June 11, 2008
Shockingly, Gun Owners Are People, Too
[Kat]
Since we're a military AND gun blog, I thought I'd actually post a little something about guns. Particularly, since that nasty four letter word *work* keeps getting in the way of finishing up Pvt Benson's story (amongst other issues), I'm going to go cheap. Hat tip Instapundit
Have you heard this joke? A professor goes to the NRA headquarters...
PROFESSOR MEETS GUN: Part Three
Quiet, corporate, neat and friendly, full of ordinary Americans of all races, the NRA is masculine in feel but has plenty of women about. Cameras are everywhere, of course, and some of the staff eye me a little warily, but basically there’s an open feel to the place. It’s not creepy.
It's not creepy. Bwaahahahahaaha.
Really, I admire her for going outside of her comfort zone. Seriously, though, you should read the other lead up posts to get the real feel for this situation.
Just to wash that out of your mind and go to the other end of the spectrum, the second story I've seen this week about openly carrying a gun.
Then one evening he stumbled across a site that urged gun owners to do something revolutionary: Carry your gun openly for the world to see as you go about your business.In many states there's no law against that.
Jensen thought about it and decided to give it a try. A couple of days later, his gun was visible, dangling from a black holster strapped around his hip as he walked into a Costco. His heart raced as he ordered a Polish dog at the counter. No one called the police. No one stopped him.
Though, later, he was lectured by someone at a restaurant for exposing children to the horrors of fully taking advantage of the Second Amendment. Still, the "people with guns are crazy"...
"I love this," he said. "I want people to be aware that crazy people are not the only ones with guns. Normal people carry them."
As I noted yesterday, violent crimes are down.
And, now for the real killer:
FDA Expands Tomato Warning Nationwide
That's right. Tomatoes are so dangerous, you can't find them anywhere except at a little huckster stand on the side of the road here and there.
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �April 25, 2008
This being ANZAC day... a little something else for the Gunnies who visit.
Staying alive in the trenches. While helping the "other guy" fail in that activity. This was the source of much ingenuity, such as these Aussies in an outpost in the trenches at Gallipoli.
The Digger on the right is using a periscope to spot for the Digger standing on the left who is using a trench mount to remotely aim and fire his rifle.
The other two are killing time, thinking of home and wishing they were elsewhere - but they're ready... three bayonets-mounted rifles lean against the trench wall in the center.
The Castle Armory counts in its holdings a slightly more polished version of that trench mount. While my personal opinion is that this is probably a reproduction that includes original parts, construction of these mounts varied widely, and it's possible that this is a true original. But the Castle Exchequer *paid* as if it was a repro, and it is represented here as such.
Simple enough - strap your rifle into the frame, insert the periscope, load and cock the rifle, slide up over the parapet... and then fiddle the 'scope until you can properly see the sights. Wedge the scope to hold the sight picture... and start looking for targets.
Downside is that you do have to pull it down or crawl up a bit to reload, which means you usually have to refiddle the periscope.
I've not had a chance to shoot it in this configuration, not yet having found or built a suitable place where I feel I could conduct that experiment safely, without danger of a shot going high and off-property. I have had a chance to get exasperated by the periscope, however!
For those of an interest - a larger format version of the SMLE Trench Mount can be had by clicking here.
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �
September 7, 2007
This would look good on the ramparts...
A Saxon wall-gun, circa 1680. It's a volley gun, i.e., all barrels fired simultaneously.
For a closeup of the muzzles, click here. This sucker was rifled.
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �
August 23, 2007
More reasons I can't go to Afstan.
Another picture from the bazaars, sent by Joe, the land-locked sailor.
From top to bottom - French Mle 1886 Lebel rifle, what I believe is a British Lee-Enfield Mark I* (vice a Lee-Metford), followed by a Snider conversion of the Tower 3-band Enfield musket, and a Martini-Henry carbine, that has seen some local decoration, or is in fact a "Khyber rifle" of local manufacture. Hard to tell without really giving the weapons a good look. The partial rifle, well, I haven't taken the time to see if I can figure out what it might be.
If you'd like a closer look so you can argue with me about something - click here. (It should work right the first time, this time, Wolfwalker)
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �
August 21, 2007
This is why I can't go to Afghanistan.
SWWBO would kill me. Apropos the post below, about going to market...
All these would be going home in the mails. Who cares if they're locally made copies (and not all are, but ya gotta really know your stuff to tell) called "Khyber Rifles?" It's all a part of the history of the gun, the gun it was copied from, and the region where the Armorers who make them live.
For those with the interest, a much larger version of that photo is available by clicking here.
Hmmmm, wunner what Bill is up to these days...
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �August 13, 2007
Guns 'n Rosa's...
That's what CAPT H titled his email where he sent me this link to a photo essay on the Women's Village Defense Committee's in India. Imagine that - providing state-of-the-art weaponry to persons who are *not* full-time government employees (because, as we all know, being a government employee means you are by definition gifted with better judgement and superior intellect and impulse control - hey, just ask us!).
Here's a better shot with fuller context. Yep, along with some AK's, those are home-built Indian INSAS'.
Gun Trash had the first correct answer - however, CAPT H, having pointed out the article in the first place, gets points for restraining himself as long as he did. Well, and for pointing out the article, too!
My first instinct when I saw the muzzle shot, which I knew to be wrong as I started looking closer, was MAS 49/56.
Examples of both are in the Holdings of the Arsenal of Argghhh!!!
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �
April 6, 2007
Accessorizing in the Arsenal
As we've modfied our spendy-habits to allow us to do things like put Kid Through College, Pay Down Debt, and attend the Milblogger Conference, addition of firearms to the Arsenal Holdings has been greatly slowed.
I've contented myself with doing some accessorizing. In this case, the Castle's CUGR.
By adding a nice Saiga VEPR POSP 4x24 V range finder scope. I know, I know, stamped reciever rifle with a scope... better not bang it too much if I want it to hold its boresight.
For those with the bandwidth - here's a higher res version.
I've been slack on gun/militaria/ordnance pics of late. I'll try to make up for it.
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �February 6, 2007
Heh. It would appear the Armorer has helper-gnomes in the Beehive state...
Sanger is getting his revenge on me with his Whatzis number two. I've got that puppy id'd at the T-number, but he's holding out the M-number and a specific aircraft type that he admits he can't find on the 'net either. Sheesh. Dude gets grumpy when he loses a few and is writing a thesis.
However, Sanger, has an interesting guess for *my* Whatzis...
Bottom side of the top part of a lugar?Heh. I dunno, I don't think I wanna contemplate too hard what the bottom side of the top part of a lugar looks like. Some things only the missus should know, eh?
Then there's my little helper bee. Here I was gonna post a new pic today that would help *some* anyway, and he goes along and gives you all the google-fodder you could possibly use.
Sigh. [shakes head]
Rod, I believe, was the first (well, no, John was the first, with his oblique guess for me which didn't thus spoil the thing too quickly), Rod was the first to put it into words - Pedersen Device.
Better known, actually, as the US Automatic Pistol, Caliber .30, Model of 1918.
Yep. Pistol. All part of the deception plan to hide what we were doing from the Germans. Made easier by the fact that it shoots a .30 caliber pistol cartridge, virtually identical to the French .30 Longue, IIRC.
The "automatic pistol" hiding in the body of a bolt-action rifle was the brainchild of John Pedersen, of Remington Arms. Development started before the US entered the war and was a private venture on the part of Remington. Having been following the war, Mr. Pedersen was struck by the inability for troops to effectively fire on the run while crossing "No Mans Land". He started down the path that would lead to such weapons as the Browning Automatic Rifle and Chauchat machine gun. The difference is Pedersen figured that he wasn't going to be able to sell the Army on a whole new rifle design, so he decided to develop a drop-in adaptor that would convert the existing rifle - and at the same time preserve it's hi-powered, long range capabilities.
This led to his gizmo, which replaced the bolt of the standard Springfield with a long bit of kit consisting of a complete firing mechanism and a small "barrel" for the small round. In effect, the "device" was essentially a complete blow-back pistol minus a receiver/grip using the short "barrel" of the device to fit into the longer chamber of the M1903 Springfield. The mechanism was fed by a long 40-round magazine sticking out of the rifle to the top right, and could be reloaded by inserting a new magazine. New sights were provided at the rear of the device. The system did require one modification to the rifle however, a hole had to be cut in the side of the bolt area to allow the ejection of spent rounds. You may have seen some of those - M1903's with an elongated oval cut out of the side rail. We have one in the Arsenal, though it's one of the ones that was reworked during WWII with a regular scant stock and green parkerizing.
In early 1917 the Pedersen device was tested and ready for production. Pedersen took his weapon to show the Army. He first fired several rounds from what looked to be a standard M1903. Then he removed the bolt, inserted his pistol, and fired several magazines at a very high rate of fire. The officers were astounded at the relative simplicity and performance, and immediately clamped a SECRET label on the whole thing. As I noted, snooker the Germans, the Ordnance Department named it The US Automatic Pistol, Caliber .30, Model of 1918. Plans were initiated to start production of modified Springfields, listed as the US Rifle, Cal. .30, Model of M1903, Mark I. The intent was to have 500,000 ready for the 1919 Spring Offensive. The use of the Pedersen Device in the 1919 Spring offensive was to be in conjunction with the full combat introduction of the M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR). Pedersen's gizmo was also designed to to fit the US Rifle, Model of 1917 (the American Enfield - which was actually used in greater numbers than the Springfield), and the US Rifle, Model of 1916 ( The Remington Mosin Nagant). Neither of those were ever put into production, although samples of both were made.
With the end of the war, production slowed, though it continued to 1920. Technology overtook the Pedersen device (which we'd know a lot more about had the war continued to 1919) and the BAR and Garand in tandem rendered the Pedersen obsolete. After they were declared surplus, they were all heaped in a large pile... and burned. Most of the Pedersen's in private hands are survivors of the fire - and show varying shades of fire damage. Estimates range up and down, but the current best guess is there are about 250 or so survivors in museums and private hands.
The Armorer got to see one this last weekend at the Fort Leavenworth Militaria Show. It is owned by a buddy of the Armorer, and the Armorer is going to get to... *shoot* it. Neener Neener Neener! My buddy has over 700 rounds of ammo. No, we're not going to shoot all of that. We'll shoot a hundred or so, and reload. Heck the ammo's valuable to collectors.
More, and better, pictures will come at a later date.
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �November 13, 2006
An M1 for the Band of Brothers.
October 22, 2006
Something soothing amidst all the politics...
The Castle's Portuguese M1886 Kropatschek Rifle. The M1886 bears the distinction of being the first tubular magazine bolt-action rifle to use small bore smokeless powder ammunition, followed closely by the French, with the Lebel.
The French took the basic Kropatschek design and developed it into their M1886, which they went to war with in WWI. Despite the French use of the rifle through the war, tubular magazine rifles, especially after the advent of the pointed "spitzer" bullet - weren't really all that popular with the troops.
With blunt-nosed bullets (like the soft lead slugged black powder rifles) were okay - but start putting sharp-nosed copper/nickel jacketed bullets in there, and you had problems.
The magazine loads a single round at a time, one after the other, nose-to-tail, running up under the barrel. That makes for slow loading, especially when the other guy has clip-fed magazines. Plus, the center of balance of the rifle changes as you fire it, from nose-heavy when fully loaded, moving back towards the bolt as you fire. The long springs were prone to failure, and the tubes themselves would get clogged with dirt and gunk on a muddy battlefield - more so than box magazine rifles.
Now take that pointy bullet and put it in there. You have the pointed end of the bullet butting up against... the primer of the round in front. And that *did* result in accidental discharges when the rifle was dropped. So, the French put an annular groove in the base of their ammunition, which was intended to catch the nose of the bullet. Which complicated manufacture and increased cost, neither things you want to be doing in wartime if you don't have to.
Then there's the increased mechanical features of the liftgate, which catches the round from the magazine and lifts it for loading in the breech - and prevents the next round from exiting the magazine until the liftgate drops after the bolt is pushed forward to load the rifle.
All that bitching aside - the action of the Kropatschek is very smooth and fluid, and she shoots nicely, if a bit ungainly when fully loaded and shooting unsupported.
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �
September 22, 2006
French Fusils
Since SWWBO and I will be attending the Gunblogger Rendevous in Reno next month (still time to sign up - you just missed the cheap room rates), I thought I ought to remind people that I don't just sit in the basement taking apart obscure pieces of ordnance to play 'stump the chump' with you guys. Hey, c'mon, Cam Edwards will be there. Rub shoulders with celebrities..
I do have bangsticks.
Since I finally got around to getting a French flag to put behind my French rifles, I thought I'd throw those up - and let the grognards have the easy task of identifying them. The pics do overlap, no extra credit for double-counting.
As Neffi would observe -it's an expensive way to show off your bayonet collection...
We can skip the "only dropped once" jokes. They've been done before - and half of these weapons are Legion veterans, anyway.
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �
August 9, 2006
And now for something a little different...
Reader-supplied gun pr0n.
Easy question: What are they?
Harder question (but not hugely so) - which commenter provided the pics of family treasures?
What's not to like? Gun Puppy Pr0n!
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �July 15, 2006
Milblogger Shoot Hotwash
Using Dave the Heartless Libertarian's 9mm carbine, I ensured a certain tv dinosaur wouldn't reproduce.
Which wasn't good enough for Sergeant B, who took a rather more final approach to the issue.
The other holes are courtesy of Boston Maggie and SWWBO.
Barb, BCR, Echo Niner were also present - more pics to follow.
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �April 26, 2006
Gun Pr0n. The Needlegun.
Ain't done any in a while - and found out that a lot of the milbloggers *like* the gun pr0n, even if they don't comment on it. They mentioned its absence.
This is the French response to the German Dreyse Needlegun of the mid-to-late 1860's - the Chassepot. It fired a linen cartridge with the primer cap being in the base of the bullet. To fire, the bolt pushed it's way into the linen cartridge and when fired, the needle pushed through the rest of the way to fire the cap and ignite the powder.
These rifles don't use the now-common locking lugs to seal the breech. Early versions of the Chassepot rifle used leather washers to seal the breech. This rifle has what's left of the later rubber gasket. There was always leakage and the rifle was *not* popular with the troops. The pins were prone to breakage, becoming brittle from the heat of firing, always annoying in the heat of a firefight. In the photo below, you can see both the rubber seal and the protruding needle.
The needleguns were all transitional rifles as the arms merchants learned how to make brass cartridges - a subject already covered in this space.
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �March 10, 2006
Navy Gun Pr0n.
Another one here, and another one here.
Those are M-14's, the Armorer's favorite US battle rifle. H/t, Tammy B.
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �November 20, 2005
Serious Timewaster
Especially if you'd like to spend some time getting some practice with sight pictures, and setting sights for competition weapons.
I lost an hour of my life here so far... and will no doubt lose more.
Heh. Might be a way to work this into a Cyber-shoot...
Work safe for just about everybody but Ry.
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �September 9, 2005
Since Boquisucio needs help..
...with his Rangefinder ID, here is the Castle's Barr and Stroud Rangefinder that is part of our Vickers kit. Also in the pic are a Carl Gustav 84mm recoilless rifle and a PIAT. The Gustav and PIAT are for use against people who drive tanks or hide in bunkers. People like that, well, they suck. Of course, the sorry jerks who gave the PIAT to the Brit soldier in WWII suck too. But that's a different story.
Next up is a sample of the Castle Argghhh! LRS, Looter Repellent System. Rabbit ears (German made, ex-Argentine) for target acquisition, sniper loop w/rifle for retail responses, Max the Maxim should a more robust response be needed.
The minefield sign doesn't hurt, either.
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �
April 29, 2005
Gun Zen
The crud has migrated to the chest, enough so that I finally conceded and didn't go into the office today. Via the joys of a wireless connection (and anticipating the event yesterday) I brought the work machine home and will be slaving away, anyway. Dang those suspenses. But, since I slept in, feel like crap, and gotta get this thing done - here's what I've got for you today, courtesy the Admiral of the Moat Fleet and the Blogfather.
Gun videos! Prolly ought to right-click and save-as, but do whatcha want...
Via Boquisucio: Fun with machineguns!
Remember Jaws? Where Roy Scheider shoots the scuba tank in the shark's mouth? I remember when I saw the movie thinking - that kinda steel wouldn't fail that way... but aluminum might. Well, someone has tested the theory. The shark prolly would have been unhappy, regardless...
And finally... *rubbing bald head, staring at nothing* "the horror... the horror..."
Did someone mention cannon? Cannon-cockers? Heh. Musta been me. No, wait - it was Murdoc - talking about the infantry of the 2nd Battalion, Eigth Regiment of FIELD ARTILLERY. AUTOMATIC!
But what's more important... besides that Jointness - is the ratio of 'Combined' (i.e., allied forces)... 3:1.
That, and the fact that they scored some eBay material there - all those Ba'ath Party medals!
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �February 7, 2005
Dreams...
The Castle does not yet have the resources, in both time and funding, for a display of this sophistication.
WWI German equipment at the National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning, Georgia.
But it *is* nice to know that Great Minds think along similar lines.
The "Germanic Wall" in the Arsenal at Castle Argghhh!, which includes Austrian and Swiss long iron. (Like I said, space is at a premium, so disregard the Brit sniper rifle and the Bren gun on the AA tripod...)
Reporting As Ordered, Sir! �