trade gun maker

[stank]

Hello. I have this trade gun I believe to be a kit gun or a vintage custom gun. The gun is in very good shape and is very nice. It is

.62 caliber smoothbore. The sitting fox is cast into the lock, not stamped. I'm just trying to find out a little about the gun.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Sitting Fox is a broker for several builders. But, it is possible others have used that stamp. That gun needs some serious cleaning.

 

[plmeek]

stank,

I can't definitively answer you request, but I can give you my impressions of your trade gun. I think it is likely a vintage kit gun. My rationale is the poorer quality of the build and the amateur attempt to mimic proof and view marks on the barrel as shown in this picture.

You say the bore is .62 caliber which is equivalent to 20 gauge. I don't understand why the barrel has "16" stamped on it. Around the middle of the 19th century, English law required the bore or "balls-to-the-pound" be marked on all gun barrels. NW trade guns after that point had the bore size stamped on the barrel. If the builder was trying to mimic this, then why stamp it with "16" rather than "20" or more correctly "22"? I suppose the number could represent the 16th gun built by the builder. The other marks near the number do not mimic any official proof and view marks and are either fanciful or part of the custom builder's makers mark.

The lock panels are too wide and the beaver tail at the back is poorly shaped and too large. Some of the inletting is amateurish such as the front of the lock and the tang appears to be proud of the wood.

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, there were two small companies producing North West trade guns and kits. These were Green River Forge which was started by Frank Straight and North Star Enterprises started by Curley Gostomski. I have a Green River Forge NW trade gun, and it is different from yours in a number of areas. I don't own one of Curley's guns, but there is a picture of one on page 42 of The Book of Buckskinning III that has a lock similar to yours. Gostomski's locks and barrels usually had a "Circle Fox" stamped on them. Your lock is unlike any that suppliers like Track of the Wolf was selling in the 70s and 80s, suggesting a proprietary casting.

Primarily based on the lock, I believe your trade gun was probably built from one of Gostomski's kits.

Curley eventually sold his business and the name was changed to North Star West. It finally shut down two or three years ago. It's possible the kit and gun could be from North Star West.

 

[Maven]

I too have a GRF trade gun and agree with Phil Meek's assessment.

 

[tenngun]

Is it s golden age arms? They were producing NWG kits in the 70s just in kit form, they were based in Ohio. I built a ‘Hawken’ pistol from them. Wood was too small for the gun.

 

[Keb]

I was going to say it's a Curly Gostomski gun but the North Star (Curly Gostomski) locks had a 8 point star inside. It doesn't look like this lock has that mark. However, the lock does look like his.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Older thread for a very similar trade gun.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/lock-and-gun-id.102252/

 

[stank]

Thank you everyone for your input. stumpkiller, thanks for the info on the old thread. Looking at the gun in the photos and comparing it to mine I am quite sure it is the same maker. The gun I have is is very good shape. I can’t believe it was shot much. I believe the builder (I think it was a kit) tried to antique it a bit. Personally I love the looks of it. Would anyone know where I might find a frizzen for a North Star?