60 caliber (20 bore) round ball, it was one of the definitive 'Northwest Guns' supplied by the fur-trading companies to Native American and frontier customers. Its smoothbore barrel could fire either a single ball or a charge of shot, and the type is instantly recognized by its distinctive cast-brass serpent (dragon) side plate. Ketland guns were manufactured in Birmingham despite the firm's London and Philadelphia offices, and the overwhelming majority were made for export.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3200 g (112.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1448 mm (57.01") |
| Barrel Length | 1067 mm (42.01") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 330 m/s (1083 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1127 J (831 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 55 m (60 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 180 m (197 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 3 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Brown |
Calibers
- .60 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as 20 bore, 0.60 in ball, 15.2 mm ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Smoothbore Barrel, Brass Furniture, Brass Serpent Side Plate, Full Length Stock, Single Trigger, Wooden Ramrod
Service history
Operators
- North West Company · as Northwest Gun
- Hudson's Bay Company · as Trade Gun
Conflicts
- War of 1812 (1812-1815)
Production
Production years: 1780-1831
William Ketland worked from 1740-1804; the firm became Ketland & Co. from 1804 until 1831. The vast majority of trade guns were made in Birmingham for export to North America.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Discontinued: 1831
Notes
Barrel lengths on surviving Ketland trade guns vary widely (roughly 36 to 48 inches) and bores run from about .58 to .62 caliber; the figures here reflect a representative full-length Northwest pattern rather than one specific serial number.
Background
The Northwest Trade Gun's cast-brass serpent side plate became so associated with a genuine article that Native buyers reportedly judged a gun's quality by the presence of the 'dragon,' and the motif was copied by rival makers for generations.