New Hampshire Guns and GunmakersBoth a firearms reference and regional history From the prelude to the American Revolution until the aftermath of the Civil War, independent gunsmiths and gun retailers thrived throughout the colony and then the state of New Hampshire. These were small operations, usually ranging from one to 15 or 20 employees. Likely the most prolific New Hampshire gunmaker of the period, David Hall Hilliard, made around 3,000 guns over the course of about 35 years.