Gun for portrayal Upper Missouri trapper ca 1810-25

[KHickam]

Well, I am trying to get down to just one gun - for my portrayal of Upper Missouri trapper/trader ca 1810-25 - I have the following guns - Pedersoli Blue Ridge in 54 cal, 50 Cal brass mounted Virginia gun with a sliding wood patchbox and a Iron Mounted American Fowler in 62 cal/20 bore - I shoot the 54 and 50 caliber rifles well but I also shoot my smoothbore - which should I keep or should I get a different gun altogether

[KHickam]

On a related note.  I remember seeing a reference to gun artifacts that were found in 1938 that are believed to be from the W. P. Hunt party at Cauldron Linn - but I can not find it on the web.

Anybody know where on the web to find the info

[ridjrunr]

The more I read the the more I would think,
20 guage
.50 Virginia rifle
And then the Pedersoli
In that order,IMO
But it could depend a lot on your past and background as well I think.
Like where you came from and what you have done in your life,where you worked and where you have been living.

[gunmaker]

Seems like I've heard, but don't really know that the most common "gun" out west at that time was the eastern long rifle.  That's where the trappers all came from, and if your going to someplace new--you take the gun you like/have with you. That opens up a whole bunch a possibilities--ANY gun/rifle of that time could easily be out there.  The Virginia you have will do it...2 cents from me only...Tom

[Roaddog]

I see in the book Firearms, traps& tools of the mountain man by Carl P Russell.
 The remains of two long rifles were found at the bottom of the Snake River near Murtaugh, Idaho from 1811.Armament of the overland Astorians. the locks in place is a trade musket. I hope this will help. I got the book on Amazon.

[mario]

The Pedersoli, while a nice shooting gun (mine in .36cal was deadly) isn't a representation of any actual period. More a mishmash of features.

Personally, from my research in my mountain man days, I'd stick with the VA rifle.

Hanson wrote about the Hawkens, etc and IIRC, his view was that the most common long gun for the MM was an eastern rifle (late Lancaster or Southern Mountain) or a trade rifle.


Mario

[ridjrunr]

Cal. was also a big issue, many but not all of the eastern longrifles were of smaller cal., at least smaller than one would want for Bison and Grizzly bear.
IMO, thats why, of the guns mentioned, the 20 would be a better bet.

[gunmaker]

Very true ridjrunr,  In journal of a trapper, whatsisname mentions shooting all the balls he had on him into a buff---that walked away...We never hear what caliber it was--just that it didn't work out for buff.  ....Tom

[Captchee]

Nore did we here of where he was trying to hit  the  Buff either.  If the shot placement was in the same place as  one would shoot a deer or an elk , then   not much more would have been achieved then poking holes into the upper body cavity

In the L&C  journals you will also read of clarks small rifle taking elk  which was a 36 cal  .
 It was however concluded that  the issue was that the produced wound channel was to small to bleed well on such big game. Not that it would not suffice to kill  , which it proved to do .

Myself I would agree with Mario  and would be keeping the long rifle and the smoothbore

[gunmaker]

Sage advice from the cap, as usual

[mario]

Cal. was also a big issue, many but not all of the eastern longrifles were of smaller cal., at least smaller than one would want for Bison and Grizzly bear.
IMO, thats why, of the guns mentioned, the 20 would be a better bet.

If the question were "What would be better for large Western game?," yes.

But the question was more along the lines of "What would be the more historically accurate gun of these three?".

Mario

[ridjrunr]

very true but didnt the trend in reality,move away from smaller caliber eastern longrifles and move more towards the larger caliber half stocks and trade guns? Lemans, Hawkens and others?

[Captchee]

yes  to some existent.  
However  mush of that  was later  towards the end of the fur trapping hay day  and the beginning of  really heavy market hunting  and westward expansion . Its also IMO seen  more in the south west then   in the northern areas.
As such I don’t believe a ½ stock is a must have for  the portrayal your asking about Dan .  
Mario would be more  creditable   for information then myself . But my opinion would be that a full stock of reasonable caliber , would be as common if not more common   for the time period your speaking of

[Captchee]

yes  to some existent.  
However  mush of that  was later  towards the end of the fur trapping hay day  and the beginning of  really heavy market hunting  and westward expansion . Its also IMO seen  more in the south west then   in the northern areas.
As such I don’t believe a ½ stock is a must have for  the portrayal your asking about Dan .  
Mario would be more  creditable   for information then myself . But my opinion would be that a full stock of reasonable caliber , would be as common if not more common   for the time period being ask about .

[Riley/MN]

Well, I am trying to get down to just one gun -

Keith, just how hard did you hit your head in that fall a while back?.....