Type G Trade Gun
J.E. Barnett & Sons · Rifle · Discontinued · 1760
Also known as: Northwest Trade Gun, Indian Trade Gun, Fusil de Traite, Hudson's Bay Fuke, Type G Fusil
Overview
The Type G Trade Gun is a light smoothbore flintlock musket, one of the pattern classifications (after T.M. Hamilton's typology) of the inexpensive trade guns traded to Native American peoples during the North American fur trade. A later, more northerly pattern than earlier types, it is a full-stocked flintlock long arm chambered for a roughly .60 caliber (24 bore) round ball. Like other Northwest-style trade guns it carries the signature oversized bow-shaped trigger guard, a cast brass serpent (sea-dragon) sideplate, and a plain browned octagon-to-round barrel. Its smoothbore lets it fire either a single ball for large game or a charge of shot for birds, making it a versatile all-purpose arm for hunters and trappers.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3400 g (119.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1321 mm (52.01") |
| Barrel Length | 914 mm (35.98") |
| Action Type | Muzzleloader |
| Firing Mechanism | Flintlock |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 330 m/s (1083 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1127 J (831 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 Trade Gun Ball · primary — also known as 24 Gauge, 24 Bore, .60 caliber round ball, 15.2 mm ball
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Muzzle Loaded
- Features: Smoothbore Barrel, Octagon To Round Barrel, Oversized Bow Trigger Guard, Brass Serpent Sideplate, Brass Butt Plate, Full Length Wooden Stock, Wooden Ramrod
Service history
Operators
- Hudson's Bay Company · adopted 1760
- North West Company
- American Fur Company
Production
Production years: 1760-1900
Trade guns of the various patterns were imported into North America in the tens of thousands; the Hudson's Bay Company alone had imported roughly 46,000 trade muskets by 1781.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Discontinued: 1900
Notes
"Type G" is a modern archaeological classification for a trade-gun pattern, not a maker's model name; guns of this pattern were produced by numerous English gunmakers in London and Birmingham (including Barnett) and distributed by the fur-trading companies.
Background
The trade gun was such a fixture of the fur trade that its price became a unit of currency: at some posts the height of a stack of prime beaver pelts equal to the standing gun set its purchase price. The serpent sideplate and oversized trigger guard, sized to be worked with a mittened hand, are the enduring visual hallmarks of the pattern.