Antique English Whatley Indian Trade Gun .60 Cal Flintlock Musket

SOLD FOR: $2,141.43

LSB#: LSB260511VA009

Make: Whatley

Model: Indian Trade Gun

Serial#: NSNV

Year of Manufacture: Circa late 18th Century to early 19th Century

Caliber: .60 Cal

Action Type: Single shot, flintlock, smoothbore muzzleloader

Markings: The lock is marked “Whatley” with the fox logo. The top of the barrel is marked “London” and also has the fox logo. Both the lock and barrel are marked with British proof marks.   

Barrel Length: 36″

Sights/ Optics: The front sight is a small blade integral to the barrel. There is a small dovetail cut into the rear of the barrel but no sight is present. 

Stock Configuration & Condition/ Grip: The stock is one piece smooth walnut, two brass ramrod pipes, straight grip, straight comb, and smooth brass buttplate. The LOP is 13 1/2″ from trigger to buttplate. There is moderate handling and use wear. There are scratches and compression dents throughout. There are some small cracks, mostly around the lock. There is chipped and receded wood along the barrel channel. There is a more notable crack on the left side of the gun at the serpentine side plate. Overall this stock is in Good condition as Antique.

Type of Finish: Bright

Finish Originality:  Original

Bore Condition: The bore is dark. There is corrosion and pitting throughout. In this writer’s opinion this bore rates 4/10.

Overall Condition: This musket retains about 5% of its original finish. Some of the finish remains on the lock plate but the majority of the finish has worn to brown patina with corrosion staining. There is some light pitting mostly around the breech end. The screw heads are tooled but serviceable. The markings are faint. There has been some repair work on the upper tang and frizzen at some point in time. Overall this musket is in Good condition as Antique.

Mechanics: This musket is not in functional condition. The touch hole has been intentionally plugged off. The hammer holds at full cock but not half. We obviously did not try to fire this gun and don’t recommend it. As with all used guns a full cleaning may be necessary to meet your standards. 

Box Paperwork and Accessories: None

Our Assessment: This English Whatley Indian Trade Gun is a late-18th- to early-19th-century smoothbore flintlock musket chambered at approximately .60 caliber. It features a 36″ barrel, simple integral front sight, brass furniture, two ramrod pipes, and the distinctive serpentine side plate associated with trade guns supplied for the North American market. The Whatley name, fox markings, London marking, and British proofs support its identification as an English-made trade arm.

Indian trade guns were lightweight, economical smoothbores manufactured primarily in Britain for exchange with Native American communities, fur traders, settlers, and frontier merchants. Their simple construction, versatile bore sizes, and ability to fire either shot or round ball made them useful for hunting, defense, and daily frontier life. Surviving examples are historically significant artifacts of the North American fur trade and the extensive commercial relationships that connected British gunmakers with Indigenous communities from the colonial period into the early 19th century.

This musket retains approximately 5% of its original bright finish, with the metal largely aged to brown patina and showing corrosion staining and localized pitting. The walnut stock remains in Good antique condition despite cracks, chipped and receded wood along the barrel channel, and a more notable crack near the serpentine side plate. The dark, heavily corroded bore rates 4/10, and the musket is nonfunctional due to a plugged touchhole and a hammer that will not hold at half-cock. Overall, this is a well-worn but historically compelling English trade gun best suited for collection and display. Please see our photos for a better understanding of the condition and good luck with your bids! MF