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swirt
309 posts
and
7 followers
in about 12 years
in about 12 years
More from swirt
Folding shotgun cart
After many years away, I have recently gotten back into shooting clays. I used to shoot trap, but since then the idea of a "sporting clays" course has really taken off. With sporting clays you drive a golf cart from station to station or walk. The golf cart is fun, but the added cost wears on me. I saw a couple people on the course with modified baby jogging strollers and I thought, what a cool idea... but knew I could do better than that. So I had an idea and went searching the internet to see if anyone had beat me to it. I could not find one like this.
It is based on a Harbor Freight folding hand truck. Yes there are others made by Stanley and Milwaukee, but the Harbor Freight has better sized wheels (bigger). Some T hinges, 2" PVC, and a bit of woodworking on the shelf and I had a very usable gun cart. It folds up pretty flat but also holds everything securely while walking from station to station.
I was making one for me and one for a friend of mine that we go shooting with. His young son shoots a 410, he shoots a 12 ga, I shoot 16ga and my son 20ga. So I asked my son to design a 3D printable holder for a box of shells that could easily adjust to hold any of those sizes. He did a great job.
The maple shelf is finished with Milk Paint Co's Dark Tung Oil.
Source: Harbor Freight Folding Gun Cart (more complete build details)
Shotgun shell box holder 3D model
It is based on a Harbor Freight folding hand truck. Yes there are others made by Stanley and Milwaukee, but the Harbor Freight has better sized wheels (bigger). Some T hinges, 2" PVC, and a bit of woodworking on the shelf and I had a very usable gun cart. It folds up pretty flat but also holds everything securely while walking from station to station.
I was making one for me and one for a friend of mine that we go shooting with. His young son shoots a 410, he shoots a 12 ga, I shoot 16ga and my son 20ga. So I asked my son to design a 3D printable holder for a box of shells that could easily adjust to hold any of those sizes. He did a great job.
The maple shelf is finished with Milk Paint Co's Dark Tung Oil.
Source: Harbor Freight Folding Gun Cart (more complete build details)
Shotgun shell box holder 3D model
16 Comments
great idea swirt. i too have been away from shooting for a long time. we used to shoot trap and skeet. a cart like this would have been very cool to have. may i ask why you designed it with the gun barrel down ? i would have gone with the butts on the bottom barrels up. thats how all the range racks were made. love it though.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
Sporting clays is awesome! (Many) years ago, I went to several really cool courses, including one in Vale, Co that was just freaking amazing. We actually have a course not far from us, but it’s pretty small and a bit expensive. I haven’t shot clays of any kind in years. When my dad passed away 20 years ago I lost my shooting partner and that really reduced my overall shooting. Good memories! Nice carts!!
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
Thanks Pottz. Good question. I went with barrel down because it made me nervous having them barrel up. When I tip the cart to move it, the barrels would always be pointin at me head. :) Something about that was unsettling. With them barrel down like this, they are always pointing away from me and away from anyone else. This cart actually saves a lot of juggling. When using a golf cart, the 4 of us would get off the cart, move to the rack by the station and put all our guns in the rack. Then each person would shoot and they'd go back in the rack. Then from the rack and back to the golf cart. With this hand cart, the cart is the rack. So you pick your gun up to shoot it and then it goes back on the cart directly. A lot less juggling.
Thanks RyanGi. Its funny the role our dad's play. My dad passed a few years back. The 16 ga I shoot was given to him by his grandfather. It was made in 1926. It makes me smile to be using his gun. It also makes me smile to see my son using the gun that used to be mine. As my shooting buddy says about sporting clays, "It's stupid fun!" We go out, share some good laughs and spend some quality time with our kids.
Thanks RyanGi. Its funny the role our dad's play. My dad passed a few years back. The 16 ga I shoot was given to him by his grandfather. It was made in 1926. It makes me smile to be using his gun. It also makes me smile to see my son using the gun that used to be mine. As my shooting buddy says about sporting clays, "It's stupid fun!" We go out, share some good laughs and spend some quality time with our kids.
Insteresting cart. nicely thought out and executed.
Ron
Looks like a handy and functional cart 👍
It's amazing the amount of equipment that has to be dragged around.
It's amazing the amount of equipment that has to be dragged around.
Thanks 987Ron and SplinterGroup.
It's amazing the amount of equipment that has to be dragged around.
Yes, all this to simulate hunting birds in a field. :)
That's a really nice build with some great features. Congrats to your son on designing the shell holders.
Good idea with the barrels pointing down, it's all about safety having fun at the range.
Nice story about shooting with your son and the history of your family shotguns.
Good idea with the barrels pointing down, it's all about safety having fun at the range.
Nice story about shooting with your son and the history of your family shotguns.
Thank you Tom.
That's pretty cool, Swirt.
We were at a competition shootout and everyone there had a cart ( not folding) with a couple of shotguns , 2 lever action rifles and they wore six shooters on their hips. Some of the gals there were the fastest and most accurate shooters.
They have that every year at the public range in Casa Grande, Arizona
We were at a competition shootout and everyone there had a cart ( not folding) with a couple of shotguns , 2 lever action rifles and they wore six shooters on their hips. Some of the gals there were the fastest and most accurate shooters.
They have that every year at the public range in Casa Grande, Arizona
Cheers, Jim ........................ Variety is the spice of life...............Learn something new every day
Cowboy action shooting is a cool thing to watch. I tried to get into three-gun stuff years ago but it was like an hour drive each way to get to the range that had it set up. Lots of fun, but not enough to warrant the time and expense for me…and that was when gas was cheap!
Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".
That makes me smile. I grew up in Dayton Ohio, neighbor to Vandalia Ohio past home of the annual Grand Masters trap shoot, and the Ohio Masters. Each year thousands of trap shooters would converge on us, and it sounded like machine gun fire for over 4 days as millions of rounds were fired at the same amount of clay birds. Every kid I knew shot trap, skeet, and most of us hunted, so we loved all the action, and used to walk the Grand, just watching, then a lot of us tried our hand.
The only reason I say all of that is I have seen first hand thousands of gun carts, caddies, and pull alongs. That is in the top 5 easily. Great design Swirt, nicely laid out.
The only reason I say all of that is I have seen first hand thousands of gun carts, caddies, and pull alongs. That is in the top 5 easily. Great design Swirt, nicely laid out.
Thanks @Jim Jakosh It is probably good for my wallet that there is no Cowboy Action club in the area. My love of old tools extends to side by side shotguns, lever action rifles and single action revolvers as well. Also a huge western tv/movie fan.
@GeorgeWest, thank you. Thanks for sharing your history to give merit to your praise. That means a lot.
@GeorgeWest, thank you. Thanks for sharing your history to give merit to your praise. That means a lot.
Swirt, you are a man after my own heart. I watch western movies all the time. I have 2 shotguns and 2 lever action rifles. I always wanted a double barrel shotgun with hammers ( called coach gun) and I did buy one from Dunham Sports. It was on sale at the time. It was the worst piece of Chinese junk I ever bought and I took it back the next week end. First the shells would not eject because the shafts on the ejectors were to sloppy, they jumped over the shells when you opened it. We had to knock the spent shells out with a dowel rod. But the real thing bad about it was that when you loaded it and closed it, the lever that is suppose to slide back to center and lock the action DID NOT. That sucker could have opened up with each shot! Buy good brand name guns always!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers, Jim ........................ Variety is the spice of life...............Learn something new every day
a chinese shotgun jim.................shame on you !!!!! no real american buys a chinese gun !!!! but because i luv ya my friend ill forgive this one .................😞
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
2 year update:
This cart has held up remarkably well. I use it once a month. I was worried that the wheels might not hold up to use on gravel roads. So far the cart has logged about 30 miles on the gravel and the wheels are holding up fine. The cart has been exposed to rain and salty humid florida air and has had no issues.
I do wish the wheels were a little wider so they were a little easier to pull through some of the deeper gravel, but it is not that bad. Two guns plus 10 boxes of ammo and it pulls just fine.
This cart has held up remarkably well. I use it once a month. I was worried that the wheels might not hold up to use on gravel roads. So far the cart has logged about 30 miles on the gravel and the wheels are holding up fine. The cart has been exposed to rain and salty humid florida air and has had no issues.
I do wish the wheels were a little wider so they were a little easier to pull through some of the deeper gravel, but it is not that bad. Two guns plus 10 boxes of ammo and it pulls just fine.
if i was still an active shooter id be making one myself.
working with my hands is a joy,it gives me a sense of fulfillment,somthing so many seek and so few find.-SAM MALOOF.
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