A smoothbore gun is essentially a shotgun. Smoothbores were available much earlier than rifles and were actually more common on the American frontier. A smoothbore gun could be loaded with bird shot, buck shot, round ball, or a combination of round ball and buck shot. The versatile smoothbore can be used for hunting any animal or fowl in America. Loaded with buck shot it made an excellent weapon for night guard duty when rifle sights could be difficult to see in the dark. A load of buck shot fired in the direction of an approaching adversary offered a better chance of making a disabling hit.
The large caliber ball fired from a smoothbore is capable of killing the biggest animals in North America if the distance is kept close. Smoothbore guns were popular for hunting buffalo from horseback. Often the barrels were shortened to facilitate loading from the back of a galloping horse or from the confines of a canoe. These modified smoothbores are called “canoe guns” or “pony guns”.
Researching existing records and documents for reference to firearms can become confusing because of the terminology and names in common usage for different firearms. Perhaps the following short vocabulary list of pre-19th century terms and names can help sort through some of the confusion.
Gun = smoothbore firearm.
Rifled gun or Rifle = a firearm with rifling groves cut into the bore of the barrel which imparts spin to the projectile.
Smoothbore = shotgun
Trade Gun = smoothbore intended to be sold or traded to Indians for furs.
Fusil = French for smoothbore
Fusil de chase = French “common hunting gun”
Fusil fin = French “fine quality hunting gun”
Tulle = A French smoothbore made in the Town of Tulle. The exact same gun made in Saint Etienne or Charleville was called a “Trade Gun”.
Fowler or fowling gun = English smoothbore designed primarily for hunting birds and waterfowl (swans, geese, ducks)
Chiefs Gun = high quality Trade Gun intended as presents to important Indian Chiefs.
Trade Rifle = A rifle intended to be sold or traded to Indians for furs.
Smooth Rifle = A firearm originally built as a rifle which has had its bore reamed out to smooth bore in trade gun caliber. Henry Deringer filled an order for 100 guns of this type for the Office of Indian Trade in 1812. Also a rifle styled smoothbore gun.
Typically, most Americans who ventured into the mountains to trap furs chose to carry a rifle. However, many others, especially French Canadians, Creoles, and men of mixed blood armed themselves with smoothbore guns. Most Indians preferred smoothbore guns over rifles due to their versatility and inventory lists of trade items reflect that preference. Smoothbore guns were abundant in the mountains during the rendezvous period. The following are some examples of the types which were common at the time.
French Fusil
French fusils were available as early as 1680. These are light weight fowling guns with 34 to 45 inch long part octagon barrels usually in 28 gauge. The standard version, fitted with plain iron furniture was called a “fusil de chase” when it was built in the town of Tulle. The exact same guns, when built in Charleville or Saint Etienne were called “Trade Guns”. An up-graded version with brass furniture was called a “fusil fin” (fine gun). The fusil fin was intended as a gift gun for important Indian Chiefs. It was also preferred as a personal gun by some traders and hunters who wanted something a little fancier than a plain trade gun. As if to further confuse the naming of French smoothbores, the gun is sometimes called a “Tulle”.
Northwest Gun
The Northwest Gun is the classic example of the Indian Trade Gun. These were available from about 1760 to the end of the 19th century. The Northwest gun was used extensively by the French Canadians and was a favorite gun of the Indians. It was sold by trading companies such as the Hudson’s Bay Company, the Northwest Company, the Mackinaw Company, and the American Fur Company. These guns reportedly exchanged for 20-22 beaver skins or around $7.50 cash. Northwest guns were very common between 1770 and 1860. Charles Hanson Jr. estimates that as many as 2.5 million trade guns were imported into North America. They were readily available at forts, trading posts, and rendezvous.
The Northwest Trade Gun was simple and uncomplicated to build yet was well suited for its purpose. The butt plate was simply nailed onto the stock. The guard for the single trigger was made oversize for use while wearing heavy mittens.
The most distinctive feature of these guns was the serpent (or dragon) shaped side plate. One or two wedding bands were filed into the barrel, typically one wide one at the transition of the flats to round and another about 3 inches farther down the barrel. Flats extended 6-8” from the breech. Overall, the style and pattern remained consistent for well over one hundred years. The Indians learned to recognize and demand London proof marks and a sitting fox or tombstone logo on the lock and barrel.
English Fowling Gun
The English Fowler or Ketland Fowler was a premium-grade gun with a round barrel of 45 inches length, walnut stock, fine fowler lock, lightly engraved brass butt plates, trigger guards, and fancy flat open work engraved brass side plates. Many of these guns were made in Birmingham and imported manly for sale to the Indians. They were also sold by American dealers and many were sold to civilians who appreciated them as the handy, light fowlers they were designed to be.
Chief's Grade Trade Gun
The Chief's Grade guns were patterned after the English Fowlers.These Guns were better quality and more elaborately decorated than the Northwest gun. They were given as presents to important Indian chiefs by leaders of the British military beginning around 1790 and continuing as late as 1830. These were very dependable and rugged guns and many originals still exist in good condition today.
Chiefs Grade guns differ from the Northwest Trade Gun in these respects: The stock is not as bulky, has a slimmer profile and more drop at the heel. All of the furniture is brass and lightly engraved. The butt plate is cast with a tang that extends up the comb of the stock for 3 inches. There are two ramrod pipes plus an entry pipe with a small tailpiece or “skirt” soldered on. The side plate is flat, not serpent shaped and is decorated with an engraved bow and arrows. The thumb piece is an oval shape, usually silver, with an Indian chief and a bow and quiver incorporated into the design. It has a medium sized, finely finished fowler flintlock which is decorated with a boar's head and hunting horn on the tail of the lock plate. These markings also appear on the top of the butt plate. The fox-in-a-circle stamp appears on the top barrel flat and on the lock plate. This stamp is the only feature which has any resemblance to a North West Trade Gun.
Shotguns
During the 1830s several American gunsmiths were building percussion shotguns with steel mountings, half stocks in walnut, wedge key, and octagon to round barrel. These were some of the finest trade guns made.
Double Barrel Shotgun
Some early British traders had flintlock double barrel shotguns. Alexander Henry noted having one repaired by the gunsmith at Astoria in 1814. Towards the end of the 18th century British gun makers developed improvements which finally made the double barrel shotgun a desirable hunting gun. Those improvements included the new patent breeches, shorter barrels, half stocks, and better locks. These shotguns became the prime weapon of sportsmen and were eventually incorporated into use in the fur trade.
On March 13, 1832 an advertisement appears in the Missouri Republican for flint and percussion fowling pieces and ducking guns of all kinds and prices – of single or double barrels. Throughout the remaining years of the rendezvous period merchants in St. Louis would advertise “fine English double barrel shotguns”. These fine fowling pieces also saw use in buffalo hunting. One hunter spoke of killing two running buffalo with two shots from his double barrel. Kit Carson owned a 20 gauge double barrel percussion shotgun built by Frederick Hellinghouse.