Vintage Gunning Box

Eric Patterson

Eric Patterson

Moderator
Staff member
We've discussed them numerous times in the past but I'd like to revisit the topic. If you were going to make a box today what would you want it to look like? What do you think the ideal dimensions would be? What features would you like it to have, e.g. shell holders, compartments, leather handle, brass hinges and corner protectors, etc.? In other words what would be your perfect gunning box.

Would you take it in the field or just use it for decor or maybe a trip or two to the range? If you don't think you'd ever use or want one then that's a legit answer too.

Obviously I'm looking for ideas as I plan for a future project of building gunning boxes for myself and maybe to sell.

Eric
 
Hi Eric,

I have built 7 or 8, I think -- given them all to friends except for my own and one other. I used my own box in place of a blind bag and find it works well. The weigh difference is hardly anything when loaded with shells, thermos, etc. My latest build measure 15" x 7.5" x 6.75". It's a tad smaller than my previous builds, but closer in dimensions to actual vintage ammo boxes. I have considered putting a divider inside a box. I think it would limit the storage ability, though. I like to put leather pads in the gun cradle notches, believing that gives it a good touch. My last box has a leather carrying strap as well.

Your question about selling is a good one. I wonder what a person's time & talent, material, and their purpose for building is worth on the open market? Owning something which is handcrafted as opposed to mass produced may appeal to a specific type of hunter. I think the same person who uses handmade decoys, a wooden BBSB or skiff, and who looks at waterfowling through a romantic lens will appreciate a vintage-type gunning box. At least that's my opinion.

I'd love to see your interpretation of the gunning box! best of luck!
 
Eric, I've never owned a gunning box but if I had to pick the nicest wooden chests I've ever seen it would have to be a Gerstner Machinist tool box. I'm trying to imagine how the interior layout would be, but I'm coming up short. My two cents
 
Joe

I was hoping you'd weigh in. Your thoughts on the market are mine to a tee. I have bought a machine to cut box joints and am driving to Nebraska this weekend to get it. I hope there is some interest when I start making boxes to cover the expenses. If not I'll sell the machine as they are in demand by makers of bee boxes, among other uses.

Geoff

We are on the same wavelength. I think a Gerstner has too many drawers but the styling is very much what I have in mind. The below link is a good example. Something as simple as a box can be done a million ways. I'm just trying to figure out how today's upscale waterfowler would want one.

https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/255296-heres-another-gerstner-machinist-mark

Eric
 
Last edited:


I agree with Joe, a divider does limit storage, and the purpose of a gunning box itself is to keep essentials dry, out of harms way and easy to find.

Mine is not used just for gunning in the marshboat. It also can be used while dove hunting, or driven bird shooting. A good stout handle for many boxes of shells. More than any other feature the gun cradle is what makes the box worth having.


Selling them, is much like selling hand made decoys. It won't make ya rich, but you enjoy what you make and how long it lasts after yer gone. Proof for many years that You Were Here.

There is no doubt in my mind that if you should make them they will be quality items that become heirlooms. A specialty dealer in high end hunting & gunning gear could be interested in such a item.


my 2 cents
 
Eric
I feel there is a small market for the shooting boxes. In this disposable society of buy it use it throw it away and buy another again, the hand crafted items made by craftsmen only appeal to a small portion of people that value quality, beauty and craftsmanship. The time and quality of materials used add up quickly, and as a craftsman your time is worth $$$. With that being said, I'd give it a go, just knowing that some people are using and enjoying the product and will be passing it down to the next generation. Also there is other markets such as an artist paint storage box (I need one start cutting). My decoy carving tools, knives made by a bladesmith in Washington, I make my own spokeshaves, drawknife's from a small forge in France. So some of us will and do buy handcrafted.


45B39A0C-576B-4EA2-9650-1D3BDC7230CC.jpeg8FB01BB3-8985-448E-A906-CDDFC35A1D0C.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Vince Pagliaroli said:
A specialty dealer in high end hunting & gunning gear could be interested in such a item.
Click to expand...

Kevin's out of Thomasville, GA or Tallahassee, FL comes to mind. And possibly heading out to some of the cool duckboat/decoy shows in the northeast might be a good place to sell. Plus, if it is part of a business the trip could possibly be a write off for you to get to go and see and do.....
 
I have not used one, but have seen plenty in pictures. I use several buckets with screw on lids, myself.

What is the goal as far as quantity of gear? I usually have in my buckets: all shells for a hunt. Gloves. Mittens. Extra hat or 2. Lunch. Snacks. Ear muffs. Calls. Hand warmers. VHF. Thermos of Coffee. Liter of water. Binoculars. That is about 2 5 gallon buckets for me, but that is partly the poor ratio of area to edge in a bucket and the depth is a problem. When cold, more hats and gloves, warmer, less.

Just trying to figure out what the intended use is.
 
Eric,

I would be interested in seeing the machine. I use the Porter Cable dovetail jig or a jig on my table saw with dado blades.

Probably need to modernize design to include IPhone storage or charging.

Rick
 
All

Thanks for the inputs and suggestions. This whole gunning box idea is in its infancy but something I've wanted to do for years, ever since seeing one in a catalog of vintage hunting equipment.

As for Tod's question of size I think I want something that is for the essentials like shells, calls, maybe chokes, and I do like the idea of a means to carry a phone. So in other words a small to medium sized box that could be toted without too much trouble. I'll leave today's plethora of bags to take care of gloves, hats, lunch, softdrink, etc..

The pictures below are in-line with my thoughts, but again, this is in the infancy and will be some time before I can really dive in. It's probably better that way so I can let the ideas percolate and come up with a solution I like and you all's input will really help with ideas.

Eric



GBox.jpg



GBox2.jpg



GBox3.jpg
 

OK

Here goes.

Very good functional classic design. Really like the leather handle.


Suggestions.

Wooden runners on bottom of box to keep it dry and out muck & water.

2 clasps/latches to secure box instead of one in case of mistake/failure while carrying.

If ya want, a piece of decoy anchor line attached to lid, and box so box opens but lid does not fall back all the way. This helps in situations when room can be minimal, such as a marshboat loaded with decoys, etc.

I learned these thru trial and error.


Also DO NOT try to move the box forward or back while full & heavy by using the gun cradles as a handle. They ain't made for that.



Ya got yerself a dandy of a Gunning Box there.

Put yer brand and yer info inside each box, and the brand on top of outside as well if ya like.


my 2 cents
 
At one time I was considering making one, mainly for the gun cradle. I freelance and rarely am in a nice blind. I was toying with ideas to make the cradle fold out of the way when not in use just because I can see myself breaking them off in the dark in a crowded boat. More importantly it would need to be water tight. I used to use a plastic ammo box and I don't know how many times it fell over without me noticing and ended up with water pooled up in it. I would use it for holding shells, calls, gloves, leash and maybe a snack.
 
Eric--That box is awesome looking. It screams ducking history to me. The thickness of the boards, fully 3/4", I suspect, makes me think it is quite rugged but heavier than I would want. I love the patina and the cradle. Man, if that thing could talk.

And Richard--your reproduction looks great, too. I especially like the boards across the bottom. The sliding tops tell me the owner of the original really put some thought into what he was doing. I would like to have shared a blind with that person, back in the day.

I just got the Porter-Cable dovetail jig, as well. It is supposed to make finger joints, too. I will try that out first chance I get.

I like to plane my wood down to a thickness of 5/8" - 1/2". I have an old Winchester shotgun shell crate I bought many years ago, and the wood is quite thin. I am inclined to think some of the old timers, not as concerned about the aesthetics, might have cobbed a gunning box out of something surplus like that. Who knows, maybe? I have toyed with the thought of using that old crate as a base for a box. All I need to do is add a top and some kind of cradle.

And looking at pictures from a previous thread about this, we notice how the boxes are so individualized. They must have reflected the thoughts and personalities of the men who built them way back then, some with angled sides, and some with drawers, other decorated with decoy head cutouts.

As for carrying handles, my preference would be for something mounted to the sides of the box, to avoid stressing the lid and associated hardware.

I received that new Gordon MacQuarrie book last week, and reading it there is a very brief mention of a shell box in one of the stories. No description was given, but my mind's eye immediately went to our gunning boxes we've discussed. I suppose that is the romantic lens I'm looking through when I think about this stuff.

Maybe one day, the grandson of one of my friends will pull a wooden box out of the closet and tell his friends that his granddad used to carry his gear in that box to go hunting, and I will rest knowing I had a hand in that memory.
 
Richard asked about the machine I'm getting. Below are pictures the seller sent me. In its most recent life it was used to make custom pool cue cases. Beyond that I do not know but it is probably 100 years older or older. Note the bearings are babbitt and not ball. The condition looks to be outstanding but the real test will be how it cuts.

Appreciate all the design discussion. Exactly what I need to come up with a design that others will like.

Eric



22071-2-z.jpg

306866378_5268760843229740_8551159210956158386_n.jpg

FSRA2485.jpg

NLTQ1306.jpg

JTSY5035.jpg

MEFC6751.jpg
 
When you said you had bought that machine, I tried to look up what they look like but wasn't successful. That is quite the machine!

In the gunning box, I'm probably not the target demographic, since I'd make my own if I wanted one - but I can understand the allure of a box for shells and calls. I don't see the need for the gun cradle anyplace I've ever hunted and I'd like to see a lid with some degree of waterproofing or water shedding, since my gear is always wet with salt spray. I'd assume the boxes are made with lid on and then cut open after assembly (rather than the body and lid being made separate). Were I to make one for myself, I'd make a lid that overlapped the edges of the box or in some way was more resistant to spray or rain getting in that didn't rely on a rubber seal. Having the box the proper width for 2 boxes of shells side-by-side with no wasted space would make me happy if I made one for myself (can one dimension accommodate 2 boxes of 12 gauge and the other 2 or 3 boxes of 20 gauge without wasted space?). With the jointery you plan, I'd think a hand rubbed finish would really show it off.
 
Joe

Thanks. I've never bought a machine sight-unseen so there is some risk but the pictures surely suggest the machine was taken care of. Right now my biggest concern is the condition of the babbitt (a lead and tin mixture melted and poured). I'd prefer not to mess with them.

On the box thickness I tend to agree that 3/4" is probably overkill for a box this size and could be thinner to save weight. Wood species comes into play as well. For me white oak or pine seem like logical choices. Then there is finish. I like painted boxes. I like a natural oil finish too. In either case just needs to be done with care and not slopped around, which is real easy to do on the inside of a box. On the handle, yes, there are some advantages to a side mounted handle. Now that I think about it, no doubt ideas can be borrowed from old tool caddies like in the below picture I googled. So many ways to make a box!

Eric





691_1.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top