Banging About - Old Men, 'BB', & 3 Dice in an Ale Flagon:

This is my Christmas Special   - I thought that I should celebrate early - as you never know how things may be later in the year ..

Did I mention that I like Copper and Brass?

Looks like that silver lining could take a second 330 ml bottle..

Repurposed item below - but not extinguished ..

Two different but freshly arrived Copper items - a Repurposed SIMPLEX Fire Extinguisher to use to stand Walking Stick GUNS and other Canes .. (dusty antique Hot-Water Bottles in background (Patina).

and a 'Tavern Gambling Tankard' with three dice in it's bottom

Eight Georgian copper Farthings dated 1799, inset through the tankard sidewall. - I had no idea such a thing existed until I saw this one and bought it ..

- but I do understand this "18th Century" flagon likely was a 'second generation' made at the end of the 19th C by the 'ARTS & CRAFTS' Copper movement based in Newlyn, Cornwall UK. - Either way it's an antique beer sipper with shaky dice in it's bum - encouraging me to drink more beer ..

NEWLYN.

So beautiful before the emmets flood-in & crawl over everything ..

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The 4kg heavy 'Fire Extinguisher' is perfect as a stand or holder for umbrellas and cane stick guns and is looking better after a quick clean-up ..

More Distinguished than Extinguished ..

Yeah - there are still a few things that turn-me-on (even at my age) .. Old Copper & Brass, Gun Stuff, cold beer on hot days, - & Brigitte Bardot movies.

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Further to 'Pocket Pistols' being triggered by loose stuff like KEYS carried in the same pocket .. Here is a sorry tale:

- Getting ready for bed at around midnight I threw my jeans on to my clean clothing pile, in my unlit  bedroom, and thought that I saw a flash of light through the window - so I shuffled the pants around and my parked car again flashed it's lights at me .. Ah said I, one of my eleven keys (police regulation security, doors, approved safe, disapproved safe, transport-lockboxes, ammunition safe etc.) has triggered my remote key fob - then - "Oh feck - does that mean the bloody thing is unlocked?". - Now me being nekkid, in the dark of night - I left the house, without the exterior LIGHT - to avoid partial exposure, 

She's Gone .. aged 91

and, racing like an 82 y.o. - I tripped down the last of three concrete steps - bounced off the car and fell to the concrete.  - Thrown like a wooly ewe, in searing leg pain - I struggled-up from the wet concrete, locked the car, and listing badly, climbed back, into the house - to clean and bandage my skinned knee, - shinbone, - and foot - which did all heal OK after some scabby weeks.

Life is good eh

Season's Greetings

Marty K.

IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY - WE ALL 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 other citizens are required to. - How can NZ Police claim to be SAFE & well trained without achieving a Firearms License?

 

UNDERHAMMER GUNS: The Book and Guns ..

 I hate to ask - But my blog posts are being censored and restricted because of my PRO GUN, pro LAWFUL SHOOTER views - Please share my posts:

First I bought this antique cane gun .. then I got the book by Herschel C Logan from USA ..

I was futilely hoping to identify what I have bought ..

- Well it's obviously an underhammer Cane Gun .. but who made it, and where and when?

The book written in the 1950's is very good in all aspects, including excellent line drawings & photographs - but as the writer explains, most of these, made in America, are 'one-offs' from unidentified makers. - I did find perhaps three examples therein with characteristics that looked vaguely related to mine .. but they each were labelled Unidentified. 

There is not one example in the book of a similar shaped action Palm-Grip to my Cane Gun.

The book outlines three good reasons for building an 'UPSIDEDOWN' GUN:

1/- Placing the hammer near the trigger clears the top face of anything that obstructs the choice of SIGHTS and puts the flash-bang of the ignition blast safely away from the shooters face and eyes.

2/-  Underhammer guns have a much simplified lockwork - with fewer parts - making them much easier projects for home-constructers lacking in machinery. Indeed the cleverest designs use the Trigger Guard as the MAINSPRING to drive the hammer.

3/- STREAMLINING. This design makes the pistol free from snags and readily able to be BOOTLEGGED conveniently into a boot top.

About six years back I admired the elegant J Rock Cooper Underhammer pistol design that has only TWO moving parts ..  https://flicense.blogspot.com/2020/05/j-rock-cooper-pistol-keeping-it-simple.html

I have my eye on a likely future acquisition of a Belgian Mariette Pepperbox Underhammer Pistol - soon I hope ..

An interesting aside is that the current Italian Chiappa Rhino revolvers, - that fire from the bottom chamber .. are said, by many, to be a modern Underhammer Pistol ..

LOW RECOIL is the Main Sales Pitch for the Chiappa Rhino Revolvers:

The future is hard to tell eh,

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. 

- How can NZ Police claim to be SAFE & well trained without achieving a Firearms Licence?

But Life is Good

Marty K.

HAZARD Cartridges could be Dangerous ..

Old Stuff Comes in mixed Shapes & Sizes Eh

I hate to ask - But my blog posts are being censored and restricted because of my PRO GUN, pro LAWFUL SHOOTER views - Please share my posts:

Both the HAZARD Powder Company and the BARTHOLOW Cartridge Manufacturing Co made 'Waterproof' Cartridges during the American Civil War 1861-65. - These cartridges were an alternative for loose powder and ball and the self contained paper cartridges - and consisted of a conical charge of compressed Black Powder glued to the base of a bullet or ball - sealed with a waterproof coating.

Paper Cartridges were somewhat FRAGILE ..

These waterproof solid cartridges are getting close to being "Caseless Ammunition" and you smart buggers will note that these look a bit like grannies' suppositories.

The black powder typically might be mixed with 5% Dextrin and 5% water (as a binder) or collodion (nitrocellulose used as a glue-binder) before the mixture was compressed into conical shaped molds.

Links to three articles about "Hazard Cartridges" ..

https://cdn2.imagearchive.com/muzzleloadingforum/data/attach/306/306763-Hazard-Cartridge-trimed-for-printig.pdf

https://flicense.blogspot.com/2024/09/hazard-caseless-boolits-4-blackpowder.html

https://flicense.blogspot.com/2025/09/what-load-of-balls.html

Making these convenient-to-use cartridges is an interesting process for the hobby home reloader who can focus and use her or his brains. BUT everyone needs to remember that GUNPOWDER and ammunition factories have a long history of deadly EXPLOSIONS ..

U.S. Chemical Safety Board Issues Investigation Update on Fatal October 2025 Explosions at Accurate Energetic Systems in McEwen, Tennessee

Using antique ballistic propellant safely is straight-forward for those of us with an IQ above room temperature - BUT never forget that exactly HALF of humanity - that's 50% - have BELOW AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE.

One: There may be some of you thinking that this "blackpowder stuff" is a load of faffing about and thank gawd for the invention of BRASS CARTRIDGES .. Well, there are very good reasons that this antique mixture of three substances remains in use to this day. - You can DIY when all the factories are empty and closed. You can find the magic ingredients all over the place in garden sheds and garages - and if you have the knowledge, - you'll never feel alone and abandoned again ..

Two: Although gunpowder CAN explode if mishandled in bulk - it is very forgiving when loaded into a gun .. because charcoal gunpowder is such an "inefficient" gas generator (around 50%), it makes pretty low pressures. - If an idiot was to overcharge his pistol or well made rifle with this antique blackpowder - he likely will get-away with a bigger cloud of smoke and a miss on target - because much of the surplus powder will be blown-out of the muzzle due to that 'inefficiency'. - Please DO NOT TRY THAT EVER WITH MODERN SMOKELESS POWDERS AS THEY WILL KILL YOU.

Three: 'Modern' BRASS CARTRIDGES were just as much faffing-about back in the day when they were introduced .. watch this video from 'Cap'n'ball' about how they did it then .. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKfolYV_0Xk

The main requirement to start making 'Hazards' at home is the MOULDS (or MOLDS). - Clever New Zealand folk will be able to 3D-Print their own molds, - as the U S expert does not export. - Another possibility is to machine your own split moulds or maybe adapt old bullet moulds.

CROSSEN Molds:

- OR you might come across some solid brass gang-moulds offered for sale on-line that could be useful 

44/45 Caliber .. 36/38 Caliber Brass Moulds.

- What could a daft old bugger do with these?

The moistened, weighed, propellant/binder mix would be inserted into the mould and pressed-down using a shaped punch - perhaps in a small press.(A brass dowel, flat one end for conicals - rounded t'other for ball) to compress - and then left to 'set' before extracting from the cavities and completely drying, before waterproof coating and gluing to the pill .. sunny window sills are an asset for the happy Kiwi.

I am talking about REAL charcoal blackpowder - NOT substitute nitro propellants.

"Navy" Caliber

The rounded conical form of the powder cake is such that when pushed into a revolver's cylindrical chamber and compressed - it's base is crushed and conforms to the chamber.

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These Vintage Medical Instrument Brass Suppository Moulds were offered on trademe sparking my interest ..

A suppository is a small, solid piece of medicine designed to be inserted into a body opening—most commonly the rectum, vagina, or urethra—(OUCH)where it melts or dissolves at body temperature to release medication. 

Or, - for forming "Hazard" blackpowder cakes to glue to the base of blackpowder balls, improvingthe reloading process by eliminating handling loose powder & ball.

Owning old tech pop-pops and knowing how to use them, makes me feel all cuddly & warm -happy to be alive - and sort of reassured and confident in these 'Interesting Times'.

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 fit & proper citizens are required to. - How can police claim to be well trained without achieving the same Firearms Licence that is essential for all fit & proper persons?

Here is a question: Are British, European, & Commonwealth Weapons & nuclear Scientists and Technicians required to obtain a Firearms Licence? - They control awful deadly weaponry. - If NOT .. Why not?

Marty K.

Firearms Retention:

51 years ago today - the U S Military cut and ran from Saigon using helicopters to lift them all from their embassy roof tops.

The country is fucked(a technical term).

FACT:

The 2025 

Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report has revealed integrity failings across a group of senior Police individuals.

FACT:

Seven NZ Police Commissioners have been removed. 

- The Executive Director of the new FIREARMS SAFETY AGENCY , the firearms register has "retired". 

- President of NZ Police Association - CAHILL has "stood down" on long service leave .. 

THESE ARE THE POLICE THAT WROTE OUR FIREARMS LAW CHANGES.

The current New Zealand firearms regulations are PROHIBITIVE.

 FACT:

New Zealand’s existing three waters infrastructure (drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater) is worth roughly $40 – $50 billion but requires investment of between $120 billion to $185 billion over the next 30 years  infrastructure.org.nz  Currently unfunded.

FACT: 

New Zealand's public health system is experiencing significant strain due to a combination of aging infrastructure, funding constraints, and workforce shortages, leading to a "loss" of services rather than physical closures of major hospitals. RNZ +2 As of 2026, the system is described as being in crisis, with Health New Zealand dealing with a large deficit and an urgent need for infrastructure investment. RNZ

Why are your power bills soaring while energy companies pocket millions in government subsidies? Why can’t you afford a house while property developers get fast-track approvals and tax breaks? Why are hospital waiting lists growing while billions flow to businesses that don’t need it? The answer is corporate welfare – a rigged system where your tax dollars are handed to wealthy businesses and their owners, not because it helps you or creates genuine economic benefits, but because powerful interests have learned how to game the system. While you face strict requirements and endless scrutiny to access any government support, profitable companies can walk away with millions of dollars in taxpayer money with minimal questions asked. This isn’t about helping struggling small businesses survive tough times. This is about a systematic transfer of wealth from ordinary New Zealanders to those who already have plenty. Every dollar that goes to corporate welfare is a dollar that can’t go to fixing our hospitals, schools, or housing crisis. And the biggest scandal? Much of this corporate welfare doesn’t even work – it’s just expensive window dressing for policies that benefit the wealthy at your expense.   https://theintegrityinstitute.org.nz/wealth-workstream/

https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/new-zealand/corporate/deductions

What HAS FOUR BARRELS but only TWO PERCUSSION HAMMERS?

GOING DOWN:

There were approximately 250,000 to 300,000 licensed firearms owners in New Zealand around the year 2000 - As of late 2025, there are now only 224,221 active individual firearm licence holders in New Zealand

GOING UP:

Independent & Historical Estimates: Some estimates suggest up to 200,000 firearms are held illicitly.

WHY are New Zealand POLICE EXEMPT FROM FIREARMS LICENCE LAWS?

I repeat .. THE COUNTRY IS F*CKED.

- Unless YOU,  FIT & PROPER PERSON do something about it ..

Marty K.

Bird'seye Cane Gun Pt.2 & a Turkish WWI Blade:

Anzac Day 2026. 

Saturday 25 April is our Day of Remembrance for our military who have served.

Anzac stands for the Australian And New Zealand Army Corps, while April 25 1915 was the day they landed at GALLIPOLI in Turkey as an attempted invasion force in WWI.

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Don't bother reading this unless you are a little obsessive like me .. I've been rubbing and polishing with this butt sitting on my lap until it pleaded "Enough Already" 

- Now and then I think I must be daft to keep buying stuff that fills-up my home with "dust gatherers" - that my kids will throw in the garbage when I cark it.

Bloody thing owes me $$$$ - but it gives me a hot flush of warm & cuddlies every time my eye gropes it, that is almost worth the effort ..

To start - it was a little scratched, grubby & sticky - but not bad for a 175 year old - but it buffed up beautifully to enhance it's natural features with a soft cloth and AUTOSOL - but don't tell anyone what I used.

She's been reinforced at the foreward crack, some time back. - The steel underhammer action, while pitted, is fully operational and has interesting gold colored (brass?) insets (brazed repairs? .. hardened steel inserts?)

 

Then again - I dunno - but the screw-off barrel does not indicate a 'Breech-Loading TURN-OFF' as the action's powder chamber does not have a "cup" to seat a ball ..

My guess is that any longarm, shotgun, musket - or even pistol, of the day might have been loaded from the front, with Ball, - Shot, - Buck'n'Ball, - or even a double Ball 'Duplex' load, dependent on the owners fancy.

I've read that if you placed a ball on the palm of your hand and poured blackpowder on top to cover it completely - that then was your charge.

'RULE OF THUMB' - a .457 Rifle Ball was Covered by 50 grains of powder ..

About right for a starting point (Halve it for pistol)

- Charcoal Gun Powders vary a lot in power/strength & grain size, purity of components and dampness, - so even accurate measure by volume will be approximate in result. 

'Birdybutt' really is a lovely thing and there is remnants of an engraved name on the action top surface ..

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I have this antique OTTOMAN / TURKISH knife (bone handled - no sheath) that was recovered from a trench at GALLIPOLI  1915 by a returning ANZAC and sold by disinterested descendents

Blade spine has 21 gold coloured 'insets' plus an H cut through the blade, now visible both sides - but when bought this dagger was dirty/dark/rusted .. without features.

Does anyone have a clue or an explanation?

Marty K.

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. - How can NZ Police claim to be SAFE & well trained without achieving a Firearms Licence?

Bird'seye Butt - Percussion Cane Gun:

May I repeat my all time favorite joke?

Have you heard about the agnostic, dyslexic, insomniac? - He lay awake all night wondering if there really was a dog ..

I'm going to be first to say that I don't know what I'm talking about herein.

But - I bought this antique piece for several reasons ..

1/- I fell totally in love with her 'bird's eye' butt. 

Luverly - I'm calling that 'BIRDS EYE' Maple? - maybe.

2/- I have never owned an UNDERHAMMER gun before.

3/- For dogssake - it's a walking stick CANE GUN.

Now, I read, that Underhammer Guns were an American thing .. If so, this old lady was likely made there mid 19th century and the butt may well be Bird's Eye Maple? (Acer Saccharum). Dunno.

I HAD to jump on the 'Buy Now' Button and sure .. I paid too much as usual - But I own it. - And typically .. I've now ordered from AbeBooks (USA), used, THE book 'Underhammer Guns' after I bought the antique gun!

I have removed a lot of active surface rust and done the Oil of Wintergreen thing

Barrel is 28 3/4 inches - 'Smooth Bore' (rough-as) measures .530 inch at the muzzle .. vendor describes "Birdybutt" as a "wonderful example of a rare shotgun".

AI says Standard walking canes are 37 inches .. this gun is 34 1/2 inches assembled for a stroll with rubber tip and action palm-grip, - and 46 inches butt-attached, tumescent & ready to go. - Seems I could use an extra four inches .. but nobody's complained, within my hearing range anyway.

NO half-cock notch or 'bent'. - Trigger pull LIGHT @ 1 pound.

That's how it clips together - As a Gentleman you walked around with the stock in your coat pocket until you spied a pheasant or a peasant.

I dunno - but the white metal buttplate with engraved tang had some sort of brownish shellac/varnish that I cleaned off and it looks great now - What metal do you reckon?

The earliest recorded 'underhammer' dates from 1740 in Germany - Yes .. a Flintlock Underhammer.

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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. - How can NZ Police claim to be SAFE & well trained without achieving a Firearms Licence?

Marty K.