Introduction, or: Pardon me while I pretend to be a lexicographer
Dictionary definitions are the result of lexicographers analyzing how words are used in context. Although I have never seen a dictionary definition for the term "gun trimmings", I have seen how the term was used in the United States in the context of 1800s muzzle-loading firearms. Based on that, it seems clear that the term was nearly always used to describe the small parts (including decorative items) of such firearms — and especially the small parts that were more or less permanantly affixed to the stock. In some usage examples, the term was apparently not intended to include gun barrels. Likewise, in some usage examples, the term was apparently not intended to include gun locks.
Although it seems to represent an atypical use, at least one advertiser used the term "gun trimmings" to describe firearm accessories and consumables.
L. Dietle
Examples supporting the proposed definition
The following advertisement from the 1838 book "A Treatise on Gems..." lists German silver "Lock and Gun Trimmings in complete sets" for sale. Although I am not familiar with lock trimmings, I assume they were for key-type security locks. In regards to "Gun Trimmings in complete sets", I am familiar with the muzzleloader gun parts that were sometimes made from German silver: Things like butt plates, trigger guards, lock bolt plates, patch boxes, nose caps, barrel key escutcheons, toe plates, ramrod pipes, inlay nails, cheek piece inlays, and other decorative inlays. I believe such muzzleloader gun parts clearly fall within the primary meaning of the term "gun trimmings".
In the following advertisement from Volume VII of "The New England Farmer" (1855), the term "gun trimmings" was apparently not intended to include rifle barrels, gun locks, gun accessories, and gun consumables because those things are listed separately. By the process of elimination, the term was apparently intended to mean some of the small parts of a gun, except for gun locks.
The following excerpt, which is from a railroad-related article in the February 17, 1871 issue of the "Knoxville Daily Chronicle" newspaper, includes the words, "being like the Indian's gun: trimmings cost more than the gun". In this article, the meaning of trimmings is apparently intended to be or include decorations.
The following excerpts from Volume 7 of "The Wisconsin Archeologist" (1908) suggest that the term "gun trimmings" can be used to describe at least some of the small parts of a muzzle-loading firearm — except for gun locks and consumables (gun flints). The first excerpt, which was written about the excavation of an early 1800s Indian village, includes the statement "...old brass trimmings for gunstocks, gun flintlocks, etc., were also recovered." To my limited understanding, the brass parts of Indian trade guns included things like lock bolt plates, buttplates, ramrod thimbles, ramrod tips, and fore-end binding strips.
The second instance states, "Among these are gun flints, pieces of the locks of flint-lock muskets, and various gun trimmings..." This appears to exclude gun lock parts and consumables from the writer's intended meaning of the term "gun trimmings".
The following excerpt from the October, 1885 "Reports from the Consuls of the United States..." indicates that the term "gun trimmings" can be used to describe small gun parts such as the cast iron buttplates of the breechloading rifles that were being produced at Werndl's armory.
Examples where the term apparently didn't include gun barrels
Various advertisements offer both gun barrels and gun trimmings for sale. Since gun barrels were listed separately, that implies the usage of term "gun trimmings" was not intended to include gun barrels. Here are some example advertisements.
The following example is from "G. W. Hawes' Indiana State Gazetteer and Business Directory, For 1858 and 1859."
The following example is from the 1864 book "The Oil Regions of Pennsylvania".
The following example is from "Fahnestock's Pittsburgh directory for 1850".
The following advertisement is from the June 23, 1855 issue of "The Evansville Daily Journal" of Evansville, Indiana.
The following advertisement is from "Fahnestock's Pittsburgh directory for 1850".
The following advertisement is from the October 25, 1855 issue of the "Worcester Daily Spy" newspaper of Worcester, Massachusetts.
Click here to see a hardware store advertisement from the July 25, 1854 issue of the "Meigs County Telegraph" newspaper of Pomeroy, Ohio that offers "Gun Barrels, Gun Trimmings" for sale.
Click here to see a hardware store advertisement from the November 28, 1855 issue of "Ashland Union" newspaper of Ashland, Ohio that offers "Gun Barrels, Gun Trimmings" for sale.
Click here to see an exensive hardware store advertisement from the June 19, 1852 issue of the "The Weekly Minnesotian" newspaper of St. Paul, Minnesota that offers assorted gun barrels and gun trimmings for sale.
Click here to see an auction notice from the September 3, 1856 issue of the "Worcester-Daily-Spy" newspaper of Worcester, Massachusetts that offers rifle barrels and gun trimmings for sale.
Examples where the term apparently didn't include gun locks
Various publications mention both gun locks and gun trimmings. Since gun locks were listed separately, that implies the usage of the term "gun trimmings" was not intended to include gun locks. Here are some examples.
The following example is from the March 12, 1853 issue of the Morgantown, Virginia newspaper the "Monongalia Mirror".
The following example is from the "Reports of Committees of the House of Representatives ... 1860-61."
Click here to see an advertisement from the September 5, 1850 issue of the "Litchfield Enquirer" newspaper of Litchfield, Connecticut that offers "Gun locks . . . and many articles of Gun Trimmings" for sale.
Click here to see a hardware store advertisement from the August 22, 1867 issue of "The Daily Gate City" newspaper of Keokuk, Iowa that offers "GUN LOCKS, Gun Trimmings" for sale.
Examples where the term apparently didn't include gun barrels or gun locks
The following advertisement, which uses the term "rifle trimmings", is from the September 19, 1855 issue of the "Huntingdon Journal" newspaper. This usage of the term "rifle trimmings" was apparently not intended to include rifle barrels and [gun] locks because those things are listed separately.
The following advertisement is from the August 5, 1859 issue of the Philadelphia newspaper "The Press". In the advertisement, the usage of the term "gun trimmings" was apparently not intended to include barrels, locks, or triggers because those things are listed separately.
Click here to see an advertisement in the August 20, 1850 issue of "The Daily Spy" newspaper of Worcester, Massachusetts that offers "GUN-MAKER'S GOODS — Unstocked Gun Barrels, Gun Stocks, Wood Ram Rods, Gun Locks, and Gun Trimmings of every description" for sale.
Click here to see an extensive hardware store advertisement in the March 2, 1853 issue of the "Iowa Capitol Reporter" newspaper that offers "gun barrels, gun trimmings and locks" for sale.
Click here to see a hardware store advertisement from the January 32, 1856 issue of the "M'Arthur Democrat" newspaper of McArthur, Ohio that offers "Rifle barels Locks, mounting & Gun trimmings" for sale.
Click here to see a hardware store advertisement in the June 22, 1859 issue of the "Western Reserve Chronicle" newspaper of Warren, Ohio that offers "Rifle Barrells, Locks, Triggers and a general lot of Gun Trimmings" for sale.
Why advertise gun trimmings, gun barrels, and gun locks?
In my opinion, hardware stores advertised gun trimmings, gun barrels, gun locks, etc. so that people knew where to obtain all the hardware they needed to build or repair a muzzle loading firearm.
Examples where the term may have been intended to include gun locks
I remain open to the possibilty that advertisements which mention "gun trimmings", but do not mention gun locks, may have been intended to include gun locks within the scope of the term "gun trimmings". For example, click here to see an 1849 Iowa hardware store advertisement that includes the words "a variety of gun trimmings" in a long list of other non-firearm-related products. In my opinion, that hardware store probably stocked gun locks, and might have intended the meaning of the term "gun trimmings" to include gun locks. Furthermore, in my opinion, it would be ridiculous for an 1849 Iowa hardware store to stock a variety of gun trimmings without stocking gun locks.
For another example, click here to see a portion of a full column hardware store advertisement from the December 28, 1850 issue of the 'Freemont Weekly Freeman" Ohio newspaper that lists "Guns, doub'e & single barrel shot guns, rifles, pistols, powder, shot[,] percussion caps, powder horns, game bags, shot pouches, & gun trimmings." Obviously, they did not intend the term "gun trimmings" to include firearm accessories and consumables, because such products are listed separately. Equally obviously, in my opinion, a hardware store that stocked all those gun-related products would certainly stock gun locks, because people needed locks as replacements, and to build new guns. I suspect the hardware store may have expected their customers to know that their use of the term "gun trimmings" included necessary firearms components including gun locks, set trigger assemblies, breach plugs, drums, nipples, etc.
Accessories and consumables example
Although it seems atypical, in the following advertisement from the 1837 edition of the "Mobile Directory", the term "gun trimmings" was clearly intended to mean firearms accessories and consumables.
