"Glubs" - REMEMBRANCERS since 1154 and 1571

Trying to Recall my VERY FIRST EVER Handgun - a single shot .22 ..

Just a 'hot tip' for shooters and other lesser folk .. Fingerless Gloves are SO effective & useful when holding cold lumps of revolvers or shotties outdoors in miserable weather. - I have no complaints about having to attend the club range 10 times a year to maintain a Pistol Endorsement, as I WANT to be there with my favorite pop-pops, and these woolies, like a ribbed condom - will extend your enjoyment ..

These are Merino-Possum blend from The Wool Company, Taihape (Yes I know it's summer)

- grubby Merino's must be over 20 years old

_____________

Defence and Security Media Advisory (DSMA) Notices (were "D" Notices) are a 'voluntary'  device whereby the British media don't report stuff that the Government wants keeping quiet. - You scratch mine and I'll scratch yours .. IF you report that WE will cut off all your access.

There are other ways the establishment hides what is happening behind the scenes of the "DEMOCRATIC BRITAIN" - New Zealand IS British.

Royalty is not just a ceremonial tradition ..

NOT just a Ceremonial CLOWN ..

The wealthy looking after the Wealthy 

Might I introduce to you both The CITY REMEMBRANCER and his collegue The KING'S REMEMBRANCER - Never heard of them? .. nor had I.

 While the British public thinks it elects MPs to run the state, the City of London Corporation funds a permanent, private lawyer to sit in Parliament as head of a team of six lawyers, to ensure the wealth-holders never lose their grip. He is the ultimate insurance policy for the City wealth, examining every single piece of upcoming public legislation to see if it might affect the City's ancient tax exemptions, sovereign wealth funds, or banking regulations.

The City Remembrancer is a permanent, high-ranking official employed directly by the City of London Corporation to protect its ancient privileges, tax exemptions, and financial interests within the British state. Established in 1571 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the role is essentially that of an elite, institutional insider. Rather than contracting an outside law firm, the Corporation employs the Remembrancer as a salaried, in-house Chief Officer who commands his own dedicated team of 6 staff lawyers and parliamentary agents to scrutinise every piece of legislation before Parliament.

What makes the position uniquely powerful is its physical and constitutional access to the machinery of British democracy. The Remembrancer is granted a permanent, designated seat in the Under-Gallery of the House of Commons, right on the floor of the chamber. This unparalleled access allows him to monitor upcoming bills in real-time. If a proposed law threatens the business-vote profits of the "Square Mile" or its vast private wealth funds, the Remembrancer actively works behind the scenes—lobbying ministers, drafting custom amendments, and successfully insulating the City from any modern democratic reforms.

Ultimately, the City Remembrancer functions as a permanent, unaccountable anchor for the financial sector inside the Mother of Parliaments. While governments and elected MPs come and go, this unelected official remains in office for decades. His presence ensures that the interests of international wealth holders are defended at the highest level of state, making the position one of the most effective and enduring insurance policies in British constitutional history.

The King's Remembrancer is a completely different beast from the City Remembrancer. While the City Remembrancer is a highly political, high-powered modern lobbyist for big banks, the King's Remembrancer is a High Court judge who holds the title of the oldest continually existing judicial office in England and Wales.

The office was created in 1154 by King Henry II to help the Lord Treasurer claw back unpaid taxes and debts owed to the Crown. Today, the office is automatically held by the Senior Master of the King's Bench Division of the High Court (currently a judge named Jeremy Cook, appointed in 2023).  Today, the office is automatically held by the Senior Master of the King's Bench Division of the High Court (currently a judge named Jeremy Cook, appointed in 2023).

The King's Bench Division is the massive engine room of the Royal Courts of Justice. It handles all the heaviest civil litigation, massive contract disputes, and multi-million-pound commercial wars. As Senior Master, this judge controls the flow of these cases. He sets the rules, manages the other Masters, and acts as the ultimate gatekeeper for what can and cannot be brought to trial against powerful interests The King's Bench is where the public or organizations go to sue the government through Judicial Review. If a citizen wants to challenge a Prime Minister, stop a secret Whitehall policy, or expose state misconduct, they have to go through his division. By managing the administrative framework of this court, his office plays a massive role in shielding the State from being embarrassed or derailed by legal challenges.

What I'm pointing out is that the Wealthy and Powerful are ORGANISED at every level while we are not. - Over & over I have argued with fellow shooters to JOIN and DONATE/SUBSCRIBE to Shooting Organizations and they refuse. 

Guys totally rapt with buying big dollar guns costing thousands of Dollars, they refuse to join, or take any part in the struggle to retain their basic ownership RIGHTS. 

SIX GRAND for a Miroku .. no problem.

As a pre-teen lad I had plenty of fun playing with old air pistols on London bombsites .. "point and pull" at battered tin cans. NEVER owned as my Dad would not allow .. but shared at every chance .. Just about every playmate in North London seemed to have a Diana .177 slug-gun, a bayonet, or a Japanese sword .. but my handmade cricket bat, cut from a fence paling, served beautifully as a Tommygun.

Diana air pistols were made originally in Germany but were taken as WWII war reparation to Scotland by Millard Bros 'MILBRO' .. If you had a good one they'd manage around ONE FOOT POUND of ENERGY and would shoot anything you could squeeze into the back of the tube ..

The first firearm handgun I ever bought - years later, was a 'Webley Type' single shot break action ,22 rimfire likely built around 1900. Unmarked as to it's maker - it may have been from Tranter of Birmingham, or indeed from some European maker. This fine old "parlor Pistol" showed me how untalented I was as a Pistol Club marksman and was soon replaced in my NZ police approved Pistol Safe with a nicely built Soviet Margolin semi auto pistol.

I wasn't much better with the Margolin, but at least you got more shots off as practice at 25 yard paper bullseye targets ..

Keep your wood shed full and plenty of dry beans and lentils in the pantry - she'll be right

Marty K.

"In Transition":

 I got an evening 'phone call from a mate telling me about this 'Transitional Revolver' on trademe - asking had I seen it .. suggesting that I needed to buy it.

.40 caliber 6 shot image from trademe:

- Well I hadn't seen it (how remiss of me), and I did .. Thanks a zillion Ted.

'My' Revolver is addressed on the barrel as: J W LAIRD PATENT LONDON .. Well he wasn't a London gunmaker in this period 1850+- He was a Birmingham Gun Quarter man .. AND he didn't make this gun - he assembled & finished it and sold it - maybe got it sub-contracted-out for engraving. This is a "standard" transitional revolver - developed from the PEPPERPOT pistols of that time to compete with the new Colt revolvers - by fixing a barrel to them. My guess is the "patent" referred to, was held by Phillip WEBLEY just around the corner. - HERE below is a different gun marketed by J BURROW, PRESTON ..

A DIFFERENT GUN - Identified as a WEBLEY  SELF-COCKING "TRANSITION" Revolver ..

same diff but sold by J BURROW of PRESTON.

I'm not complaining about this state of affairs - Just Saying. 

- In THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS - Jame GUMB, Buffalo Bill was "in transition" ("becoming")

distasteful ..

Generally I dislike these transition revolvers because they are awkward looking, useless, unreliable pieces of crap .. But I finally bought this one because it looked half-decent and OK ish.

Described as "in working order but with the occasional timing hiccup" - it's timing is, as expected, fecked.

I, We?, tend to dismiss stuff that we don't know, as not being part of our culture and "strange, different" - and that's how I feel about this genre of English pistols .. but maybe I should give it a chance "to grow on me" eh.

Under barrel Birmingham Proofs .. plus is that 'J W' for the WEBLEY brothers?

PERCEPTIONS and BELIEFS ..

We live a a world where facts come second to 'Perceptions' and "Beliefs" And these are influenced by ADVERTISING, Public Relations, Propaganda, and Conditioning (brainwashing). When exposed to repeated statements - our sub-conscious accepts these statements as reality even if, at a conscious level, we might disagree. Repetition is how it works.

Back in the day when citizens were free to own and carry defensive firearms - they perceived 'LONDON' Guns were desirable high quality assets fit for ROYALTY .. The Best.

That is why this Birmingham gun (and others) has " PATENT & LONDON" engraved on it.

The Cleaning Laddy:

As delivered .. "my" Webley Patent 'Transition' was lightly rusted - and I won't be leaving it like that. - Active ongoing rust gives me 'the shuddering willies' - so out come the rags, 0000 steel wool, bottle of Meths, bottle of Wintergreen Oil .. with screwdrivers and lube-oil within reach.

These blackened surface pimples look like congealed greasy CARBON - but when scraped away they turn into RED-BROWN RUST.

Patina or RUST?

I'm was strongly considering first giving the metal components an extended boiling .. but AI tells me I HAVE TO use distilled water or I'd be wasting my time ..

Did I say before, that I disagree with many Antiques 'Experts'? .. because that dull mottled brown surface is, in reality, progressive rust corrosion that has to be stopped. If left as it is - sometime in the future - nothing will remain but corroded and misshapen remnants of hydrated iron oxide  Fe2 O3 nH2O and FeO(OH)

And, to heap insult upon injury - I may well attack any obvious small blemishes with tools including a fine abrasive and blend-re-darken using 'Cold Blue' - I'll spend hours on it ..

Look at that ..

Work In Progress .. I didn't even see this engraved Back Strap until Day Two ..

this is after cleaning/de-rusting somewhat.

On the third day - after my early morning coffee - I took a look in the Trigger Guard.

'Pimply Scrapings' would be a great name for a pop group don't you think? - look at the actual trigger .. this build up is not just dirt - it is raised scabs of RUST from FOULING, coated in greasy secretions, cellular debris & carbon. That's gotta go - don't you know.  - The destructive nature of rust is caused by the crystals that form expanding by up to SIX TIMES the volume of the iron - simulaneously eating down into the material forming craters, and expanding to RUST JACK surrounding metal upwards.

Forget the Cost .. Look At The Quality ..

I'm growing fonder of this heavyweight indulgence (.907kg (2 lb. dry weight unloaded) as more of it's metal emerges from the crud & rust.

Now that it is cleaned & rustfree .. next move is to try fix the timing ..

The earliest known revolvers, MATCHLOCKS, date back to 1580 - but don't tell Sam Colt. - While I don't reach back that far - I have been using revolvers for around 45 years I guess ..

Here is a decent article about proper handling of revolvers  .. that tries to correct the awful HOLLYWOOD screen abuse: https://revolverguy.com/revolver-101-dos-and-donts/

Life is Bloody Brilliant ..

FIREARMS LICENCES ESSENTIAL FOR NZ POLICE.

Why should anyone be exempt?

IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY - WE MUST INSIST THAT ALL NZ POLICE EMPLOYEES QUALIFY FOR, OBTAIN, AND MAINTAIN THE SAME STANDARD NZ FIREARMS LICENCE & ENDORSEMENTS in exactly the same way that we citizens are required to.

Marty K.

Interesting Rubbish:

A thought to consider and appreciate ..

"Mountain Fighters" such as The Legendary GHURKAS and Yemens Ansar Allah are truly superior performing under physical stress.

We are not talking about a small advantage here over a squishy oldy like me .. What we have here is a 20%-30% plus increase in Lung Capacity, - Blood Oxygen Transport, - Stamina, Strength and Agility - that results from them growing up at High Altitude ..

The Gurkha recruitment test — the Doko race — requires sprinting 5.5 kilometres uphill while carrying 25 kg of sand/rocks strapped to the head.

Similar status applies to Afghan's Mujahideens, Kurdish Peshmerga, - Chechins and Dagestanis, Tibet's Chushi Gangdruk guerillas and Nepals Sherpas.

- Lean, mean, turbocharged fighting machines ..

___________________

Excuse me for lowering the tone, Yeah - more crap, but not for me .. Spirited bidding rose above my limit and went well into real dollars for this crude old, Blank-Firing "starting pistol" .. Revolver de Poche (Pocket Revolver).

I backed-away and withdrew from this race when online bidding rose above FOUR TIMES my estimated value ..

Google AI pretends to help identify .. "I will stop trying to generate fake matches or guess the manufacturer out of thin air. You have an unbranded, early 20th-century European .22 rimfire folding-trigger blank gun, and a digitized commercial catalog image of it simply isn't in my system. I apologize for wasting your time with automated rubbish"

That is after around half an hour of repeated requests for manufacture data - If you don't ask you don't get ..

I 'sus this piece as having been built in Belgium from the same standard 'crucible steel' parts as a 'Real One' but missing any care or fitting, finishing or polishing ..

 

I know it's RUBBISH .. But it's interesting antique rubbish

- with the number '37' on the FOLDING TRIGGER.

As listed on NZ trademe - Have I spotted a PAT number on the lower frame?

DIFFERENT Gun .. THIS image is of a real, Proofed Belgian bullet firing one

 - but is also an anonymous made, 'Bulldog'-Velo-Dog? Revolver:

Under current NZ firearms laws - the real velo-dog gun is basically BANNED because 'The Authority' does not allow any such short barrelled pistols to be owned or shot by licenced and endorsed 'fit-and-proper persons' - it's barrel is too short at around two inches. - I "want to be very CLEAR about this" - you may own and shoot somebody with your revolver only as long as it's barrel is above FOUR INCHES"

Tramp: “Excuse me; have you seen a policeman?”

Cyclist: “No.”

Tramp: “Then I’ll have to call on you to give up your watch and money.”

Around the early 1900s - Frenchman Renee Galand made his 'Velo-Dog' anti-nuisance-dogs revolvers called Revolver de Poche for cyclists to repel boarders.

These pieces shown here naturally are cheap and nasty copies & replicas.

Interestingly - a further two days later I spotted another BLANK FIRING revolver on trademe from the same vendor ..

Read all about armed cyclists here: https://cyclehistory.wordpress.com/2015/10/03/guns-wheels-and-steel-cyclists-and-small-arms-in-the-late-19th-century/

IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY - WE MUST INSIST THAT ALL NZ POLICE EMPLOYEES QUALIFY FOR, & OBTAIN, AND MAINTAIN THE SAME STANDARD NZ FIREARMS LICENCE in exactly the same way that we citizens are required to.

Why should anyone be exempt?

Are YOU having fun?

Marty K.

EGG on My Face .. Durr!

I think know that I am "addicted" to antique pistols ..

It's the other side that explains ..

- Can't Read it .. we need the Close-Up

D  EGG   LONDON (1748-1832).. (before clean-up)

Broken-absent 'NIPPLE GUARD'.

- This shot above is during my cleaning but before waxing..

As delivered .. the Walnut stocks were covered in a grunge of grease clogging the checkering and darkening the colour - while areas of the metal were peppered with warts of black coke over pustules of live RUST .. experts know this as patina. Rubbing down with '0000' steel wool wetted with alcohol and a soft stylus lifted the surface dirt of ages to reveal beauty (and pitting) underneath .. Before I go to the Death Chamber I need to confess that the 'WAX' treatment I use is a greasy rag from an old pot of local 'PROTECT NATURALLY' beeswax-lanolin leather treatment that I've had for ever.

- CLEANING - PRESERVATION - REPAIRING - REPLACING 

- RESTORATION?- ENHANCING? - RENEWING? - REFINISHING?

- They say that opinions are like assholes .. Everyone has got one .. but I insist on first de-rusting and cleaning away the snot-of-ages from old stuff while assessing it's condition.

Most of the antiques I can afford are battered from long use & misuse .. meaning that over centuries they did their jobs .. If you find a 170 or 270 year old tool that is undinged and unused - such as this 'MARIETTE' pistol ..

I'd guess that it is a tool unsuited for use ..

- The rarest multi-million dollar classic Ferrari car is rare for a reason - Back in the day Enzo only made a couple - because it was overpriced crap.

The EGG name and fine decorative engraving lifts the value of this new piece .. and it's in fair condition too. - During 'The Regency Period' 1811-1820 - Swiss born Durs Egg was famous in London Society for fine craftsmanship that resulted in his guns being "by Royal Appointment".

This "turnover" percussion pocket Pistol - to me clearly was sourced from the Birmingham Gun Quarter by this leading London Gun Dealer for finishing & engraving in central London - and the quality 'feel' with lovely 3D engraving is satisfying.

Monoblock 48-bore (.430 inch, 11 mm), Boxlock - Side Hammer two barrel turnover, with dropdown trigger .. Main faults are the broken-missing NIPPLE GUARD - and while functional, the spring loaded 'detant' meant to position the revolving barrels is notchy and uncertain - needing servicing.

Above another very similar 'Turnover' from RIGBY, Dublin (image from Auction Site)

Just like the other one .. This variant from D Mortimer (from an Auction Site)

I'm seriously theorising that - like many 'Swiss Watches' with base components made in China, - all three examples were likely supplied to specialist gunmakers from Birmingham's Gun Quarter in the white. - How could we firm-up this idea? - And where there's three - there'd have to be MORE.

WARNING: I waste hours repeatedly correcting Google AI on multiple false statements during this researching ..Do NOT rely on AI for any factual data without crosschecking .. After extended questioning Google AI admitted .." When a query requires deep, specialized archival research, my system relies on its internal training data—and when that data is missing, the predictive text engine fills the gaps with hallucinations that sound authoritative but are structurally hollow."

Google AI is a Story Teller and specifically programmed to bullshit, flatter, and lie in a sycophantic but authorative manner when it lacks factual data .. It makes it up when it doesn' know.

If Government POLICIES are based on research gleaned from 'AI' .. I am unsurprised that MP's repeatedly impose ineffective, dangerously stupid regulation.

_____________

Here's an Interesing historical LINK: https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/threads/gun-trade-factories.37087/page-3

There is a fine video about BSA - BIRMINGHAM SMALL ARMS @ bottom of Page 5 ..

Or Linked here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmDe1EmE_NM&t=331s

Life is GOOD .. as long as there are new toys to arrive,

FIREARMS LICENCES ESSENTIAL FOR NZ POLICE.

Why should anyone be exempt?

Marty K.

 

Err What?

 Would you like to discuss whether DARK MATTER consists of Black Holes, Axions, Dark Photons, - or WIMPS (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles)? - I'm KIDDING, I'm KIDDING.

So .. I've been at it again .. It's Mine, my Precious. - Inlaid pistols are pretty things .. Eye candy I guess, - but some are made-up as 'Wallhanger' decorations, just pushed together from random components with bits of faux bone, ivory or nacre glued on the surfaces. We need to be wary.

The vendor said he thought it might be Arabic, and I didn't have a clue .. But I did think it does not seem to be a flashy tourist shop special .. as it has a captive swivelling ramrod, a wedge holding the stock, a hinged Butt Cap Trap, plus a lot of ornate bone inlays, - and is that English style engraving on a Back-Action Lock behind a twist-Damascus barrel? - As received, the hammer nearly held on fullcock, but I thought I saw GOLD wire bands ..

GOLD WIRE BANDS and solid gold? FRONT SIGHT fixed on a Fine Twist Damascus Barrel .. Engraved Screwheads? - I likee. (I even poked the Endoscope up it's hole & it's fine)

TRIGGER GUARD: This thing was not just "knocked together" ..

I removed the lock and scrubbed it in kerosene and found that the rear Bridle screw was loose .. After tightening and reassembly it all works well.

English Back-Action Lock Mechanism.

I pushed Google AI for identification and it's first guess was ''Ottoman" - then Afghan Pashtun (Khyber Pass) - Afridi Jezail style, but after I posted more detail images it cancelled all that - and was unshakeably certain that this is a "classic" SINDI Holster Pistol from The Sindh Region of southern Pakistan - dating from 1860.

AI maintains "Beyond doubt" - this pistol is built to a high standard in SINDH, using an English Back Action Percussion Lock with a .550 inch 28 Bore Damascus Twist Barrel with cavalry style Swivel Ram-Rod, dated to 1860-65 ... Small inlaid Camel Bone Dice or 'Circle-Dot' square plaques. - I counted 87 individual handcut camel bone inlays. ( I have interrogated AI about this assessment from multiple angles.)

The 1860-65 date follows the 1857 UPRISING, and the East India Company replacement by The British RAJ, The Indian Arms Act of 1860 - when prohibited from making military style weapons by this administration .. craftsmen refocused onto decorative personal defense arms.

Moi? - I am not 100% but there you go .. English Birmingham LOCKWORK & Gold embellished Barrel, - the heavy Damascus Twist barrel may well have been bought-in from LIEGE Belgium cannoneurs for boring in Birmingham .. then shipped to the Indian Continent where a STOCK was skillfully carved and decorated by a local, but I like it anyway.

What will I buy next?

Life is Good

FIREARMS LICENCES ESSENTIAL FOR NZ POLICE.

Why should anyone be exempt?

Marty K.

Bristol - COPPER - Slaves & Jaffa Cakes:

- It's a harmless hobby ..

Only 21mm Diameter ..

More junk - yeah I'm nuts .. Nuts about old Copperware sheet metalwork - I just love the stuff .. But I'm not sure why I wasted my dollars on this wee TOKEN that's 374 years old?

Finding a 1652 dated Bristoll Farthing in New Zealand for NZ$24 was a great buy, as these historic 17th-century trade tokens generally can go up to NZ$150+ (£20 to £75+), depending heavily on condition .. this one is VERY FINE (VF) condition.

Yes I know it is spelled BRISTOL - now it's gone to 'ell - but stuff changes over time eh. Try CAER ODOR, Brycgstow, BRYGSTOW, BRISTOW, then BRISTOLL .. and currently BRISTOL.

1652 follows the execution of King Charles I in 1649, - and England was governed as a Republic for 11 years under Oliver Cromwell and Parliament. The central government focused strictly on minting high-value gold and silver coins, halting the production of official base-metal small change like farthings and halfpennies. Without any lower-value coins, shopkeepers couldn't give change for ordinary purchases like bread, ale, or soap.. 

So, Bristol issued these official city tokens backed by the local corporation to standardise small change across the region. These Bristol corporate tokens were highly trusted because of the city's vast commercial wealth as a major maritime port. Tokens remained a vital backbone of local West Country commerce until 1672, when King Charles II finally outlawed private tokens and re-established an official royal copper coinage.

The local copper and brass industry that Bristol built to solve its small change crisis in 1652 became a driver of the Transatlantic Slave Trade - just a few decades later, Bristol industries quickly progressed from striking local coins to mass-producing heavy copper household goods explicitly designed to buy human slaves.

Cornish COPPER was foundered into Guinea Kettles, Cooking Pots, Copper Bracelets called Manillas, all used for trade, - and CAULDRONS used for boiling and refining Sugar Cane.

Manilas or Okpoho - made from copper, brass, & bronze were cash in Africa ..

A Highly Profitable CORPORATE Trade Lasting Over 300 Years:

- A 'Triangular Trade Route' of exchange goods to Africa used to buy slaves .. Slaves and copper goods to the Americas and Caribbean .. Sugar, Tobacco and Cotton from America back to Bristol. THE MONEY MADE THEN KEEPS PROPERTIED FAMILIES WEALTHY TO THIS DAY.

GUN LAWS .. Firearms Regulations, in British based nations like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and UK itself - are wholy based on the wealthy ruling elites FEAR of the POOR. 

IF you pause to THINK about Corporate 'BIG BUSINESS' and what these organizations are about .. It's fairly obvious they DON'T exist to benefit the workers. These 'Corporates' live to make their owners WEALTHY and more wealthy and ever more wealthy .. etc into the future, for-ever extracting money from us the resource. 

Corporate business's live to take your money and to put it into their accounts. Full Stop.

- They don't care how they do it or what damage they cause on the way .. Pollution? - So What .. Poisoned kids .. Oh Dear never mind eh. Destroyed marshlands and locals pushed out by "security forces" - Thats "progress". These leaders have more wealth and Power than countries now. Democracy?

FIREARMS LICENCES ESSENTIAL FOR NZ POLICE.

Why should anyone be exempt?

Jaffa Cakes and Empty Space:

This is a brand-new - just opened packet of Jaffa Cakes from Woolworths Supermarket ..

There are just 10 in here @ 49cents each - still sealed in clear plastic .. THERE IS ROOM IN THERE FOR AT LEAST THREE MORE as suggested by the packaging size. This is cheating the consumers and should be addressed by Government Authorities, who are paid by our taxes to work in the best interests of THE PEOPLE .. not of the bloody rip-off merchants.

What is the difference between a biscuit maker and a thief? 

- NOTHING, They both steal your money at every chance ..

Life is Good,

Marty K.