New Shooting Bag

[BrownBear]

I'm the proud owner of a Leman Squirrel Rifle built by Ron Paull through the GRRW Collectors Association. More about the rifle some other time, other than to say it is from late in the muzzleloader era after the fur trade and just before the Civil War. Through choice of wood, patch box and engraving from tracings taken from an original Leman rifle, it's intended to be a pure eastern gentleman's rifle with no reference to the fur trade.

But a gentleman's rifle calls for just the right style and finish of bag. I spent a lot of time studying the options in Grant and came up with this. While not a recreation of any one bag, it includes features that I wanted from several. After all, it's my bag to go with my rifle! :grin:

Here it's assembled and waiting for finish.


And here's the finished bag along with that sweet Leman Squirrel Rifle.

 

[Artificer]

There is something of understated elegance to what looks like a simple Bag.

OK, I just HAVE to ask, do you carry the Bag on the right side of your body or the left? I would guess you carry it on your right side?

Oh, BTW, don't tease us. What were the features you wanted to put into this Bag, if any, that we can not see from the outside?

Gus

 

[Tallswife]

Beautiful!

 

[BrownBear]

There is something of understated elegance to what looks like a simple Bag.

OK, I just HAVE to ask, do you carry the Bag on the right side of your body or the left? I would guess you carry it on your right side?

Oh, BTW, don't tease us. What were the features you wanted to put into this Bag, if any, that we can not see from the outside?

Gus

Good eye Gus! And thanks for the compliments. I'm a lefty and wear it on my right side. I spent lots more time thinking and designing than I did cutting and sewing.

It's small (7"x7") compared to what lots of folks carry, reflecting many originals and my intent to use it as a "day" bag on casual day hunts rather than treks. No extra straps outside or any other danglies because of our brush. I'm making a small horn (about the size of a half a banana) that will drop inside along with a small knife, tool kit, balls and strip of patching. Lube will be in the rifle's patch box for a quick smear and a cut at the muzzle.

It's light leather (3 oz) for flexibility, but with welts and 10-stitch per inch spacing for seam strength. The gusset tapers from 1.5" along the bottom to 0 about 2/3 of the way up the sides for extra room in the bottom and a "closed mouth" kind of arrangement to help contain contents, even with no snap or button on the flap.

The bag is more or less "hour glass" shaped, narrower in the middle than the bottom or top with the front panel ending a couple inches below the flap seam. That was to narrow the top so the flap could be wider for weather protection while still having good support. There's an interior pouch on the back panel almost as wide as the bag and 2/3 the depth. I made a small leather box for rod tip accessories to drop into it.

After dying I used no "finish," but several coats of wax (Fiebings Atom wax of course) for waterproofing.

Small, sleek and dangle-free was my goal, styled to match the Leman. I almost duplicated the patch box engraving in a circle onto the bag flap, but decided to keep it all simple.

Perhaps most notable of all, this is one of the few projects I've ever made with no DNA marking! :rotf:

 

[Einsiedler]

A very elegant bag!! Well done!

 

[wattlebuster]

I gonna give it a 2 thumbs up :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Great job

 

[rijerolmon]

One word: QUALITY :bow:

 

[ZUG]

Not to be "picky" but for me the flap's size detracts from the bag itself. My eyes focus is on the flap - I can't get a good look at the bag. For me I'd like a smaller flap -- my two cents :hmm: .

 

[NeilMacleod]

Great Looking Bad!

 

Not to be "picky" but for me the flap's size detracts from the bag itself. My eyes focus is on the flap - I can't get a good look at the bag. For me I'd like a smaller flap -- my two cents :hmm: .

I agree. The flap shouldn't be bigger than the bag.

 

[Artificer]

OK, I just HAVE to ask, do you carry the Bag on the right side of your body or the left? I would guess you carry it on your right side?

Gus

Good eye Gus! And thanks for the compliments. I'm a lefty and wear it on my right side.

Brown Bear,

As I know you are aware, there is such a thing as a pouch made specifically to be worn on one side of the body, unless the pouch strap is a plain one piece strap. I thought this a good thing to point out to those who don't realize this.

I figured you wore the bag on your right side because with brush where you hunt, having the adjustment buckle on what would be the rear part of the strap the way you carry it, keeps the adjustment buckle from hanging up on brush. I think this is an important detail for those who don't think about where the adjustment strap should go on a bag. Also, though I know you didn't put a knife sheath on the other end of the strap and if one is going to put a knife sheath on a strap, it needs to go on the end of the strap where it is closer to the front of the body.

10 stitches per inch sounds good since you used such thin (3 oz) leather as it makes the seams stronger.

OK, another question for those who may be interested in how to make certain details on their bag. I imagine you did not butt sew the loop on the strap as the leather is so thin. Did you overlap the ends of the loop to sew them together or did you sew the ends down on the inside where it doesn't show?

OH, at what angle did you sew the ends of the straps to the pouch? Could we please see a rear view of the pouch?

I am asking these questions because I know you are generous in sharing information and I think folks who are new to making bags would find the answers very interesting.

Gus

 

[robinsroost]

:applause: Wow! Nice work, and a beautiful rifle. I especially like the patch box. Keep yer powder dry.........robin

 

[BrownBear]

Not to be "picky" but for me the flap's size detracts from the bag itself. My eyes focus is on the flap - I can't get a good look at the bag. For me I'd like a smaller flap -- my two cents :hmm: .

Ahhhhh.... Perfect!

I don't want the rain to "see" the bag either. :grin:

Lotta contemporary and original bags you see obviously weren't "proofed" for rain country. Once you move away from the narrow view of fur trade bags, there were lots of others in use. I can look at them and often guess where they came from simply by their features for keeping water and weather out of the bag.

Too many contemporary bags I've seen expose either end of the bag the mouth beyond the edges of the flap. A perfect way to beat your thirst if you need to collect rain, but a poor feature for keeping your gear dry.

Thanks for pointing that out! :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

Kinda up to my neck in projects at the moment (as in the hurrier I'm going the behinder I'm getting), but I'll get back to you in the next couple of days.

I'll toss in a coupla points real quick. I set the strap angle at 10 degrees, which has proven just right for my height (tall) and the place I like a bag to ride (high) at my side.

For thin leather like this you really NEED welts along with the fine stitching for strength.

 

[Tinker2]

I like it :thumbsup:





William

 

[Artificer]

Kinda up to my neck in projects at the moment (as in the hurrier I'm going the behinder I'm getting), but I'll get back to you in the next couple of days.

I'll toss in a coupla points real quick. I set the strap angle at 10 degrees, which has proven just right for my height (tall) and the place I like a bag to ride (high) at my side.

For thin leather like this you really NEED welts along with the fine stitching for strength.

You mentioned Two Great "Learning Points" there. :thumbsup:

The angle of where the strap ends meet the pouch has everything to do with fitting each person's individual body size and for how he/she wants it to ride on their body. I have always found it best to put the strap on the person and then mark the angles before sewing the strap or straps to the pouch.

The point of needing welts with such light 3 oz. leather and 10 stitches per inch is well made.

Gus

 

[kemart17]

very nice, well done!!! im looking for a beg to go with a squirrel rifle im building!!! hmmm, now i have an idea!!!!

 

[silly goose]

Great job! I like it a lot.

 

[Crewdawg445]

Slick set up! However I'll let that Leman slide just because it's so beautiful, even though it's a capper! :hatsoff:

 

[MSW]

great looking work!