A Great Book: "Colonial Frontier Guns."

[Adam Helmer]

A friend donated a dozen books to my ever-growing library. I got a copy of T. M. Hamilton's book, "Colonial Frontier Guns." It is a good read because he begins with LaSalle in the 1600s and comes up to 1800 discussing both French and British trade guns given to Indians for furs.

There are many illustrations of locks, pistols and rifles found at various archaelogical sites in the U.S, and Canada. Besides the scholarily text, there are great articles on the history of British and French gun flints and how they were made.

I especially liked the article on Indian gun maintenance and refit to keep their trade guns operational. The myth of Indian neglect is refuted by many examples of Indian repairs to cocks, burnt-out flint priming pans, etc.

Adam