This gun rug is probably rarer than any gun you will ever own. It was made by Heiser in the 1950's right after the company was acquired, ceasing to exist shortly thereafter. The perfect label is probably rarer than the rug since many had the label torn out. A year ago I bought a 1910 S&W Target revolver. Before I left the shop, the owner said he almost forget the rug in the back that came with the gun. Since the gun was one of a matched pair (lettered by me) I imagine that the original owner died in the 1950's and the family split up the guns. The new owner of the target revolver invested a little money in a nice rug. Now I keep this loaded 1977 Smith in the rug as one of my house guns. . .keeping a holster on top of the rug. The 1910 revolver is stored in my collection. You could probably throw this outfit off the roof of a building and not hurt the gun. I wonder how many of you have acquired "vintage" rugs over the years. If you have, some pictures would be good. It would help if any of us ever come across a rug with the label ripped out, and don't know what it is.

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Dr. B

I would like to share a valuable lesson in the use of gun rugs.

My first and very beautiful 6906 was carefully placed in a nice gun rug.

The first time I unzipped it the gun fell out of the rug and bounced on the concrete floor. The most amazing part is no visible damage done.

The moral of the story is open the zipper over a bench. The contents can be a little slippery.

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Back to back World War Champs.

Here's a rug by S.D. Myres.



A Colorado Saddlery rug.

I have two Heiser rugs that have the oval stamp with no interior label, I'll take some photos when I return home and post them. Thanks for posting your rug and for showing the label.
Regards,
turnerriver

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turnerriver

Wow. Never seen a Myres one.

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Dr. B

With their quality and level of craftsmanship, it's hard for me to refer to the Heiser and Myres products as "rugs". I guess that's the proper terminology, but I've always called them soft cases.

Maybe it's just me?

Anyway, all of them are beautiful.

A Colorado Saddlery rug.

[/QUOTE]

That old K22 looks kind of LERKy. I kind of like it.

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Dick Burg

Been trying to find one for years. Closest I have been able to come are some shearling lined flap holsters.

Regards,
Bruce

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Regards,
Bruce

We've had threads on "barbecue gun" rigs with fancy leather. ^Those beauties are barbecue gun rugs! They're meant to be shown off, not hidden on a shelf.
I think if I owned one of those rugs, it would have its own case.

I HAVE USED GUN RUGS TO STORE MY HANDGUNS FOR 60 YEARS. NONE OF MINE HAVE EVER COME CLOSE TO THE CARVED LEATHER WORKS OF ART, PICTURED IN THIS THREAD. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING.....

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

I thought a rug was what some guys wear on top of their head.
"Holy Smoke the preacher shouted,
in his haste he lost his hair.
Now his head resembles Heaven,
cause there is no parting there."
I have some soft gun cases with zippers, but they are nowhere
near beautiful enough to put on here. But I liked looking at all
of yours.

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In Omnia Paratus

.........gun rugs, not in the class of John's beauties but old style.

Front is a laced edge, floral tooled, DIY example, unfortunately has 3 initials on the spine but no makers mark.

Middle is a Koplin with embossed tooling.

& Back is one I picked up yesterday in a flea mkt. up in Missouri.

Safariland suede.

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LEX ET ORDO

Got this from Fat Tom and I don't think he knew who made it at the time. Any guesses? no label. There is a mark on the back.





Charlie

Ya know,I just stumble along at gun shows and antique shows looking. In all that time I've lucked into one Heiser rug, one Heiser ammo case, and a single leg of mutton shotgun case. They're all hidden away where no one can see them.

I kind of violated my rules on that when I took the case, dropped the equally ratty old 44 3rd target in it, and then took it to the Louisville show. But the goodies are now back safe, behind layers of concrete and steel. The reason we almost never see the stuff is because selfish old coots like me hoard it away where you can't get your grubby hands on it. Pure selfishness with no other explanation. My widow knows what I paid and won't be a sucker to sell cheap. Well, my future widow. Not really dead yet, so I'll be there at the venues, shoulder to shoulder with everyone else, still looking. I'm pretty quick on the draw (with my billfold) and I'd feel real good about buying another.

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Dick Burg

I am a leather man, and you guys have now inspired me to make a tooled pistol rug. Stand by, it will happen, ha. BTW, I have made a ton of tooled other things, saddles, holsters, rifle scabbards wallets, purses, notebooks, etc., etc. but never a gun rug. Now it is going to happen. I shall return!

Mr. Witty, if you don't mind, could you show an interior shot of the rug? I am curious to know if it is clipped shearling, or maybe something else.
Thanks, and would still like to have that Tio Sam biography if you get a chance, please, sir.

Here are the two Heiser rugs. The black rug is a model 86, cataloged as being made of Chap leather. The brown rug us stamped with model number 85 which is described as being made of California Oak tanned skirting leather but is also cataloged as being floral carved, model # 84 is plain. So this one is mismarked apparently. Both have clipped wool linings.



This is the interior of the Myres rug.

Regards,
turnerriver

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turnerriver

Excellent, thank you, sir.

Your DIY rug is/was a Tandy Leather kit.
Mine came from my Uncle Steve after he passed away. It had his 18-3 in it. It was tooled and assembled by my mother back in the mid 70s when she took some leather working classes one winter. It was given to him as a Christmas gift.

Picked this one up recently. I believe it too is a Tandy kit. Tooled both sides, nicely done.


Lined with glove leather, has a handy pocket for all the necessary paperwork.



Regards,
Bruce

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Regards,
Bruce

^^^^^^^

Very nice!

GF

Those leather "rugs" aren't rugs they are well tailored tuxedos.

I see I'm not the only one that tucks a few bucks in with the gun.

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Back to back World War Champs.

Love my Brownells gun rug

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Mike
S&WCA #3065

I don't even remember which gun this rug came with. Maybe my old Ruger Blackhawk .357 that I sold to my roommate some 20 years ago.

No markings of any kind. Big enough (just barely) to fit my 1860 Army clone.

I'm guessing that it was GF who posted above who uttered the words "oh my gawd" at the big show in Louisville. It was when the parade kind of went past him heading for David Carroll's tables. We had a private showing of one of my guns, traveling in my H H Heiser rug. Gun shows have odd things happening. If you go and watch the characters, you'll see a group moving as a unit in one direction. Its a pretty good bet that either one of them has bird dogged a gun, or that something is coming out for an occasional showing. Its one of the undercurrents in larger gun shows.

Folks pay outrageous money to park and then come in as spectators. Then the dumber ones leave after a couple of hours, never seeing the very best guns and items that only come out every few years. Keep your eyes open and make friends. Sometimes you'll get to see good stuff.

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Dick Burg

I have been searching online for gun rugs all day and nothing compares to what you all have posted. I haven't seen any worth ordering yet

I like this one for its sheer simplicity. A single piece of shearling with a Talon zipper.


Regards,
Bruce

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Regards,
Bruce

First one I ever saw with a grip. No idea who made it, but he was serious about his craft.


Regards,
Bruce

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Regards,
Bruce

As usual, y'all's collection inspire me to try different things. After looking at those beautiful gun rugs and not quite ready to try sewing in a zipper, I tried to make a different kind of rug.

I lined it with some of Tandy's synthetic wool fleece that is non-absorbent.

Holding my M25-2.

And one of the S&W.

Beautiful ! And very secure. Thank you for sharing that. I really like that the strap is tooled, as well.

Regards,
Bruce

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Regards,
Bruce

Soft case with a lock....I like it. Maybe enough of a deterrent to keep the kiddies out of it should they find it.

Something else to look for. I've picked up a couple leather cases along the way, but never gave them a second thought.

Absolutely stunning work! Every detail is perfect, and the carving is amazing. It's a very unique idea, thanks for sharing.

Let's bring this thread back with another different one. And thanks for the kind words.




A J frame snubby fits easier but I did get my M19 snubby in there.

Anyone ever had a problem with guns sweating and rusting when stored in soft cases? In the early 80's I had a Sako rifle that after wiping it off with a silicone cloth, I stored in an inexpensive soft gun case with wool like lining. When I checked it a couple months later I found surface rust on it.

Most of the linings are synthetic and don't hold moisture. I'm guessing that the pre-war rugs may also be pre-synthetic, and could be a problem in a damp environment.

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Dr. B

I'm more concerned with the grit and combustion by products (not like gasoline fumes) that seem to be attracted to the linings. Its why I've always wrapped an old rag around my fired guns before sticking them in any rug or case. But on that subject, has anyone tried cleaning the shearling liner with one of the dry cleaning or spot removal products? Some even spray on and then dry, holding the oil and dirt so they can be brushed off.

Its also one of my concerns with rifle and shotgun cases. I have no idea how they were treated before I bought them and I know of some mishandling since. Can't very well send them out to a dry cleaner or laundromat.

Long ago I read an article about how sportsmen are treated by LEO and others. The gist of it was if you had and used quality products, others would see it and understand. My gunshow friend Joe dresses up to impress others. I can't be impressed, but it does seem to work for him. At yesterdays gun show, a young guy was walking along with a couple of his buddies. I was impressed because he was carrying a Browning Shotgun case. A hundred other yokels came by, too. But they had the standard gun cases, made from synthetic whatever. That one guy stood out. And if you encounter an LEO when he's on duty, and you need to let him see your carry gun, he generally will be more pleasant if you're poite and then he see's a major brand holster. Thugs don't bother with genuine leather holster, they spend the money on drugs or beer.

Sorry, just some thoughts.

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Dick Burg

I use compressed air and a vacuum to clean mine.

Regards,
Bruce

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Regards,
Bruce

While I super really love and appreciate the older rugs, I don't yet have any. I do however have a handful of current production models that I admire on a regular basis. My favorite is a Duluth Pack bison rug that wraps my 14-3.








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Pass it on.
Mark

Very nice.

Regards,
Bruce

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Regards,
Bruce

Can we talk for a minute about that ratty old K22 Outdoorsmans gun, the one with the HBH? Can I guess the serial number as up about 674,000? Its a good one. Why the aftermarket grips?

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Dick Burg

675303. Those aftermarket stocks came on it and are the nicest feeling targets I ever wrapped my paws around. Wish I knew their origin.


Regards,
Bruce

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Regards,
Bruce

More thoughts now. Bamabiker has a really good set of ideas. I have no idea what he does for a living, or how his career is progressing. But this is how Keith Brown got started 6 or 7 years ago. It looks to me like we've got a group of leather workers here on the forum. This is how things change. Suddenly we've got some prototype products that are maybe as good as those from the past. And the old models aren't available these days.

I was never motivated to seek current products that were superior. My best gun rugs from the past were made by my wife, using some old animal hides we picked up in our travels. I sought utility, not beauty.

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Dick Burg

Thanks Mr. Burg, coming from you, that's a real compliment.
Leather work is my therapy from my real job but just don't have enough time to do a lot of it.
And as slow as I am if I did it for a living we'd be under a bridge by the end of next month.

Nothing fancy,just one that does the job well.

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NEVER GIVE UP YOUR GUN

Lawrence called them "butterfly gun cases". That's a little more
dignified than gun rug don't you think?

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In Omnia Paratus

Just had to come by and revisit. There have been some stunning additions! Just got back from visiting my folks in WI, I'm thinking my 15-1 needs an example like those posted. Guess I'll start searching now, even if it is for a new version that takes its que from the past. Thanks for sharing everyone.

Just found my first "Big Three" gun rug. Lawrence 94 2. Don't have it in hand yet. Found it on ebay for the very modest sum of $39 OBO delivered. I think I might have sprained my wrist hitting that BIN button.

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Regards,
Bruce