Guns of Famous Frontiersmen

[winchester1873]

I am curious to learn more about the guns carried and used by some of the well-known frontiersmen. If anyone has information to share (written documentation, YouTube videos, museum exhibits, etc), please post what you have.. Thank you,

 

[Loyalist Dave]

You might want to narrow it down to what names you consider "well known". I grew up never having heard of Simon Kenton, until as an adult I read The Frontiersman by Alan Eckert, and then other books. I likely would not have heard of him, nor Simon Girty, Christopher Gist, James Smith, Daniel Greathouse, nor Michael Cresap, were I not involved in 18th century living history. I only learned about Meshach Browning because he was from Maryland and was born in the town where I now reside.

LD

 

[Daveboone]

Overall, darn few survive. Most frontiersmens rifles were working tools, treated hard and worn out. There are a few documented exceptions. and many more with questionable back grounds.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Davy Crocket's Rifle

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Weapons of the Lewis & Clark Expedition

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0870624121?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

[winchester1873]

Overall, darn few survive. Most frontiersmens rifles were working tools, treated hard and worn out. There are a few documented exceptions. and many more with questionable back grounds.

Yes, I am aware of that. For this reason, I am asking for any information I can find.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The guns, be they rifles, smooth bored rifles, or fowling guns, were tools. As a tool the specific gun would have depended on the use that tool was to be put to use.

Specific firearms, such as the arms used by the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery are more an application of most likely speculation with most theoretical notions just that. The air gun is perhaps the best documented by the provenance of the parts that were paired during the expedition and not by name or drawing. The 15 rifles provided by Harper's Ferry? Were these under the books 1803 preproduction rifles or some other contract rifle? There's no description of the rifles that were used or preferred by the hunter, Drouillard, during the expedition other than he used rifles available to the Corps.

David Crocket owned many rifles. Some were gifts from constituents, some he bought and then sold. There's little documentation of who made his rifles. Most of them he named "Betsey". Most of the provenance for his rifles is tenuous at best. The same for rifles owned by Daniel Boone. Even George Washington's firearms are hard to trace.

The firearms were tools and documented no better than an axe or a hammer.

 

[Daveboone]

As I recall, a few notable arms that can be documented are one of Jim Bridgers rifles, as well as John Johnston (Jeremiah Johnsons). You might google the Buffalo Bill Historical Society/ museum (Cody Wyoming I think?) and other well known museums for rifles in their collections.

 

[Flintlock]

Pretty hard to prove as often many frontiersmen in there old age were photo'd with prop guns, as well with any staged photo I guess.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

These frontiersmen lived such hard lives. During the course of their adventures, they would often lose their firearms and would possess many firearms over the course of their frontier experience…so having any firearm documented as being a specific weapon owned/used by one of these amazing characters, is going to be very rare…and in all likelihood is one of the last final firearms that they possessed.

 

[Wyogoat]

Not great pics but here is Jim Bridger's rifle. Very utilitarian and interesting in that it has a cheek piece on each side.
This one is at the Museum of the Mountain Man in Pinedale, Wyoming.
It may be a little later than what you were looking for.
I bet a lot of the interesting early rifles ended up in the bottom of the Ohio...

 

[tenngun]

Several Carson’s guns are know. Older becomes harder
I have a photo of a L&C knife. Well maybe. It’s a knife found in the basement of a house Clark lived in. We have no way of knowing if it’s his or when it was put there.

 

[Coinneach]

Davy Crocket's Rifle

Not the original, a reproduction.

 

[flconch53]

I have seen one of Kit Carson's guns in a museum in Santa Fe. I remember it had an ivory front sight and about a 69 caliber bore. It looked like a beast to shoot. It was a cap lock in good shape so I surmised it was a later in his life gun

 

[UndeadPoet]

Check out this YouTube video from Rock Island Auctions about Seth Kinman’s rifle. I couldn’t link it, but here is the info page.

 

[Juice Jaws]

You might want to narrow it down to what names you consider "well known". I grew up never having heard of Simon Kenton, until as an adult I read The Frontiersman by Alan Eckert, and then other books. I likely would not have heard of him, nor Simon Girty, Christopher Gist, James Smith, Daniel Greathouse, nor Michael Cresap, were I not involved in 18th century living history. I only learned about Meshach Browning because he was from Maryland and was born in the town where I now reside.

LD

100% right, I learn about them the same way you did, The Frontiersman is one of the few books I reread every few years. Have his whole series.

 

[smoothshooter]

These frontiersmen lived such hard lives. During the course of their adventures, they would often lose their firearms and would possess many firearms over the course of their frontier experience…so having any firearm documented as being a specific weapon owned/used by one of these amazing characters, is going to be very rare…and in all likelihood is one of the last final firearms that they possessed.

Reminds me of an old story about a man who claimed to have Abraham Lincoln’s ax. When a neighbor expressed doubts, the owner said “ Sure it’s Abe’s ax! The handle has been replaced a couple of times, and the head once, but it’s sure enough his ax! “

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Reminds me of an old story about a man who claimed to have Abraham Lincoln’s ax. When a neighbor expressed doubts, the owner said “ Sure it’s Abe’s ax! The handle has been replaced a couple of times, and the head once, but it’s sure enough his ax! “

OMG!!! I can’t breath, that was so funny.

 

[Daveboone]

OMG!!! I can’t breath, that was so funny.

Several years ago I read the listing and saw the glossy pictures for a prominent auction house was listing historic items. It listed a hatchet once owned by Thomas Jefferson. The handle replaced twice and the head once since his ownership. It sold for stupid money, and I myself highly question that Jefferson had ever picked up a hand tool in his life.

 

[Celticstoneman]

Several years ago I read the listing and saw the glossy pictures for a prominent auction house was listing historic items. It listed a hatchet once owned by Thomas Jefferson. The handle replaced twice and the head once since his ownership. It sold for stupid money, and I myself highly question that Jefferson had ever picked up a hand tool in his life.

DaveBoone, That is the most entertaining post I have ever read. Thanks for making my day!
John