Deerskin rifle bag.

[Forty Rod]

It's been over 35 years since I last made one of these and my memory is slowly disappearing like my hair and my memory.

I picked up a beautiful deerskin yesterday...a bit thinner than I would have liked...that is big enough to make a one piece sheath for my Henry, '66, '73, and '92.....one at a time, of course.

It seems that all I did before was to fold it over so it covered the rifle completely with an extra 4-6" for a closing flap and enough for a 1/2" strip on each side to sew it together.

Turn it inside out (Smooth side out on the finished item so I'll be working on the flesh side.) with the fringe part between the two and sew it together, then turn it right side out and cut the fringe.  Not planning on a carrying strap.

Add any decoration as wanted.

What am I missing?   This seems to be a lot simpler than I remembered, but my memory is slipping.  I may have mentioned that before.  Do I need to reinforce anyplace special?  Cement the edges before sewing to hold it together while I'm working, maybe?  Any tips will be welcome, too.



Thanks.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Forty Rod,

I am pretty sure this is not a normal thing to do, but I have alwasy thought of taking a silicone-impregnated gunsock and cutting the seam until it is not unlike the shape of the  unmade rifle bag ....then sewing the sock to the inside of the rifle bag and then finshing the rifle bag in the normal way.

That way, it would act as padding during transport, and one could wipe down the rifle by just rubbing down the rifle while inside the bag ....

[Forty Rod]

Might be a good idea.  Would the silicone bleed through the hide and would it ever need replenishing in any way?

[Kid Terico]

Forty Rod something like this?KT

[ChuckBurrows]

The subject was discussed here - should give you some ideas and hints.....
http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,22894.0.html

[JD Alan]

KT that's a fine looking rifle cover there.

[Daniel Nighteyes]

Forty-Rod,

I may be way off base here, but shouldn't the rough side be out, so the smooth side is what contacts the firearm?

My concern here is that, over time and use, the rough surface will gradually pick up more and more impurities (sand, dirt, grit, etc.), so that it begins acting like sandpaper against the wood and metal.

Also, with the smooth side in, the bag's water-repelling characteristics will be protected.  If the smooth side is out, the first snag will create a hole through the surface of the smooth side and - Merde! - school is out.

Just my $0.02.

-- Nighteyes

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

+1

   Daniel's is right, IMHO, you don't want anything like suede or the flesh side of leather on the inside, like Daniel said it's a magnet for dirt and crud, I won't line a holster or a gun belt with suede for these reasons, it just gets cruddy after a while, and in a holster it doesn't do anything to help the finish of a gun.

        Regards

    Ten Wolves   

[Kid Terico]

DN and TW u are absolutely right to a point. All unlined holsters are suade side in and harder on finish, not to the extreme as deer hide but same princple.Holsters are smothed out and can be sealed.KT

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

KT, I'm aware of the finishing of an unlined holster, I finish the flesh side of a holster using GT, and a piece of rounded Plexiglas, and then I seal with Tan Kote, but what DN, and I are referring to is having the rough side on the inside of a rifle cover, because the deer skin is more porous on the flesh side, it collects more dirt, and will tend to stay inside the cover, where as the smooth side doesn't have this problem, you can just shake it out, having the flesh/rough side on the outside is also the way the Indian's and Frontiersman made there's, I'm sure they didn't care about there things getting dirty, but a little brushing and dusting off the outside would take care of it, suede presents the same problems, it's fine for concealed carry holsters, where they are protected from the elements, but they don't hold up well in the outdoors, and with heavy use the dirt and gun powder/ grime just gets ground into the suede, and before long it is shinny and flattened out, I much prefer a smooth leather lined holster over suede. IMHO

           Regards

       tEN wOLVES