NCOWS guncarts

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Monterrey......
On the second photo I would have used the word "Wispy" 

OCB

[Dutch Limbach]

A haversack is another good option.

I used a tarred haversack, like the one shown, for years until I got a set of saddlebags one year for Christmas. The untarred haversacks can be found from CW sutlers for under $20.

['Monterrey' Jack Brass]

Pancho – I see your point about shooting and that in this crazy modern life when one goes out for a relaxing/fun time to make the most of it. And, as with other shooting sports/clubs, NCOWS is first & foremost a shooting organization. The trick, I believe, and constant struggle is to find the balance between shooting and history. NCOWS is the front line of finding a balance of some sort between the two. No easy task.

Delmonico – You have an extra sammich..?!?! I'm all for it, too bad you're in Nebraskey and I'm in the north eastern section of the mid west. Makes visiting over some good chow difficult!

OCB – I own that most excellent Family Heirloom Weavers repro carpet bag and I, unfortunately, resemble 'wispy' in name only. As you know I'm a rather rotund fellow and thin/wispy doesn't work for me as it would Jerry Barnes or Dr B. No matter, I'll keep trying to get down to my fighting weight mon ami! By the bye, I hear-tell you're coming to the state shoot in Michigan to film? Look me up, will be camped there with some pards. Only one of us is shooting and the rest of us will be lounging about, cooking up some grub, a-hootin' and a-hollerin' &c. If you're coming let me know and we'll sport you a cup of coffee (and it can be fortified if'n you and William are looking for an extra jolt...!)

Brass

[J.D. Yellowhammer]

I knew it - I knew it - I knew it!  Anybody with the name "Yellowhammer" just GOT to be from Alabama!!!! ('Cept we'd prob'ly say it as "yellah-hammah" -- an' likely precede it with "Rammah-Jammah", right?)

<----- from South Alabama

There's hundreds of little towns like that all over Alabama and Mississippi -- probably Georgia too, if you look along the back roads.  And, in every small town that's worth calling a town there is - or was - most likely a "City Cafe" or "Town Cafe" or some such.  That describes the Whistle Stop Cafe to a tee.  Usually doesn't look like much from the outside, but they're always crowded because they serve excellent food!

BTW, Fried Green Tomatoes is my favorite movie about the South.  They got it dang near perfect.  Of course, that's because the author, comedienne Fanny Flagg, is from Alabama.

How-Do, Bruthuh! 

Fannie Flag wrote that about the area both my folks are from. My dad's family were the original white settlers of Opelika in the early 1800's and my mom was from Notasulga.  Those train tracks in the movie look like they were filmed in Notasulga (tho they weren't) where my mom used to play (they were always warned to watch out fer the hobos).  As fer Rammer Jammer--my dad went to the U of A and my sis was born in Tuscaloosa. I've always struggled to deal with this, since I was raised primarily in Tenn. and Orange clashes with Red (Crimson  )

And yes, you're right, "Yellowhammer" is a homage to my bloodline.    I'll dig up the story on that, involving the War Between the States and Nathan Bedford Forrest's boys. 

Whereabouts you from?
------------------------
Back to the debate:
I only carry one of everything I need (4 guns, etc), but my wife shoots with me so that doubles everything. She's 5' tall and barely 100 pounds. It would be a bit of trouble to carry our entire armament on our backs (though I'd do it if the situation demanded). 

[Tjackstephens]

J.D., Roll Tide. My shooting hand once had the honor of shaking the hand of the Great BEAR BRYANT. Tj 

[kflach]

Monterry Jack Brass->
Bags like that second one can still get you killed in some parts of the country <grin>.

Pony Express->
If you have any pictures I'd love to see 'em. That's an interesting idea that may be more 'doable' in the short term than a sheath, since I'd probably have to make whatever I use myself at first before I could buy one that's actually well-made.

Dutch Limbach->
I'd been thinking I'd make myself some kind of canvas bag, but that looks like a better option. I'll check that out.

All->
Pancho most definitely loves to shoot!!  And he does a mighty fine job of it, too.

[Daniel Nighteyes]

Whereabouts you from?

I lived in Mobile from 1958 (age 12) through 1988 (age 42), with a "detour" courtesy of Uncle Sam.  I've got relatives up in Red Bay AL, and my parents' families are from Webster County MS.

Had a job once that required me to travel the southern half of Alabama on a regular basis.  Been to or through nearly all those small towns I previously spoke of.

[Books OToole]

Regarding the "too many guns comments",

I usually go to a match with 2 rifles, 2 shotguns, 3 to 4 handguns, and sometimes a pocket pistol and big bore rifle.  If I see a stage where my 24" barrel sporting rifle will be more handy, I'll use it.  If the 20" short rifle allows me to poke through a window quicker, I'll use it. 

Pancho

Hmmm....I think I'll use the 9-iron, oops, I mean the goose gun on this stage.
You got a golf bag full of clubs, you might as well use them.  Oh, crap; I mean guns. 

I don't see gun  carts beig outlawed.  Some of them are pretty neat.  Not authentic, but neat.
I have heard of some being diguised as, barrels or luggage.  Now that would be really neat.

Books

[Dutch Limbach]

...Dutch Limbach->
I'd been thinking I'd make myself some kind of canvas bag, but that looks like a better option. I'll check that out...

kflach,

The tarred haversack will protect its contents from rain. The one I've got also has a bag that lines the inside of haversack. I did sew up some canvas bags that I would use to separate different things in the haversack. I use to put one or two boxes of ammo per bag. I figured if a lid came off a box I'd rather fish the loose shells out of a small bag rather than chase them around the bottom of the haversack. It did seem though that being wrap in the bags help keep the lids on my ammo boxes.

[Daniel Nighteyes]

2) Antique plough.  You can tie your long guns to the tines in the rear.  Disadvantage: hard to pull from stage to stage, but if doing so you might scatter a few seeds along the way for future range improvement.

Actually, that's a hay-rake.  But it would be good to have, so the posse can make hay while the sun shines...

[kflach]

Dutch,

I did a search for "CW Sutlers" but couldn't find it. Could you send me the name of their web site?

---[Modified]-------
Never mind - I've figured out that you were referring to Civill War sutlers in general and not to a specific web site.

I found some.

[lethal larry]

I bring a gun cart to most every match at our home posse. Reason?  It is very common for new shooters to show up with nothing but a smile and a hope. I bring an extra batch of ammo, guns, etc., so they can share my cart as I accompany them from stage to stage, schooling them and trying to give them the needed information about our beloved activity. Now if I'm going to some other club to shoot and won't be anyone's "mentor" I'll take my saddlebags some times.

[Lone Gunman]

I haven't had this out of the shed in several years but here is my old guncart.



The main section is an old dome top trunk, (I don't recall now if it's a camel-back or hump-back), the Arbuckles coffee  keg began life as a prop in the movie "Ride with the Devil", (there's a hole cut in the trunk to allow the gun barrels to fit up inside the keg), the handles are from an old garden push cultivator, and the wooden spoke wheels were scavenged from a broken goat cart.  A piece of heavy canvas is tacked across the bottom of the trunk lid to form a big pocket for misc treasure. On the left side there are a couple of belts so different holsters can be attached depending on what you might need for extra pistols.

I'll see if I can find some better pictures. I should have some of Ol Gabe's freight cart too.  The worst example I recall seeing (this was NOT at an NCOWS shoot) was just a green plastic Scotts lawn spreader with a notched board affixed to the handle with a couple of radiator hose clamps.  

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Dutch,

I did a search for "CW Sutlers" but couldn't find it. Could you send me the name of their web site?

---[Modified]-------
Never mind - I've figured out that you were referring to Civill War sutlers in general and not to a specific web site.

I found some.

Here's one of the best - and where I THINK Dutch got his tarred haversack:

http://fcsutler.com/

Hope ya don't mind me answering as I'm not Dutch.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Okay,  with all this talk of Alabama, I have a question.

The one page history I have of my great-grandfaterh, whom I take my monniker from says that he came from Santa Rosa joined the Confederate Army in Alabama.

I know of a Santa Rosa Florida and Santa Rosa Sound in Florida.

Was there a Santa Rosa in Alabama?

Thought one of you might know....

Thanks!

[kflach]

Steel Horse, thanks! That's the one I found when I looked up Haversack. Great minds think alike.

And I'm not Dutch either.

I'm Texan.

[Daniel Nighteyes]

Okay,  with all this talk of Alabama, I have a question.

---Snip ---

Was there a Santa Rosa in Alabama?

Thought one of you might know....

Thanks!

Not that I know of, and I know most of southern Alabama pretty well.  Of course, small settlements came and went fairly quickly in the Antebellum South, and names changed as well.  Its also possible he was from the Santa Rosa area in Florida.

[J.D. Yellowhammer]

The one page history I have of my great-grandfaterh, whom I take my monniker from says that he came from Santa Rosa joined the Confederate Army in Alabama.

I don't know of one, either. He may have just come up to AL to join a unit there.  If you check with the Alabama state library, they've got the pension records for vets and you can get copies. It might disclose more. You may also be able to get his CSA records from the feds in D.C. I checked with both got info on a couple of my great-great-grandpappys.  I'll see if I can put my hands on the relevant web addresses....

Tj, I hope you never washed your hand again after shaking with The Great Bear. 

Daniel, I didn't think that was a plough! But that's what the caption said.  My farming relatives would be sooo embarassed for me!   

Lone Gunman--that's one Hell of a cart!!! That's downright slick!

[Pancho Peacemaker]

FYI:

Theres a gent on the SASS wire selling a Calgraf Coffin gun cart for real cheap (almost 1/2 the retail price).  He's not far from me.  If anybody in this area is interested, let me know.

If you ain't seen one, they're real smart:  Small 48" coffin on wheels that opens up and holds all your long guns and ammo.

Pancho

[Bisley Joe]

Anyone know if either NCOWS or SASS would allow a guncart fashioned after the earliest automobiles?
I am thinking electric, gas, or even steam powered.
I would not drive it into the shooting area with other carts necessarily, but station it just outside the stage.

Here is what I am thinking about, more or less: