circa 1840 weapons

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Doing a little research, and I am hopeful folks here can be more helpful than Professor Google. Assuming the year is 1840 and you are trying to scratch out a living west of the Rockies, what weapon would you be carrying? Along similar lines, what weapon would you wish you were carrying, if only you could afford it?




Thanks so much for your knowledge and expertise.

Re: circa 1840 weapons

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A good solid plains or trade rifle. Hawkins were the gold standard but there were others. Edged weapons were very important, utility in nature for skinning and preparing game and also personal defense. Not sure but I think pistols would be a luxury more than a necessity.
Some one just starting out would probably make do with just a smooth bore trade gun and feel lucky to have it, rifles were pricey.

Re: circa 1840 weapons

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pokute wrote:You want to get yourself a copy of The Rifle In America by Philip B Sharpe. I often see it for as little as $10 on AbeBooks.
Im interested in that. I have the philip b sharpe reloading manual. Id love another sharpe book. And for $10.. Hell ya!
This is just my opinion, yours may vary and is no less valid.
- Me -

"I will never claim to be an expert, and it has been my experience that self proclaimed experts are usually self proclaimed."
-Me-

I must proof read more

Re: circa 1840 weapons

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dandad wrote:
pokute wrote:You want to get yourself a copy of The Rifle In America by Philip B Sharpe. I often see it for as little as $10 on AbeBooks.
Im interested in that. I have the philip b sharpe reloading manual. Id love another sharpe book. And for $10.. Hell ya!
I've read and reread the reloading book over and over. I always take something new away with me. What an awesome guy Sharpe was.

Re: circa 1840 weapons

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If you were really scratching a living, surely you would make do with an old smoothbore. Perhaps a flintlock that was converted to percussion lock.
Actually, I've just re- read the OP. West of of the Rockies in 1840 you were either a Ranchero operating on a land grant from the King of Spain or latterly from the Mexican government, or a worker on such. The Califonios were really good with a lance.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_San_Pasqual
Further North you were a trapper. http://www.inlander.com/spokane/follow- ... id=2177710
http://historytogo.utah.gov/utah_chapte ... anmen.html
So what were the mountain men carrying?http://oldglorygunsmith.blogspot.com/20 ... apons.html
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Chamber's empty, magazine's full, safety's broken.

Re: circa 1840 weapons

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At the Cody museum in Cody Wyoming they have a great array of historical weapons including Liver eating Johnstons Hawken, enormous I'm guessing at least 13lbs. The Northwest Trade gun is very likely the most prolific gun ever made, When it was named the Northwest gun eastern Ohio was the northwest. Track of the Wolf sells many excellent books on guns and history of the Americas.

Re: circa 1840 weapons

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AndyinEverson is your go to encyclopedia of black powder and mountain man lore.
Nice to see you on here, Andy!

If you are willing to add a year and go 1841, I find my modern reproduction of an 1841 Wesson and Prescott box lock rifle to be accurate and fun to shoot. Maybe not what a mountain man might carry, but a prosperous dude headed to Oregon might carry one.
Slap a brass tube on for a scope and you have one of the popular Civil War sniper rifles.
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Re: circa 1840 weapons

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HuckleberryFun wrote:AndyinEverson is your go to encyclopedia of black powder and mountain man lore.
Nice to see you on here, Andy!

If you are willing to add a year and go 1841, I find my modern reproduction of an 1841 Wesson and Prescott box lock rifle to be accurate and fun to shoot. Maybe not what a mountain man might carry, but a prosperous dude headed to Oregon might carry one.
Slap a brass tube on for a scope and you have one of the popular Civil War sniper rifles.
Thanks Huck... Its good to be here!
Andy
Follow me, I am the Infantry.

Re: circa 1840 weapons

18
In the America west of the 1830's-40's both flintlock and percussion cap locks were to be found.
In my collection of originals ... Many "Big Game / Plains" rifles have a caliber ranging from .44-.60.
Most "early" rifle average around .46-.48 and "later" rifles around .53-.56 calibers
Do not forget the smoothbore either.
Many , many shotguns were used out west ... The TradeGun has been mentioned already and was traded / sold in vast amounts.
Another smoothbore of note is the "Smooth Rifle".
That is a gun made to look like a rifle ... Front and rear sights , rifle butt plate and trigger / trigger guard etc ...
But made smooth bore without rifling.
I have few of these as well.
Note I 'm not talking about a rifle that was "bored out" ... but a new gun made that way on purpose.
Andy
Follow me, I am the Infantry.

Re: circa 1840 weapons

20
AndyinEverson wrote:In the America west of the 1830's-40's both flintlock and percussion cap locks were to be found.
In my collection of originals ... Many "Big Game / Plains" rifles have a caliber ranging from .44-.60.
Most "early" rifle average around .46-.48 and "later" rifles around .53-.56 calibers
Do not forget the smoothbore either.
Many , many shotguns were used out west ... The TradeGun has been mentioned already and was traded / sold in vast amounts.
Another smoothbore of note is the "Smooth Rifle".
That is a gun made to look like a rifle ... Front and rear sights , rifle butt plate and trigger / trigger guard etc ...
But made smooth bore without rifling.
I have few of these as well.
Note I 'm not talking about a rifle that was "bored out" ... but a new gun made that way on purpose.
Andy
Would love to see old gun photo's if you ever get a chance.

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