The Indian Trade Gun, the most important firearm in American history & helped start the fur trade? 

I'm inclined to agree with you that it is the most important gun in American history. Good video

I agree that these early guns were really the tools of the trade industry in early America. I have a 1770 London made contract musket which I found in Vermont. It was converted to a percussion but has the original lock plate. It is engraved on the barrel ANTIGUA with a brass regimental shield of A/3 on the thumb plate. It has a Richard Wilson lock plate marked LONDON 1770. I sure wish this gun could talk as it may have even been used in the Civil War after it was converted.

Nice, informative presentation! My Pedersoli Indian Trade Gun is my favorite black powder gun.

Excellent presentation. Thank you

They were very good quality guns btw. Nothing super fancy but very good. Made for the Indians wants and needs.

Great history thanks for sharing your knowledge!

Theres a Cherokee legend about two brothers who get a scale from the great dragon and it gives them magic hunting powers.

You have a great argument there. The Flintlock in whatever pattern, had been around longer than any other ignition system. Over three hundred years. Then percussion and next cartridge guns combined does not make up enough time. But as with all things, the innovations in firearms technology overshadowed the flintlock system to obscurity. However, that one aspect of history isn't the only thing that has been lost to history, " fore it is in the nature of man that he should forget."Excalibur" 1984

Great story and insight. I enjoyed the heck out of it.

Very interesting, I am not American, but I am interested in this part of history. I am very interested in firearms of this time 1760 - 1820. Would love a flintlock. Kit. One day some how.

Records from fur trading company's and from balls found around Indian town's show that the 58 was the most popular bore size followed closely by .62/20 bore. I think small game and birds were a secondary concern. The 58 caliber smoothbores would do well enough with shot but do very well with ball. I might try to find a 58 smooth bore barrel.

I was very fortunate to purchase a true Indian Trade Gun at an auction. What made it special was the only other bidder was hoping to get a wall hanger and had no idea what he was bidding on. Though it appears to be in good enough condition to shoot it I will never do this as I think it will devalue the gun.

The 30-30 lever gun of the pre French and Indian War period era. PS, thank you for such a great Brief, BRAVO ZULU..👍💯, PS, what are the book titles you have pictured above that musket??

Well done.

Love my tradegun , Northstar west early english . Do have a rear sight , Smoothrifle . 80 guns 3ff . .530 ball and levi denim patch loads easy can hit paper plates at 85 yds . M.B.

I have a Reading style 54 Upper Susquehannock 45 Lancaster 50 English Fouler Hawkins bench gun 50 Love black powder and exclusively hunt with them. Every time I am hunting, I feel I was born in the wrong century. Also love to trap. Like your channel.

Predecessor to the single shot shotgun

We are getting pretty far outside the lines on some of these points lol

I believe the Plains Tribes did like the trade guns because they could hack the barrels down and use them to hunt bison at close range. They also drilled out the touch hole to make priming the pan easier by just closing the battery and tilting the main charge into the pan. Here is a great video about it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-S4keaP1rC04.html

A good video, but you're getting into the chicken vs the egg argument regarding what started the fur trade. It was the European insatiable fashion thirst for fur that created the fur trade. Furs and trade guns were merely the currency used at the time. I will not argue the point about the trade gun being the most important gun in North American history.

I don't think anything screams AMERICAN as much as a flint lock rifle. Sorry

Sorry I clicked the dislike by mistake. excellent video

100% a white man saying this

Good video! Love these guns. One critique, when using the original names, next time step out of your comfort zone and make an attempt to pronounce them correctly… your Americanized pronunciations sound wrong and even an attempt followed by or preceded by an apology for getting it wrong goes a long way towards respecting other cultures