Mackinaw Trade Gun
British Gun Trade (various London makers) · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1775
Also known as: North West Gun, Northwest Trade Gun, Hudson's Bay fuke, Fusil, Indian Trade Gun
Overview
The Mackinaw Trade Gun is a smoothbore flintlock trade musket, one of the most widely distributed firearms of the North American fur trade from the late 18th through the 19th century. Also known regionally as the North West Gun, the Hudson's Bay fuke, or the Mackinaw gun, it was a light, inexpensive full-stocked smoothbore of roughly .60 caliber (about 20 gauge) that could fire a single round ball or a charge of shot loaded from the muzzle. Its long octagon-to-round barrel, brass serpent (dragon) side plate, sitting-fox lock stamp, and oversized bow-shaped trigger guard sized for mittened hands made it instantly recognizable across the continent.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2700 g (95.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1473 mm (57.99") |
| Barrel Length | 1067 mm (42.01") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 350 m/s (1148 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1100 J (811 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 70 m (77 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 180 m (197 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Browned |
Calibers
- .60 Caliber Ball · primary — also known as 0.60 in, 20 gauge, .62 caliber, 24-bore, lead round ball, ~15mm bore
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded Round Ball Or Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Smoothbore Barrel, Octagon To Round Barrel, Brass Serpent Side Plate, Sitting Fox Lock Stamp, Oversized Bow Trigger Guard, Brass Furniture, Full Length Wood Stock
Service history
Operators
- Hudson's Bay Company · adopted 1775 · as North West Gun
- North American fur traders and voyageurs
- Plains and Great Lakes Native American nations
Conflicts
- War of 1812 (1812-1815)
- American Indian Wars (1775-1890)
Production
Production years: 1775-1876 (flintlock); percussion variants into the early 1900s
The Hudson's Bay Company alone imported roughly 46,000 trade muskets by 1781; production continued through the 19th century by multiple British makers.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Discontinued: 1876
Notes
Barrel lengths varied widely (roughly 30 to 48 inches); the 42-inch barrel with a 58-inch overall length was the common full-length pattern. Bore diameter ranged from about .55 to .66 caliber, with archaeological finds suggesting a .57-.58 ball was most commonly loaded. Birmingham-made guns were stamped 'London' because Indigenous buyers refused unmarked Birmingham arms.
Background
Called 'the real gun that won the West,' the Northwest/Mackinaw trade gun armed voyageurs, mountain men, and Native nations alike. By the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804, tribes along the upper Missouri were described as almost universally armed with these smoothbores.