Golden Era Hunting Equipment

[Doublegun]

Damascus barreled gun were sure some of the finest works of metallurgical arts ever made by the hands of man. As amazing as some of the finest swords.

Wonderful Parkers DG.

Thanks, Warbird. I was fortuante enough to aquire them before demascus took off a couple of years ago. Most people are under the impression that companies stopped using damascus steel because it was somehow inferior to fluid steel but that has never been the case. The reason for the demise of demascus steel had more to do with the cost of production - it was simply less expensive to use fluid steel than damascus barrels. Another note: I do not believe any US companies producing damascus barreled shotguns actually produced their barrels. I believe most barrels actually came from Europe.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Oh, I'm plenty nuts! I don't own any full autos, we don't even have any in stock at the shop, they're VERY expensive and we only order them in upon request. I haven't even hunted in a couple of years and have a side-by-side coach gun and a Rossi .357 Revolver, for home-defense. I do love antique guns and would love to collect them, if it weren't such an expensive hobby on top of my other expensive hobbies.

Which begs the question: How nuts do you assume Tom is?

-Dave

 

[hardline_42]

Thanks for the information, hardline. I'll do that. As for the orange laws: I know my own orange laws, I was simply curious of Tennessee's because warbird lives there.
What do you mean by activated charcoal?

Activated charcoal is just charcoal that has been treated to be very porous. It will absorb chemical reactions, odors and toxins. You can buy it in powder, pellet or block form. It has a lot of uses, so you can find it in many places. Here's a link for a 1lb bag of granular active charcoal from an aquarium supply store for purifying tank water. It's cheap and good to have on hand for treating poisoning, for example.

 

[hardline_42]

American doubles have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity over the past 20-years. Guns from Ithaca, LC Smith, Parker, Fox, Le fever are to be cherished and cared for. Below is a picture of three of my gals. All Parker DH-guns, top to bottom, 10 ga, 12 ga and 16 ga all with damascus barrels, they were made between 1887 and 1894. Because of the interest in these old guns there are several companies making low-pressure loads suitable for old doubles.

Love the Parkers! I have a JC Higgins (Stevens 311A) 20ga from the early 50's. Not much in the way of collector value but that baby swings and points like no other and is light and comfortable for long upland hunts.

 

[Derek WC]

Thanks Hardline, the next time I go to a store I'll have to get some.

 

[Derek WC]

When I made this thread, I didn't intent to de-rail it. I meant hunting equipment in general, not just clothes. Things like tents, strap on cleats for boots, axes, shovels and whatnot. Just things essential to hunting.

 

[DUKE NUKEM]

This is my upland get up for pheasant, quail, grouse and late season dove. The shotgun is a 1927 Ithaca NID (New Ithaca Double). The jacket belonged to my grandfather. The boots are Russell Moccasin boots. They are not that old, 15 years, but are nearly identical to Russell's my grandfather wore. The hat was his Borsalino, dating to the late 1920's or early 30's.

I only wear vintage style bird hunting and to Africa, mainly because over there little has changed in the years since the golden age. Khaki is still king. I rarely do wear camo. However except for Russell's while bird hunting and some other hunts and Russell safari boots, I wear modern type footwear. This is especially true of mountain hunting where I where the best modern sheep hunting boots I can find and the very best rain-proof clothing I can afford.

[/IMG]

I got to have a couple pairs of those! Russell makes some awesome boots. That pic looks like it out of a 1950's Field and Stream magazine. Well done sir. :eusa_clap

 

[DUKE NUKEM]

Let's try to focus your query a little more precisely. Where was hunting to have occurred? Does "Golden Era" refer to pre-, or post-1936? I ask because I choose this date as a demarcation signifying the trend away from utility lever action rifles (in North America). To what hunter/hunting do your refer, for example only (I don't want to restrict you to my options):
- Average Joe and whitetail
- Average Joe and mule deer
- Average Joe and [fill in the blank]
- Dilettante and [fill in the blank]
- Outfitter/guide and [fill in the blank]
- Other

I apologize for being egregiously rigid.

Guess who?

 

[Derek WC]

Bump.

 

[Lastmohecken]

I have been a hunter all of my life, and while I have never worried about classic period hunting clothes, that much, I have always admired those tall lace boots from the past, wool clothes, and vintage rifles and shotguns, espacally the guns.

I love old double barreled shotguns. I have used an L.C. Smith side by side a lot, and I also hunt with a J.P. Saur side by side usually for Pheasant hunting, but if I need a semi-auto, I usually choose one of my Browning A5's.

For deer hunting I do use a classic Recurve some of the time, but sometimes I use a crossbow, and I almost always choose a leveraction for my deer rifle, either a pre-64 Winchester model 71 or 94, or a later Browning 86, 92, or 95 replica, but if I really feel like I just can't face letting one get away, then I choose my Browning BLR in .308 win with a 2 x 7 Leupold. I guess it depends on the hunting conditions, and the mood I am in at the time.

But I grew up maybe not dirt poor, but poor enough to know that the average Joe, back in the 20's 30's 40's even 50's or 60's often hunted with whatever they had, and for many it was often an old singlebarrel shotgun, or mil-surp rifle, and the ones that had a little more money, got the Browning A5's, Model 12 Winchesters, and the Marlin 39's, or even a leveraction 30/30, those were the guns of my dreams, when I was a kid, but out of reach, so I was stuck using a Single barrel shotgun and my Dad's old Swedish Mauser.

 

["Skeet" McD]

Atticus, that's a first-rate photo! I've not been around much for some months, but this thread—which is close to my heart as an upland hunter who does all of his hunting in about "1927"—stopped me dead. For those who think that there was "only one way" to do it: well, this photo (and many another!) show it just ain't so. Look at the range of presentations here—even if we assume that the lad second from the right (and the one on the very left with rather less certainty) are guides, and the other three (or four) lads the sports. Ah! to sit down with those boys over a few drinks of choice and hear their tales! I can almost hear them from here....Thanks again! "Skeet"

 

[Derek WC]

Yes, I suppose, Skeet. So men in the 20's - the 30's would usually just hunt with the warmest thing they had, which would more likely than not be a suit?

What would you guys think of hunting in an upper-mid-calf length military overcoat?

 

["Skeet" McD]

Yes, I suppose, Skeet. So men in the 20's - the 30's would usually just hunt with the warmest thing they had, which would more likely than not be a suit?

What would you guys think of hunting in an upper-mid-calf length military overcoat?

Dear Derek, As has been mentioned a few times along the way, what, where, and when you hunt has a great deal to do with how you dress: although a born and bred Yankee, I imagine our good friend Atticus would confirm that few Southern dove hunters reach for their warmest clothing before heading to the day's field :>) But even leaving the "mere" physical-world aspects out of it, there's an awful lot that went on, and that's one of the things that produces the diversity. If I had to say one "most" thing about hunting in the pre-war world it would be "most folks hunted largely with what they had." Purpose-built (and therefore usually purpose-bought) clothing and equipment were the preserves of the well-to-do, by and large. A great deal of what went afield was second (or third) best clothing: old work things too shabby to continue in their intended purpose; shells thrown into a pocket; hat which had seen better days but was still serviceable.

But—having said all that—there were some mental and societal things that our society has rather lost: dressing for being in public, and dressing for occasion. Many more hunters wore ties; and those who could afford to follow the British fashion did so with tweeds. And I would hazard a guess that many more WOULD have dressed "better" than they did had they been able to. The best thing to do in learning the parameters is to look at as many old photos as you can; if you are interested in doing this as a "reenactment" if you will—imagining yourself a particular sort of person in a particular time and place—you will of course want to focus on photography that speaks to that; if not—look at it all! You will assuredly begin to see different presentations begin to line up and can form your own choices based on them. Enjoy! and good luck. As always: just one man's opinion, offered as nothing else. "Skeet"

 

[Derek WC]

I hadn't thought about that - I hunt in sub 40 degree incredibly soggy, muddy, steep, heavy forest, almost constantly raining. There is however little to no underbrush, which is why I figured an overcoat wouldn't get caught up in anything.

What do you mean by reenactment?

 

["Skeet" McD]

I hadn't thought about that - I hunt in sub 40 degree incredibly soggy, muddy, steep, heavy forest, almost constantly raining. There is however little to no underbrush, which is why I figured an overcoat wouldn't get caught up in anything.

What do you mean by reenactment?

Dear Derek: If you are new to hunting, welcome! And I think you will find that almost everything about the game has to do in a large degree with where you hunt. There are (and were) books out there that suggest "one way to do things" whether it be guns; clothing; dogs; techniques: whatever. But what works on the open plains or kansas is NOT going to work in, for instance, our New-English thick, thick covers: and what works if you are hunting pheasant is not likely to work (at least as well) if you are hunting...pa'tridge.

As far as my use of the word "reenactment": I tried to define my meaning when I used it: in the sense of attempting to put together a suite of clothing, arms, accoutrements, and techniques that would be proper for a particular place at a particular time: for me, it's New England in the 1850s (either as a gentleman "sport" or one of Thoreau's Concord neighbors, a farmer who stepped out his back door) at times; but more often these days it is as a middle-class New England birdhunter somewhere between 1918 and 1930. In this sort of affair, things can (and, I believe, should) be considered "right" or "wrong": carrying a gun which had yet to be manufactured historically, or similar anachronisms, rather defeat the purpose if one is doing it seriously. If, on the other hand, you just happen to like the look of a more traditional expression and are only trying to please your own taste, nothing is "right" or "wrong"...unless it doesn't work...and all possibilities are open. Decide what you're trying to do, and then do it. Have fun! —"Skeet"

 

[Derek WC]

I'm kind of new, but not necessarily fresh from the crop either - Maybe two trips?

I suppose I didn't mention it - Deer and Elk.

It's not necessarily reenacting but more along the lines of the closest I can get to feeling like I'm in the 30's (Which I try to do in every aspect of life), but of course I am not going to get there for a while: I am using a 300 Winchester Mag, and driving in a 2006 Ford F 100 with all of my other hunting partners clad in realtree camouflage and such. However the tent we're using is this really thick vinyl stuff, 15' x 20' that looks like it would be old, other than the vinyl. We're also using a cast iron stove and Vietnam era mummy bags and cots.

All of the clothing for hunting I've got is as follows; fedora, waffle stomper leather combat boots, wool Pendelton shirt, '51 wool field trousers, cotton long johns, Harris Tweed shooting coat, possibly a thick necktie but probably not.

Shooting a 300 Winchester Mag for Deer and Elk, and for Rabbits my grandfathers Stevens .22 Lever from the late 20's to early 30's.

This summer I am planning on acquiring some WWII surplus; a canteen, overcoat, possibly an Eisenhower jacket, and some other things.

If anybody could mention some things that might be something to get, that'd be great.

 

[MikePotts]

Here's a photograph of yours truly at a Texas dove shoot about 25 years ago - and I was still too warm!


MP

 

[J.D. Hunt]

MP, Texas will always be Texas for those of us who still hunt or shoot. Great photo and unlike some of the young folks I see today, I like the fact that you have that shotgun broke while keeping the muzzle out of the dirt. Seems so automatic for so many of us but, for some reason much of the youth of today have not been taught simple firearms safety. J.D.Hunt on the coast near Galveston.

 

[MikePotts]

Thank you Mr. Hunt, I was in the fine shotgun biz for many years and I guess one learns good habits after a while, best,

MP

 

["Skeet" McD]

I'm kind of new, but not necessarily fresh from the crop either - Maybe two trips?

I suppose I didn't mention it - Deer and Elk.

It's not necessarily reenacting but more along the lines of the closest I can get to feeling like I'm in the 30's (Which I try to do in every aspect of life), but of course I am not going to get there for a while: I am using a 300 Winchester Mag, and driving in a 2006 Ford F 100 with all of my other hunting partners clad in realtree camouflage and such. However the tent we're using is this really thick vinyl stuff, 15' x 20' that looks like it would be old, other than the vinyl. We're also using a cast iron stove and Vietnam era mummy bags and cots.

All of the clothing for hunting I've got is as follows; fedora, waffle stomper leather combat boots, wool Pendelton shirt, '51 wool field trousers, cotton long johns, Harris Tweed shooting coat, possibly a thick necktie but probably not.

Shooting a 300 Winchester Mag for Deer and Elk, and for Rabbits my grandfathers Stevens .22 Lever from the late 20's to early 30's.

This summer I am planning on acquiring some WWII surplus; a canteen, overcoat, possibly an Eisenhower jacket, and some other things.

If anybody could mention some things that might be something to get, that'd be great.

Dear Derek, Good for you. All of us who try to "live in the past" are doomed to fail from the authenticity point of view: it's just a question, on the physical side, of how closely you look at the reproductions, and on the mental/spiritual side...well, if at some point you don't realize that you are a 21C person playing at being a whatever-century person....well, you have larger problems than whether your wool was hand-sheared from a sheep of the correct 17C breeding. Having said that, it seems to me, that if one wishes to do it seriously—in such a way that you can both learn something you might not otherwise have known and also do honor to those who did it for real—one must constantly keep trying to improve. We all start at some point, and we are all on the same road, headed the same direction...but at different points along it. The intention and the forward motion are the important things.

Enjoy the stuff you have now, and improve it from a historical point of view as you can. But, if you're really interested in doing 1930s, I'd have a second thought about buying into that WWII surplus: which would be GREAT if you were doing 1950s or early 1960s hunting. You are absolutely dead-on: a lot of military surplus has always ended up out in the woods—whether it was CW stuff in the later 19C; or WWII stuff in the 1950s; or—in the 1920s and 1930s—WWI stuff. Why don't you take that money and get yourself some good reproduction WWI breeches, for instance? And boots and/or shoes? Et c., et c.

Just a thought. Cheers, "Skeet"