Greenland hunting rifles

Interesting.

From my reading, large quantities of Winchester 1873s and vast quantities of 44WCF were traded in the Canadian Arctic.
 
for about 10yrs, from the mid '80's, I got up to Goose Bay and out to camps on the Eagle during the summer. I saw a lot of 303 Lee Enfields (usually one in each of the camps) for the very rare occasion that one of the common black bears got belligerent. As we were there for the fishing, other types of rifles weren't prevalent but the few I saw and was invariably asked to 'check out' were .223 Rem. .. ALL of them had obvious evidence of a tough life in the bottom of a boat or lashed (unprotected) to a ski doo. Scopes were rare and open sights the rule... rust in the bore was not uncommon. Typical use was caribou, seal and possibly moose. The only guy I knew that trapped occasionally also trained dogs and had a well worn single shot .22. From that small sample it was obvious that rifles were treated the same as a hockey stick.
 
It is a different way of life - as you observed. The single shot Krag rifles are pretty cool. A few years back I took a look at a line throwing gun which I believe was in the same caliber. The action type - looked Hungarian, though, like a 35m. (?) :confused:

No doubts that fine specimen have never seen any use in the hand of the subsistence, Greenlandic Inuit and Arctic ocean hunter of various seals and Polar Bear.

Many of these Danish Krag, intended to be sold to Greenlandic Inuit hunters, were actually bought up by Danes working in Greenland, and then brought back to Denmark, as a memento of their stay in Greenland. This specimen could very well be one on those, "Greenlandic souvenir guns", picked up by a Dane in Greenland, and then shipped back to Denmark with his belongings ?

Many Danes, as well as Faroe Islanders, living in Greenland, would acquire a Danish Krag while living in Greenland, and who more often than not, could not part with their Danish Krag, when they returned home.

Due to cultural differences, as well as the completely different view of what a gun was for, the Danes and the Inuit hunters in Greenland would view and use the Danish Krag rifles, from a totally different perspective, of that of a well to do collector, and that of an Arctic Ocean hunter, feeding his family and sled dogs.

For a Dane in Greenland, would view a Danish Krag, from a perspective as most of the fine collectors in these fine pagers. However, from an Greenlandic Inuit hunters point of view, a Danish Krag, was a hunting tool, equal along with his harpoons, always exposed to the harsh elements of the Arctic Ocean, either from his kayak or his small, hunting boat. Often, the Danish Krag would have a seal skin string attached to the stock and the kayak, in order to prevent it from getting lost, if it accidentally, during the recovery part of the hunt, fell overboard.

More often than not, and perhaps to the strong chemical smells of gun oil, that could tarnish seal and birds that had been caught, most Greenlandic Inuit hunters used seal oil for lubricating their Danish Krag. I have also seen margarine used as gun lubricant in Greenland. Also seal oil is perhaps superior to chemical gun oils, when used under severe Arctic cold. Seal oil does not freeze, and thus make the Danish Krag action work under any weather conditions of Greenland.
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AP said:
for about 10yrs, from the mid '80's, I got up to Goose Bay and out to camps on the Eagle during the summer. I saw a lot of 303 Lee Enfields (usually one in each of the camps) for the very rare occasion that one of the common black bears got belligerent. As we were there for the fishing, other types of rifles weren't prevalent but the few I saw and was invariably asked to 'check out' were .223 Rem. .. ALL of them had obvious evidence of a tough life in the bottom of a boat or lashed (unprotected) to a ski doo. Scopes were rare and open sights the rule... rust in the bore was not uncommon. Typical use was caribou, seal and possibly moose. The only guy I knew that trapped occasionally also trained dogs and had a well worn single shot .22. From that small sample it was obvious that rifles were treated the same as a hockey stick.
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Similar, but there 20 years earlier, lots of 222's. - dan
 
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And nothing has changed. Sentimentality about guns is a thing for us gunnutz, the folks living off their rifles generally view them as illustrated.

Met a few obligate sustenance hunters in my line of work, I have yet to run into a rifle that was interesting enough to investigate at length amongst them. It’s a good thing the sustenance hunters don’t yet have reliable internet, or our “What chambering for…” threads would be forever changed. Then again… only we can drum up an argument on such a subject, nobody else cares enough. :d
 
Lots of farmers and ranchers view guns the same way. Hang it up on a nail in the barn after use. A dribble of used motor oil in the action should keep away any rust. Store any ammo in the cupboard along with screws, nails etc. Nobody needs more than half a box anyway.
 
A coupla years ago I was in a FN hunt/fish camp north of the Albany. It was early spring, the ice had just gone off. This camp is used a few times during the year as they have to fly in. A pair of '94's hung on nails on the outside of a log shack...ready to go hunt moose.
 
mbogo3 said:
I don't respect anyone that doesn't look after tools or guns. Easy come easy go.
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And you’ll find most of the guys who live what’s talked here, see them as just tools and consumables. Not everyone is in love with guns, for most who don’t frequent forums for decades they’re just a tool. And there’s nothing wrong with that, I’ve subscribed to both sides, circumstances dependent.
 
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