Author Topic: Barn Gun Fans?  (Read 8272 times)

Offline Panzerschwein

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Barn Gun Fans?
« on: September 27, 2020, 10:46:25 PM »
Does anyone out there on the net enjoy the Schimmel school barn guns?

I recently commissioned one from a builder and await it eagerly. I very much enjoy the plain look yet beautiful architecture. Despite not being heavily festooned, they have a character and charm all their own and from a good builder, it can really allow the architecture to shine through. And, just like in the old times, they can be a less expensive option for a build since there is little to no carving or embellishment involved.

I love the ones that are worn in or made with a patina. They have the quaint attractiveness of something like you’d see at a Cracker Barrel whilst enjoying some grits and fried okra around the fireplace. They just scream Americana to me and have a natural humility and honesty about them that I find as pleasing as the most bedecked specimens extant.

Here is a beautiful example from Allen Martin and I chose to provide it as a reference point for my builder:



Anyone else a fan of this style?

-Panzer

Offline Elnathan

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2020, 11:02:10 PM »
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Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2020, 12:26:03 AM »
 I love these barn guns. A friend has a Bedford style barn gun that has a big square nail in the heal of the butt, instead of a buttplate. It has only a single ramrod pipe out at the muzzle. And literally no triggerguard. The hand forged trigger contours the wrist of the stock, and the turns downward at the end with a curl. It’s maple stock has enough curl to make it interesting, and the finish is superb. It gets stares everywhere he takes it.
 The prettiest barn gun I every handled was a Lehigh style stock that had been precarved, but had some of everything wrong with it. It had a bark inclusion in the butt section, and a knot in the forearm, and some really ugly mineral streaks as well. The guy decided to build it anyway. The hardware is all either hand forged, or made from nonessential parts. The triggerguard is made from an old wrought iron chain link, that locks into the trigger plate ahead of the trigger with a key action that locks it down when it is put in and rotated a quarter turn. The rear finial is drawn out and secured with a screw. The buttplate return was amber cow horn, with a jacked leather buttplate. The bark inclusion became a tallow box covered with another piece of the amber cow horn with a wrapped sheet iron  hinge. But the finish is what set it off. He gave it enough coats of Aquafortis to turn it jet black.  He then turned it over to his wife that does period tole painting. She painted it up, and when done he gently rubbed it back a little, so the wood looked like wood, and the tole painted surface looked old and worn, then covered it with a couple coats of sealer. Wow it’s gorgeous, and just folksy enough. He’s turned down some real money for it a couple of times.

  Hungry Horse

Offline Bob Roller

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2020, 02:07:37 AM »
This long slim plain as a fence post barn gun and the British styled  long range rifle like
the one Curtis is finishing are my all time favorites.
Bob Roller

Offline Viktor

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2020, 05:19:36 AM »
The "plan n perdy" thread is my favorite.  I've gone a schimmel on order, also, hopefully will get it within a few months.  I've looked at those two examples on Allen Martin's website more times than I can count.

Offline Panzerschwein

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2020, 05:57:10 AM »
The "plan n perdy" thread is my favorite.  I've gone a schimmel on order, also, hopefully will get it within a few months.  I've looked at those two examples on Allen Martin's website more times than I can count.

Ain’t it purdy, tho?

LOVE that gun!

Offline Mike Brooks

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2020, 03:37:04 PM »
Buttplates are highly over rated.
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Offline oldtravler61

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2020, 05:17:38 PM »
  Barn guns an SMR style rifles are my favorite...wuth the Soddy at the top....when it comes to guns..the kiss theory prevails..
  An yep I like them a lot.   .Oldtravler

Offline smallpatch

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #8 on: September 28, 2020, 05:37:00 PM »
Panzer,
The only mistake you made was, .....not having Allen Martin make it for you.  NOBODY does it better!

Here’s one I did a couple of years ago, smoothrifle with a faux wrist repair and a little patina.


« Last Edit: September 28, 2020, 05:41:27 PM by smallpatch »
In His grip,

Dane

Offline Panzerschwein

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #9 on: September 30, 2020, 09:03:55 AM »
Panzer,
The only mistake you made was, .....not having Allen Martin make it for you.  NOBODY does it better!

Here’s one I did a couple of years ago, smoothrifle with a faux wrist repair and a little patina.



I don’t doubt that but his waiting period is like 5 years now and for a basic Schimmel he charges about $3500.

I could very well be dead in 5 years time, frankly speaking.

Offline t.caster

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #10 on: September 30, 2020, 04:59:47 PM »
This is a Barn gun hot off the bench this week. Weather has been bad so I haven't got great pics yet, sorry. It does have a steel butt pl and hand forged trigger guard instead of a fancy brass casting. This was make from a qtr. sawn curly ash blank and uses a .45 cal x 42" Rice Premium A-B barrel and Late Ketland lock made by Dennis Priddy. This was made to customer specs. I love the folksy look to it!








« Last Edit: September 30, 2020, 06:14:44 PM by t.caster »
Tom C.

Offline yip

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #11 on: September 30, 2020, 08:03:00 PM »
 planning on building a Schimmel and would like to see more pictures of them. looking for dimensions, and do they have cast offs?

Offline t.caster

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #12 on: September 30, 2020, 10:03:31 PM »
They start out like a normal rifle build but the extras are left off. Same barrels, locks, trigger, dimensions, cast-off, etc. as a fancy rifle. The butt plate is the biggest area of departure, and if no plate is used then it get rounded over some to prevent snagging and breakage of wood.
Tom C.

Offline yip

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #13 on: October 01, 2020, 12:59:33 AM »
  no butt plate, no nose cap, no side plate, no entry pipe. i think i'll give it a try.  is the stock fancy or plain? aand how long of a barrel

Offline MuskratMike

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #14 on: October 01, 2020, 01:14:41 AM »
While mine is a Gillespie and not Schimmel it is exactly what I think of when I think of a barn gun. I agree I like to see them highly patinaed. I wanted mine to look like a 200 year old rifle that was well used but well cared for. Just because it saw a hard life doesn't mean it has to be a falling apart rust bucket. fortunately for me Don Bruton felt the same way and we had the same vision for my rifle. not much more than a "lock, stock and barrel".










impreza 2.5 rs 0 60
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Offline yip

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #15 on: October 01, 2020, 01:52:04 AM »
 Mike; NICE, how long is your barrel?

Offline MuskratMike

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #16 on: October 01, 2020, 02:22:39 AM »
yip: The good people at Rice Barrel Company supplied the barrel for this project. It is a 44-inch "A" weight .32 caliber Dickert/Lancaster that came crowned and during the build was coned.
"Muskrat" Mike McGuire
Keep your eyes on the skyline, your flint sharp and powder dry.

Offline yip

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #17 on: October 01, 2020, 03:14:27 AM »
  Mike; i used Rice barrels before they are great. i guessi'll call and talk to Jason and order a 32 cal. did you say they were coned?

Offline MuskratMike

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #18 on: October 01, 2020, 04:55:13 AM »
No they come crowned. For ease of loading those tiny balls with my big hands I had my builder cone the barrel.
"Muskrat" Mike McGuire
Keep your eyes on the skyline, your flint sharp and powder dry.

Offline oldtravler61

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #19 on: October 01, 2020, 04:05:13 PM »
  Well another hair brained idea for Jim Kibler...With the interest in barn guns. Jim could opt out a couple programs on his CNC omit the butt plate...an..walla...a simpler southern gun for all the non butt plate fans.. maybe throw in a piece of copper or brass for a faux repair or copper...    Ok ...time for me to go back under my rock....but it's a thought... Oldtravler

Offline old george

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #20 on: October 01, 2020, 04:55:38 PM »
Yes, I too like the plain jane rifles like the elegant fowler Tom Caster finish for me. Now I have to run over to his barn to pick up a rifle named Barney who like myself is aged, grizzled and grey. Thanks Tom.

Geo. D
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Offline Dphariss

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #21 on: October 01, 2020, 06:13:15 PM »
Buttplates are highly over rated.
I guess that would depend on where you use the gun and for what purpose. When hunting in the mountains of Montana I always thought a buttplate was a good option. Sometimes the going is steep and rocky and the rocks more often than not have edges, where I grew up in Iowa not so much. I built my first "barn gun" in 1967. But I only have done 3 all before 1970.
And I have seen guns that still lived in the barn. Though not MLer.
Dan

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Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #22 on: October 01, 2020, 08:01:24 PM »
Talking about a Southern Mountain barn gun  is like talking about an entry level Yugo. Heck they’re pretty much all bare bones, and entry level. And those mountain folk pretty much lived with their rifles. I suspect it would be highly unlikely they would leave even a rudimentary rifle in the barn.

  Hungry Horse

Offline Dphariss

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #23 on: October 01, 2020, 09:08:41 PM »
Talking about a Southern Mountain barn gun  is like talking about an entry level Yugo. Heck they’re pretty much all bare bones, and entry level. And those mountain folk pretty much lived with their rifles. I suspect it would be highly unlikely they would leave even a rudimentary rifle in the barn.

  Hungry Horse
Unless it was only used when butchering.
Or it had been a "bad gun". 
Stranger things have happened. And places in W. VA, Kentucky and Tennessee were and might still be "different".
But hanging in a barn is not a good atmosphere for a firearm, but neither I nor my companion, a long term friend of the ranch family, knew why it was out there and we did not ask. But it was. That was where it "lived".
Dan
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Offline yip

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Re: Barn Gun Fans?
« Reply #24 on: October 02, 2020, 05:17:33 PM »
  gonna order a 32 cal from Rice, what size r/r/ do i use, 5/16"?