A T. J. Albright, St. Louis major purveyor of such goods order to J. Henry sent in November of 1844, called for:
Rifles with blued iron mounting without [patch] box & some with box good [?] lock double & single trigger. . . . cal 40 to 100 [to the pound]. whole & half stock - barrels 3 feet to 3 f. 6 some pretty heavy brown barrels & silver sights - [Also] Rifled Barrels 3 f to 3 f 10. calibres 40 to 80 & some 100
Another Albright order, drawn up in December of 1846, requested:
10 1/2 Stock Rifles. 3 f 2 to 3 f 10- 7 to 10 lbs. cal. 35 to 6o. Back action side locks, double triggers, 2/3 [with?] walnut stocks, some with patch box & some without, mostly iron mounted - plain, a few patent breeched, solid percussion. . . . [Also] 20 Rifle Barrels - 3 f 6 to 4 feet. cal 3 3 to 5o. 8 to 11# each - 20 D[itt]o D[itt10 3 f 6 to 4 feet 6o to 140. 7 to 8#. .
And in July of 1848 Albright wrote James Henry a lengthy letter, asking in part for:
a case of Percussion Rifles soon as possible furnished at the lowest prices you can. length of Bbls from 33 to 39 inches assorted; Bore from 32 to 40 [to the pound].-if you can make them for 50 cts less by leaving off patch box, I would prefer it. also put me in one of the lowest price Indian Rifles flint 3 ft 6 in bbl, 32 bore, & if the pattern & prices suit me I will order 50 or more to be made. . . . Tryon has sent me some sample guns - but they have not yet reached me;- Blunt & Syms makes up a very handsome finished gun with walnut whole stock & handsome box for $7.- Also a very good Rifle with the Brass musket mounting, solid percussion, a good lock, & well finished, for $6.oo. The difficulty that the bbls are only 30 inches long if they were 4 inches longer, I could sell them fast.... I want about 6 of my bbls. Rifled & Brich pins screwed with long strap--you may have the gain twist them, (in the shortest bbls-). . . .
NOTES:
1) In the first two orders note that they were ordering calibers as small as .32".
2) The Indian Rifles were flint locks
3) An apparent preference for barrels longer than 30"
4) The long strap aka tang like a Hawken.