Traditional Muzzleloading Association
Traditional Firearms => Flintlock Long Guns => Topic started by: Oldetexian on September 23, 2019, 06:50:20 PM
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Just found an interesting piece on Blue Painted Trade GunsType 'G' Blue Painted Trade Guns from Williamsburg. Anyone have more info on these critters?
In April 1775 after word of events at Concord and Lexington Mass., Royal Governor Lord Dunmore, fearing insurrection by the townspeople, removed powder from the magazine. The Boy's Militia Company of Williamsburg, in response to the governor's action, broke into the magazine and removed blue painted trade guns. When they entered, they set off a trap gun which wounded several of the boys. No information survives on how many guns were taken or the fate of the wounded boys.
Robert Greenhow's recollection of Williamsburg c1775:
(Robert was the son of John Greenhow, a merchant who operated a store in Williamsburg at this time.)
"the youth of Williamsburg formed themselves into a military corps and chose Henry Nicholson as their Capt.; that on Dunmore's flight from Williamsburg, they repaired to the magazine and armed themselves with blue painted stock guns kept for the purpose of distributing among the Indians, and equip't as the minute men volunteers in military garb, that is to say in hunting shirts, trousers, bucktails, cockades and "Liberty or Death" suspended to their breasts as their motto; that they could
and did perform all the evolutions of the manual exercise far better than the soldiers who were daily arriving from the adjacent counties; that their captain, Henry Nicholson, was about 14 years old."
Being young boys they probably choose the trade guns over the muskets due to the weight difference. The trade gun is 6 to 7 pounds compared to the 9½ pound musket.
Colonial Williamsburg has resurrected the Boy's Company and these guns have been issued to the new company. No information survives on what the trade guns the Boy's Company took looked like so I made these as a typical import style with brass parts copied from parts dug up here in Virginia. The color of the paint was taken from samples used on various pieces of furniture, wagons and carts of the period. The barrels are 20 bore (gauge) and 42" long. Weight is 7½ lbs.
Click on image for larger view.
Price $2250
Also available in Oxide Red or Spotted.
All three finishes are documented to the mid 18th century.
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Clay Smith custom builds painted trade gun replicas. :bl th up
https://www.claysmithguns.com/tradeguns1a.htm
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That blue stock really jumps out at you.
I am not too sure that I would want to have one like that, but it is unique.
John
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That blue stock really jumps out at you.
I am not too sure that I would want to have one like that, but it is unique.
John
I'm on the same page as John. :bl th up
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Totally agree...cannot imagine having a "Carolina Blue" rifle... :lol sign...now if it had been done in Duke Blue I wouldn't hesitate for a second cause it would surely shoot like the de :lol sign :lol sign :lol signvil...
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But I really love the dark red with the lightning bolts!!
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:Doh!:lol sign :lol sign :lol sign
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One of my old Creek running companions from my days a Ft Toulouse among "les Alibamons" carried one of the blue trade guns. It was only a little over five pounds in weight and a true joy to pack in the woods!
Nous sommes tous des sauvages!!!!
E.
Edit,
There was a Choctaw chief that went by the name "Tanampo Loosa" (Black Gun). Wonder if he carried a,,,,,,, black gun?
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Naw, they probably banned it. :Doh!
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Naw, they probably banned it. :Doh!
:bl th up
LOL!
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I think I would love to own one,I just wold feel bad about PAYING for one.