This classic North West Trade Gun has been stocked in walnut with nice figure. Fitted with traditional styled trade gun hardware in a mixture of brass and iron furniture. This .58 caliber smooth bore ( 24 gauge) flint fowling gun is as pretty as it is functional. Ideal for competition, this nice flint fowling gun is fully qualified for use in the NMLRA North West Trade Gun match, using patched round balls at paper targets, and bird shot at clay birds on the trap range. Neatly hand made by contemporary builder J.A. Wymore. Trigger reach is 13-5/8" to fit today's average size shooter. Weight is a modest 5.9 pounds.
The 30" barrel is tapered octagon, with a transition to sixteen flats, two wedding bands, and tapered round to the muzzle. The bore is .580" diameter, for our cast lead round ball and patch. We recommend our .550" pure lead round ball, patched with .015" Ox-Yoke patches, lubricated with Ox-Yoke Wonder Lube, for easy loading. We offer 24 gauge (.58 caliber) wads, cards, and shot for wing shooting. This trade gun has no rear sight, allowing it to qualify under NMLRA Trade Gun Match rules. The octagon-to-round barrel is nicely finished to a dark brown and the left oblique flat is signed JAW 147 near the breech. The top flat of the barrel is marked with a Sitting Fox in a Circle, inspection mark, and stamped LONDON, which was a historic mark of quality even though most Trade Guns were manufactured in Birmingham, England. A brass front sight is soldered 1" behind the muzzle. The straight tang of the breech plug has a single bolt that passes through the stock to engage the trigger plate below. Three brass pins retain the barrel to the forearm.
Newly made this North West Trade Gun is finished to a warm brown with a golden undertone. The furniture is a correct mixture of brass and iron. The traditional style square buttplate, serpent sideplate, and ramrod pipes are all made of brass, while the triggerguard is iron. The buttstock and forearm are accented with domed brass tacks. A cross made from brass tacks decorates both sides of the buttstock near the upper corner. The buttplate is secured with multiple screws, as seen on original trade guns. The bottom view shows the large iron triggerguard, browned to match the barrel and correctly surface mounted. Two screws retain the rear of the triggerguard, and a third retains the front. The ramrod pipes and matching entry pipe are thin brass, with embossed grooves, much like the corrugations in cardboard, to give the pipes maximum strength against crushing or denting in hard use. The pipes allow the 3/8" ramrod to slide smoothly, to serve the barrel. The ramrod is fitted with an iron tip with 8-32 threads for loading and cleaning accessories. The brass sideplate is cast in the form of a serpent, a traditional motif for the North West Gun. We believe that this stylized serpent sideplate evolved from the flat sideplates, embossed or engraved to resemble a serpent, found on Queen Anne and later English Sea Service muskets. Two lock bolts retain the sideplate and pass through the stock to engage the lock on the opposite side.
The L&R Queen Anne style flint lock has a round faced cock and plate, rounded frizzen and pan surfaces. Early English fowlers of the 1730 - 1770 era commonly used locks of this style. This lock has a dark brown finish to match the barrel. The lock plate is marked with a Sitting Fox in a Circle, and the tail is marked WHATELY. We recommend that you order a dozen #FLINT-ENG-7 gun flints for this lock. An essential element for fast ignition, the stainless steel vent is centered on the pan, correctly positioned above the bottom of the pan, to serve as a window, centered on the heat of the incandescent flash. The single trigger provides a smooth release of the lock.
In as-new unfired condition this North West Trade Gun is light weight with a handy length barrel. It will be perfect for your next reenactment or hunting trip. 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.
