Thoughts on hanging a firearm as decoration?

[epijunkie67]

I'm about to redo my office at home. I haven't decided on anything final but the idea hit me to display a rifle on the wall. I have a variety to chose from but thought about putting one of my lever actions with some nice wood up someplace.

We have no children in the house so it's just my wife and me. I wasn't planning on putting it in a case or anything, although if I don't then dust might become an issue.

Thoughts? Concerns?

 

[aarondhgraham]

I long for those days,,,

I long for those days,,,
When that was the normal thing to do.

When I was a kid in the early 60's,,,
I had all three of my long guns displayed on the wall,,,
It was just so personally satisfying to not have to hide them away.

The only guns I have on display now are my Daisy Spittin' Image rifles and pistols,,,
I'm too afraid to put a real gun on display for fear it will be stolen.

Although my cat Chu-Toi is fairly fierce,,,
Get too close to my Daisy's and he might purr you to death.

What is the décor of your office,,,
You could match the display rifle to that.

Or just hang and display the gun you most like to look at,,,
And who says you can't swap the gun for another as your mood changes.

Aarond

.

 

[MErl]

I do it here. No kids, few visitors. Just for giggles I use a cable lock and lock em to the (concrete) wall.

Might want to check with the wife first.

 

[9mmfan]

Filled the leather just long enough to snap this pic:

Cool as I though it would look, no way would I leave them there permanently.
I figure it works without the guns anyway:


I have an BP rifle with a rusted bore that is missing the nipple, old roommate left it behind years ago before I owned any guns, I have been tempted to hang that over the fireplace, or maybe over the framed flag in the pic. I'll get around to it one of these days.

 

[mdauben]

I'm about to redo my office at home. I haven't decided on anything final but the idea hit me to display a rifle on the wall. I have a variety to chose from but thought about putting one of my lever actions with some nice wood up someplace.

If the location is out of sight of any windows in the room and you don't get a lot of strangers visiting, I might do it. I used to have my first gun hanging on the wall of my bedroom in my parent's house and I've thought about hanging a repro muzzleloader on the wall in my current home office/hobby room. I sometimes wonder if we don't get a litttle over-obsessed with locking up our firearms?

 

[bigfatdave]

Someone on here has a nice M1 carbine up on the wall, if I remember right, it's hot and ready to go, bayonet and all.

I wouldn't do it unless the gun was secured&disabled, or grab&go - anything in between seems unwise (and grab&go might be unwise for many people in many situations)

I like the dual wheelgun rigs posted! They need a lever-rifle above them or in a scabbard next to 'em.

 

[Steve CT]

This is not a hanging display, but a book case display. A good friend of mine made the display for my son for a pretty special gun.



He was home on leave after 14 months in the Persian Gulf, we walked into this one at my LGS, unfired, NIB Serial # 00001 Dan Wesson .445 SuperMag.

Did not stay unfired for long, we spent a day "breaking rocks in the hot sun" once he loaded up some ammunition for it.

 

[scaatylobo]

NOTHING live

I have displayed a few pistols [ mock ups ] & a 1947 Daisy Red Ryder as well as a very realistic looking M-4 airsoft.

the rest are in solid safes with alarms.

Unless I am wearing um .

 

[M2 Carbine]

I built this Hawken many years ago and it's been here ever since.

 

[hovercat]

If you had a $10,000 painting that you enjoyed, would you hang it or lock it up? I would enjoy that fine firearm. Perhaps remove the firing pin, mainspring or similar critical but not noticeable part to make it kid safe. Life is too short to keep in a safe.

 

[BigBoreJay]

Off Topic, but...

9mm fan, I love the framed Texas flag! I have an identical flag that is a memento of the time (1963-1969) i lived in Amarillo. I've been thinking lately of how best to display it, now I know! Thank you!

 

[Malamute]

I keep a few up and handy. They are all loaded, so far as I know. I dust the rifles in the rack off with an old toothbrush now and then.

My current place,









Old place with old dog,



Another old place,

 

[Tommygunn]

This:

 

[El Viejo]

I have a few I wouldn't mind displaying, but I don't for fear of their getting stolen. As it is they are well hidden & protected by alarms, but if someone were to make a quick theft run through our house, anything on display would be a quick grab.

 

[9mmfan]

I like the dual wheelgun rigs posted! They need a lever-rifle above them or in a scabbard next to 'em.

That's a really good idea, I have a Rossi '92 that would fill that role nicely.

BigBoreJay, thanks. They sell that one and a much larger one at most gun shows in DFW. My wife kept saying she thought one would look good over my desk. She was right. She usually is...

Whenever Malamute posts pics of his stomping grounds, it always makes me wish I wasn't such a citified weenie. I mean, I sleep in a tent a couple weekends a year, but that's the real deal there.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Nice dog.

I know someone that made a nice little shadow box with a non-working old revolver, then opted for a non-gun "Winchester" for a display piece.

We used to have a 1903A3 over the fireplace at one time, it got dusted like the rest of the knick-knacks.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

This seems familiar somehow-http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=724172

 

[Sav .250]

As everybody has an opinoin, some say yes. Some say no. It`s your office.........display away.

 

[leadcounsel]

Why not hang/display them while you're home, and lock 'em up when you leave for extended periods?

I've been meaning to do this in my new home... I used to display a couple old C&R rifles in my last house.

Another thought is to remove the bolts to at least make them non-usable if they are stolen.

 

[Trung Si]

 

[MattShlock]

I think that in a home, and home office where you do NOT work professionaly, it is MANDATORY to display a beautiful gun.

At a professional office maybe a clearly old flintlock or somerthing but I wouldn't suggest it. Better a statuette of a Minuteman and even THEN you'll be accused of being a racist by someone.

 

[borntxn]

My grandfather had ammo displays, rifles and revolvers displayed in his home/cabin and as a kid it gave me a favorable impression (plus the ahhh factor of a young boy) of firearms although my dad and step-mom didn't have any guns in our home. Looking back it was a great opportunity for my grandfather and I to talk about guns.

The pics that some have posted are nice, you guys are making my plastic guns look uglier than normal.

 

[mnrivrat]

I met a fellow some years back and we got to talking about guns. He had an unfinished project gun 1911 pistol. I went with him to his house to look at the gun and to make an offer.
He had been doing some remodeling in the house so when he took a couple of his nice long guns off the rack to show them to me, they were dusty on the top, including some wood dust. Now he had several long guns with spot rust from end to end as the moisture in the air was sucked up by the dust and freckled the otherwise prestine examples including a very nicely engraved gun.

Moral of this story is to make sure you do regular mainentance on your wall hangers. Personaly I like the displays and particularly the creative ones with accessories. Go for it !!!

PS: He wanted to much for the 1911 parts gun. His claim to have been on an army pistol shooting team was also in question when I seen how he maintained his guns.

 

[bainter1212]

I work on people's appliances, so that means I see a lot of family room walls. I have seen quite a few C&Rs hanging up, including a Finnish 91/30. Many of these rifles had been on the wall for decades. I have made a couple of offers that were apparently too low and declined to make offers due to condition. Someday I hope to happen upon a "grail gun" that I can snag for the right price.

Not everyone is an enthusiast, many just hang up "grandpas old gun" on the wall for decoration.

 

[MattShlock]

I was a manager for a multi-millionaire named Moishe when I was in college coupla decades ago. Very busy pair of big stores. Our warehouse was a waterfront WWI munitions factory.

In it we found what I knew to be a couple of stripped Pattern 14/Model 1917 lower stocks. I asked if I could have them. The owner said no -- that he intended to display at least one at home over the mantle someday. Not kidding!

I explained how absurd an idea that was and how valueless they were. He didn't care but also thought everything was gold and everyone was as greedy and crooked as he apparently was. And it's not like he didn't know what a complete gun was -- he was in the Army where I understand he started his fortune by stealing government supplies and selling them during WWII.

This one is on sale somewhere for $15 today: