Just curious as to how common, these late period flintlock muskets are here in Canada, anyone else have one? If so post country it’s made in and year. Mines Birmingham England 1900-25 and unfired, One of the best buys I’ve made in years. Anyone know what countries produced them for trade ? aside from England and Belgium.
African flintlock trade muskets
- Thread starter tula
- Start date
Large quantities were imported from Belgium for sale in North America some years ago. Century, Dixie sold them. These are quite common. Ones with different provenance are less common. England and Belgium were the main producers. Similar guns were made in Spain for the South American market. Don't know if any were produced for Africa. Guns of this type were listed in the European catalogues in the 19th and early 20th centuries. If you have had the opportunity to look at the Museum of the Fur Trade's encyclopedic reference book on trade guns, you will find photos of early guns made for the African trade.
The closest that I have is a Nigerian village gunsmith made percussion "Dane" gun.
The closest that I have is a Nigerian village gunsmith made percussion "Dane" gun.
Yep Bannermans did. I had a few of their early catalogs and saw a number of them in there. I’m used to seeing the Belgian ones now and then, most I've seen were in the states, the last few years I saw a couple up here in Canada. My Birmingham made gun has 1900-25 Birmingham proofs and has all matching assembly numbers on all parts. Showed it to a few trade gun collectors in the states who own the same guns. Apparently the English ones don’t come up as often as the Belgians. They look like a massive Hudson Fowler, and the hardware can come in brass or iron, belly to the butt, 52.5 inch barrels, and throated hammers. Locks are Identical to a 3rd model Bess lock. Mine I measured the bore it’s close to .80cal. I’m going to take it out and put it to use shooting gophers this year.
- Location
- vancouver island
Recently acquired one made by Galton with Birmingham proofs. By accounts these were made for the Company of gentlemen trading to West Africa which closed in 1821 with the close of British slave trade. This piece is identical to the North American trade gun in many respects except for a smaller trigger guard, cast brass ramrod ferrules and the stock is made from beech rather than walnut. The lock plate has an elephant stamp where the usual sitting fox would reside and is stamped Warranted. Having a re-inforced #### places it after 1809 and up to when the slave trade dis-continued causing the temporary collapse of manufacturing. Sad point is that in the trade a slave was worth two of these muskets.
- Location
- vancouver island
- Location
- vancouver island
Yes - it was on the top rack as NFS. Just for discussion.
Posting pictures for ~~tula~~
52 1/2 inch barrel, .80cal overall length 6ft
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Here are a couple more. The one with the Jim Bridger duct tape on the forstock is 6 guage with a 52 inch barrel. It is hard to swing fast enough when shooting trap. The other gun has a slightly longer barrel and I can't remember the guage but think it is about 10 guage. The one with the duct tape is a converted flintlock and came from Newfoundland where it would have been called a 7/8 ths
cheers mooncoon
cheers mooncoon
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that is McLean and me about 4 or 5 years ago. The other one is of my nephew about 15 or 16 years ago with the same 6 guage. The other gun he is holding is a hawken style with a 30" barrel for a comparison in lengths
cheers mooncoon
