Long gun displaying

[Poor Private]

I was just reading an article in this months "The Backwoodsman" about A Homemade Shotgun Barrel when one of the phots caught my eye. The fellow has his rack for diplay above the mantle on his fireplace. Why would anyone one display thier long gun there? It is my understanding that all that heat is bad for the wood and the finish. let alone the powder. It seems to me that this is a hollywood representation. If memory serves me right they used to hang them above the cabin door so that it was handy.(remember cabin doors were shorter than our standard 6'8" door). Who would hang thier gun and powder above a fireplace, especially since most times it was loaded and ready to use.
Is the heat generated by a fireplace bad for the gun for long term storage?

 

[luieb45]

I'm not sure about for guns but my cousin had a deer head mount that used to be over the fireplace and the heat screwed it up so the hide is all strange looking and miscolored.

 

[John Wasmuth]

True enough, never hang game mounts or guns over a fire place. Can ruin them in a big hurry.

 

[necchi]

Is the heat generated by a fireplace bad for the gun for long term storage?

Yes.
But was it raining out when you came in? Did ya maybe just clean yer gun?

I can't remember either just how hollywood places their guns in cabins :haha:

I wouldn't hang one over the fireplace unless it was a "wall hanger". But it does make a good photo for a magazine. :thumbsup:

I read that one too, when he got to the part about cutting the barrel channel out on an MR, I was shaking my head :idunno: . THEN he had his SON proof test it!! :youcrazy: The idea and process was sound, but he had access to alot of friends with good equipment. Not bad if you want to "do it yourself" but there was little in the way of being economical unless your a machinest.

 

[fort fireman]

I don't think it would be all that bad to hang above the fireplace depending on how often you burn it. If it is burned alot during the winter it would be bad. If it were me I would just take it down if I decided to have a fire. The rest of the time it would be just like hanging on a wall. I wouldn't have a fire every night though. Just my 2 cents.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Sure, if the fire place isnt used it wouldnt harm either one. We heat the house with our fire place, used most nights during the winter.

 

[Canuck Bob]

In my experience one has to reach back a long way to find fireplaces in log cabins. Open flame terrified early settlers. The loss of ones house often meant the family was split up.

I've been fortunate to have been in a number of homestead log homes and the guns were kept in either a closet in the kitchen away from the kids or hung on an interior wall near but never too near the kitchen stove. Over the door is worse than over the fireplace in cold climates. The only thing hung over the door was a wool blanket.

 

[mr.flintlock]

I display an old Hatfield rifle over my fireplace because I enjoy looking at it. Our home was built 11 years ago and the rifle was placed there on the first day that we moved in. There has been no damage to the rifle. We lived in our previous home for 20 years and it hung over that fireplace for a good number of years. Other than a few nicks and dings from hunting, the rifle is in new condition.

 

[2172]

I have yet to see a Cracker Barrel restaurant without a muzzleloader hanging above the fireplace, and they use those fireplaces, a lot. I think that the tradition of hanging one above the fireplace has been created by everything from Hollywood movies to dime magazine illustrations, back when. I've never done it, mainly because my wife was agin it, and I'd rather have a happy home than a picturesque one..Hank

 

[Ketchakah]

Ive wondered on this as well. I used to think that perhaps above the fire place was a warm area that kept the powder dry and moisture from the metal. But im not sure if it would be good or not.
I always liked the pictures of the hunting gun and bags hung on the wall with a couple of birds hung along side.
Picturesque, perhaps, But not sure i would leave dead birds hanging around uncleaned if i was looken to eat them. Uh...Yuck?

 

[paulvallandigham]

Cooking was done in those open fireplaces, so steam from the coffee pot, or from the stew pot was also drifting out and upward from the fireplace. The mantel was Not a good place to put a gun. Not if you wanted the powder dry.

It was more common, I believe, to put the guns over the doorway, so they could be grabbed when leaving the house to greet strangers, or shoot marauding coyotes, and fox getting into the chicken pens. A gun above the door was high enough to be out of reach of infant children, yet could be reached by all the adults. If there was a cold( dry) spot in the house it was around that leaky door, where a wool blanket would be hung over the doorway to help keep the drafts out of the cabin.

 

[Zonie]

IMO, most of the guns that were hung somewhere were hung "upside down", unlike the way modern folks hang guns.

I'm sure that my 1842 Springfield Musket spent more than its fair share of time hanging on a wall somewhere. It may have been over the mantle, the door or just on a wall but it, like many others I've seen has some initials carved into the left side of the stocks butt.

The carving (if you can call something that was done with a pocket knife or similar tool) says,
"AN PLC" whatever that means.

As you can see, the carving was meant to be read when the gun was hung "upside down" and of the many old guns I've seen they all seemed to be done this way.

 

[Stumpkiller]

My signature photo is my Lehigh on iron hooks in the living room (we have a wood stove but it is 25 feet away - long, narrow room). My cap gun is, however, on the same end as the wood stove but still a good distance away. I would not put one OVER a mantle for that reason. The constant low humidity vs. taking it out in a rainstorm. I'd be worried about eventually cracking. So far I haven't found any problems. We keep a pot of water on the stove at all times.

Plenty of penetrating oil in the bores, angled slightly down, and frequently checked & wiped off.

 

[vern faulkner]

In photo #3, where's the water pot?? :blah: Vern

 

[ohio ramrod]

Is that tounge and groved barn siding? It sure resembles our sun porch which we did with barn siding. But the wife insists I keep all of my guns in the "gun" room.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Is that tounge and groved barn siding? It sure resembles our sun porch which we did with barn siding. But the wife insists I keep all of my guns in the "gun" room.

Yep. Inner walls are studs faced with vertical t&g and the outer walls are milled logs. Whole house is like that. OK if you like knotty pine but the place is a bit dark on long winter nights. Cozy, though.

In photo #3, where's the water pot?? Vern

I knew when I posted that image after saying "always" it would come back. :haha: Thet was when we first installed the stove. SINCE then we have always kept a pot of water going. :wink:

 

[vern faulkner]

Didn't mean to nit-pit, however I did think it was funny. :blah: :rotf: :blah: Vern

 

[Maynerd62411]

I have yet to see a Cracker Barrel restaurant without a muzzleloader hanging above the fireplace, and they use those fireplaces, a lot. I think that the tradition of hanging one above the fireplace has been created by everything from Hollywood movies to dime magazine illustrations, back when. I've never done it, mainly because my wife was agin it, and I'd rather have a happy home than a picturesque one..Hank

The Cracker Barrel in Effingham, IL has a Stephens single shot shotgun over it's fireplace. I feel ripped off , now.

 

[Zonie]

I just knew that Stumpy would have "naughty pine" in his house. :rotf:

 

[Flinter987]

For what it's worth, Laura Ingalls Wilder in her book, "Little House on the Praire" (time period circa 1860's) mentions "Pa" putting his gun above the door after he'd finished loading it. I know it's fiction and based on Laura's later recollections, but there is some interesting notes in there on him cleaning his rifle, casting balls for it, and loading it.
Flinter