Percussion Altered Northwest Trade Gun by Robert Wheeler & Son
Item #: AA3373
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This is a black powder trade gun from the early 1800's manufactured by Robert Wheeler & Son of Birmingham, England. The Wheeler's operated from Birmingham from 1766 until 1843. This old trade gun was originally flint, but has been converted to percussion. It measures 61 3/4" overall, with a barrel length of 46". The barrel is the typical fowling piece design, with the first 8 3/4" being octagon at the breech terminating in baluster turned rings, then a 3 1/2 round section ending in baluster turned "wedding band" rings with the remainder of the barrel being round. The smooth bore barrel gauges out at .65 caliber. There is no rear sight on the barrel, the front sight is a small iron blade type. The barrel has an untouched mottled brown and steel patina and shows two Birmingham proofs marks on the left barrel flat at the breech end. LONDON is stamped on the top barrel flat, along with a fox within a circle, an association with the Hudson Bay Company. The lock plate and hammer have a matching patina of the barrel. The lock is stamped with the same fox within a circle just forward of the hammer, and WHEELER & SON in two lines to the rear of the hammer. The hammer locks in the cocked position, there doesn't seem to be a half cock position. The ramrod thimbles and butt plate are brass, the trigger guard is iron. The side plate is made of brass, and is of the serpent or dragoon design. This one has been together for a while, as all the brass has a matching soft golden patina. The barrel pins look to be original to the gun. The stock is light and shows honest wear from use. The barrel channels are still amazingly crisp until you get up to the forward ramrod thimble. The right side shows very slight wood loss in this area, the left side wood loss is more significant in the same noted area. There are no major cracks in the wood anywhere, pretty amazing for a 179+ year old piece of wood. The iron ramrod that came with the gun may be a replacement from when it was converted to percussion. This is a good representative of an untouched, early 1800's trade gun made by the Wheeler's for export to America and Canada for the fur trade, and could have been used by trappers, mountain men or Native Americans. The gun dates to 1814 - 1843, as the locks were marked Wheeler & Son from 1814 - 1824 and then again from 1828 - 1843. It will make a great addition to your early 1800's firearms collection.
Shipping Weight:
6 lbs
Item # AA3373
(Sold)
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