Iodine Radiation Pills For At-Risk Nuclear Europe:

The Dutch Government is reported to have ordered 15 Million iodine pills (Potassium Iodide) to protect people living near nuclear power plants.

Last Thursday the Belgian Health Minister voiced her concerns about potential radiation leaks from old nuclear power stations and is considering handing out iodine pills in the event of  a nuclear emergency.

The Netherlands has one nuclear power plant, near the Belgian border, but under the new plan the pills would also be given to people living near Germany’s Emsland plant and two Belgian facilities, Doel and Tihange.

- I have been known to blog about England's nuclear facilities (& dumps) at Sellafield - so it's good to hear that some governments are becoming aware of these risks.

- But meanwhile in the UK, The Civil Nuclear Constabulary advertises their jobs guarding contaminated Sellafield - on their web-site as "a great place for families."  !!

Marty K.

Sourcing Components & Novel .38/.357" Duplex Loads:

I have recently started sourcing the parts I need for hand loading .32" calibre cartridges and I want to again mention & congratulate Julian Alai at Workshop Innovation Ltd. (Auckland) for superb service with 'shooting stuff':  sales@workshopinnovation.co.nz

- Julian quickly sourced and couriered a couple of hundred 'Starline' empty brass cases for the 327 Federal Magnum - when other suppliers had declared them as 'unobtainium'.

'Starline' 327 Federal Magnum Brass

I have also found some 32 S&W Long cases plus both plated and lead .32" bullets so next requirement is a set of Lee loading dies..

All this '32' stuff tells you that I have committed to buying /importing a 4.2 inch barrelled Ruger SP101 in 327 Federal Magnum from USA. The New Zealand Ruger Distributor JPB Furley has told me that our NZ Police are currently offering a six to ten week processing service for Import Permits which needs to be added to the US State Department Export Licence process stated to take 30-45 days .. I may get my new target shooting pistol before Christmas 2016 (if Ruger can supply one from stock & provided our NZ Border Protection - Customs Dept. don't impound and destroy it when it arrives).

_______________

I have also bought a few 32 Calibre copper plated 71grain round nose pills - and noticed that two of these would nearly fit into a SPEER 38 calibre shot capsule (one slips in readily but two find the tapered bore further in is too tight). - I was able to ream-out some of the capsules using an 8mm drill-bit and build a variety of Duplex Load combinations.

Two x 71gn 32" Calibre Projectiles

Either 'Tandem' or 'one forward-one reversed'

I am also looking at using one 32 Cal. bullet with two .275" lead balls (Drilled fishing line weights) to build a 'Triplex' Load (or even a 'three-ball' load).

I have not shot any of these loads yet - but they'll be on the range with my six inch Ruger .357 GP100 as soon as I get an opportunity to load them.. It will be interesting to learn how they group.

Long-term friend and fellow shooter 'Col' gave me some cast lead balls that measure around .325" and would fit down into a 38 Special case between the powder charge and a standard pill to make another 'duplex' type load.

- Yet another possibility would be to use such a calibre ball to make an economical 'plinking' load for paper punching maybe using a wad and a light charge of bulky IMR Trail Boss Powder.

- So many possibilities - so little time eh.

Marty K.

Upper Hutt Police Petition:

Stokes Valley residents have started a petition calling for an increased police presence in their Upper Hutt location:

"We have had our windows smashed twice over the last couple of years, laptops stolen, you know we don't like it, it's frustrating. And just a policeman being seen around - that's what they're there for, the community funds it through taxes you know, we want that."

Stokes Valley has a community constable based at the mall, but many residents said he was never there.

The petition - supported by the local New World supermarket is being organised by Matthew Adams, who said he had gained 1500 written and online signatures in the past five days.

New World Robbery in Progress Earlier this Month.

Hutt Valley Area Commander Sean Hansen "From time to time the Community Constable might not necessarily be deployed in Stokes Valley, but we deploy a whole lot of other staff there as well."

Marty K.

Port Arthur Shooting & Gun Buy-Back 20 Years Ago;

Twenty years ago today - 28 April 1996 thirty five people were killed and twenty three wounded in Tasmania by a deranged, socially isolated and intellectually handicapped gunman Martin Bryant with a sub-normal IQ of 66 - equivalent of an eleven year old.

He is currently serving 35 life sentences plus 1,035 years without parole.

The then Prime Minister John Howard introduced 'Gun Bans' and the 1996 'Buy-Back' scheme that resulted in nearly 661,000 firearms being destroyed at an expected cost of 500 Million Dollars.

Howard recently attempted to justify his '1996 Buy-Back' scheme by stating:

"Surveys indicate it had a big impact on male youth suicide. I believe we have prevented a lot of death of people who would once grab hold of a rifle."

- As hanging suicides rose at about the same rate as gun suicides fell, it is possible that there was some substitution of suicide methods.

In 2005 the head of the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, Don Weatherburn noted that the level of legal gun ownership in NSW had increased in recent years, and that the 1996 legislation had little to no effect on violence.

The Australian Crime Commission reported in 2013 that the number of guns imported to Australia legally has also risen, including a 24 per cent increase during the past six years in the number of registered handguns in NSW.

A 2014 report stated that approximately '260,000 guns are on the Australian 'grey' or black markets', and discussed the potential problem of people using 3D printers to create guns.

________________

Ten years earlier again - 30 years ago - on 26 April 1986  31 people were directly killed in Chernobyl, Ukraine when the Nuclear Power Plant there suffered power surges and a fire - releasing radiation across a wide area of Europe.

Total Chernobyl deaths are estimated to eventually reach 4,000 among the heaviest contaminated - this includes some 50 emergency workers who died shortly after the accident from acute radiation syndrome.

Two crimes against humanity - which was the greatest?

Marty K.

NZ Gang Member Bought 18 Guns:

The NZ Herald today reports that a patched Headhunters Gang member bought eighteen 'high powered firearms on his Firearms Licence between 2012-2015 - valued at some $30,000 -  before the police sought to revoke his licence and recover the guns - only to find that he claimed to have sold them all.

The number of people applying for NZ Firearms Licences has doubled from 5,000 in 2005 to aprox. 10,000 last year - the refusals rose from 66 in 2005 to 795 last year.

Police Minister Judith Collins says that the current inquiry into the illegal possession of firearms by The Law And Order Committee is a priority and that she is waiting for advice from officials before announcing the next steps.

Every time there is a report of unlawful gun use - there are inevitable calls for further restrictions on legal firearms users.

Marty K.

Handgun Hits DA versus SA. - ANZAC Day:

It was a fine sunny Autumn day driving out to the pistol club range on Sunday - through hilly countryside with beautiful sunlit yellow, orange and red leaves on the trees - and once there I was again impressed by the quality of my shooting companions.

American readers will probably baulk at this - but here in New Zealand where all pistol shooters are extensively screened by the Police Licencing Authority - you can relax when on a pistol range and be confident that all the shooters there are law-abiding and as sane as yourself.

I brought this target home to show something interesting .. Shot at around 24 foot range the buff patches cover three cylinders (24 shots) from my Ruger SP101 .22"LR fired double action 'rapid fire' and are mostly to the left of the red patch. - Two cylinders (16 shots) fired single-action are low right if you can discern the white patches against the white target* - and I fired the five 9mm rounds from the 3rd Gen. Glock 17 just to see where I'd put them as I hadn't fired it for a while.

All shots fired two handed standing - using strong left hand.. Well I thought that the revolvers different DA to SA impact was noteworthy..

* I put the white surface forward rather than the usual buff target to show that I'm not prejudiced.

___________________

Today here in New Zealand it is ANZAC Day - when we remember the fallen servicemen of World War I who gave their lives for their faith in the British Commonwealth.

- In contrast I also read today the British Sunday Times 'Rich List' 2016 that explains how the Top 1% own as much as the lower 57% put together - and devote their time to hiding this wealth wherever they can - to avoid contributing to the essential services such as Health, Law-Enforcement and Education (and Defence).

- The Richest 1,000 British increased their wealth by 28.5 Billion Pounds last year - while the poorest 10% got poorer.

Life is good.

Marty K.

Snub-Nosed 'Carry' Revolvers - And Some Quotes:

Do you write that 'snubby' or 'snubbie' ? .. whatever!

'Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.' - Teddy Roosevelt

In the overseas lands where it is allowed - many folks choose a short barrelled snubby revolver for self defence carry.

' When seconds count - the cops are just minutes away.' - Attributed to Clint Smith** (Thunder Ranch)

What I am posting about is guns with barrels of 3 inches or shorter. (- Cue an outraged screechy female voice "What we are talking about here is three inches!"

A Classic Engraved Snubby S&W M60 (NZ Owned)

Starting with the smallest guns in .22"LR calibre and .22 Magnum (WMR) - hits with these are said to be around 30-40% effective for 'one shot stops'.

NAA .22" Mini Revolver.

- If that is what you've got and are comfortable with carrying it that's great - but please try to practice regularly on a safe range.

Ruger LCR.

The next useable upgrade comes with revolvers in .32" calibre - light and easy(ish) until you expand into the 32 H&W Magnum and the newer 327 Federal Magnums - which can blast like a 38+P and get close to the 357 Magnum level recoil and muzzle blast.

"Shooting well is simple - It just isn't easy": - Ray Chapman

But remember the key to safe and effective shooting is practice - and dry firing practice at home while using correct sight alignment is truly valuable. - If you practice bad or lazy habits - that is how you will shoot when under stress. - Dry fire is the best practice - and the cheapest.

"Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician."- Jeff Cooper.

The next sweet-spot calibre for carry snubbies has to be the 38 Special and 9mm NATO guns.

Taurus FS905 (five shot) 9x19mm.

Most able-bodied folk can effectively handle guns within this range of power - provided they practice.

Then we come to the bigger 'Top Shelf'' Magnum calibres - .357 Magnum, - 41 Magnum, and 44 Magnum.

.44" Magnum M629 S&W.

All the excellent and powerful Magnums will be heavier and bulkier to carry and may well hold only five rounds - and unless shot with gentle non-magnum ammunition - they will deafen you, the muzzle blast will slap you in the head, they will sting your hands, they will recoil way off target - and when fired in the dark - they will flash so brightly that you'll effectively be blinded for seconds.

'Watch the front sight hard.' : - Massad Ayoob.

- Apart from that they are great. - IF you are strong willed, staunch, and pig-headed you will be able to master the magnum stubby. Not me - I have shot a six inch S&W 44 Magnum one time only. - It hurt me.

I call them 'Top Shelf' because that is where most normal (or wimpy people like me) would put them .. up on a high shelf to gather dust.

Finally there are the specialist revolvers such as the Ruger Alaskan Super Redhawk 454 Casul. - designed to sling 300 grain lead pills at Grizzly Bears at a velocity of 1650 feet per second - and these may be fired from their shortest two and a half inch barrels ..

454 Casul Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan.

Hmm - well you could try one with .45 Colt cartridges eh.

Marty K.

** Worth reading Clint Smiths pithy sayings at: buckeyefirearms.org/quotations-clint-smith

After researching & writing 1,036 blogs I've got something NEW to try .. I've signed-up to Patreon. - In over five years I've not made one cent from this .. NOW you can send me a wee support $ - starting from $1. to get all this stuff from New Zealand - over a year that's nearly the price of one Shooting magazine. - Am I worth it?

https://www.patreon.com/posts/24075745

Military Basic Training Ends At Waiouru Camp:

New Zealand Army basic training is to move in 2018 to Burnham Military Camp in the South Island.

Waiouru Camp located high on the North Island Volcanic Plateau will however continue to be the army's area where they conduct all aspects of live field firing and combined arms training.

Recruits Training With Anti-Personnel Mines at Waiouru

The 870 sq. km army training facility - and the QEII Military Museum are located mainly to the east of that part of State Highway 1 called The Desert Road that runs through the Rangipo Desert, on land that once used to be a high country sheep station.

Waiouru - On Exercises in 2009 with LAVs and Steyr AUGs.

Ownership of this land area has been disputed by Maori since the 1850s - long before the illegal land grab by John Studholme - a "Canterbury land shark" in 1874.

Most of the leasehold Waiouru Run was taken back into Crown control in 1939 when the large army training camp was built.

- There is a large part of the Military Training area set aside for the herd of wild "Kaimanawa Horses" to live - and DOC conducts regular culls and musters to limit their numbers.

Marty K.

Kel Tec P-32 & Others:

In 1895 Theodore Roosevelt moved to New York as reforming Police Commissioner and one of his first acts was to make the Colt New Police Revolver in 32 S&W Long the standard issue side-arm.

Massad Ayoob, police officer, trainer and author proudly writes in 'Greatest Handguns of The World' that his fathers Colt New Police .32" was the first gun he ever fired when aged eleven.

- But Jeff Cooper is no fan of anything less than the .45" .. in his 1960s 'Fighting Handguns' he writes ".. the anaemic .32 auto pistol cartridge is the most popular handgun round ever built." 

- Mind you - Cooper calls the Military Mauser "a pipsqueak" - The Kentucky Rifle "slow, low powered & fragile" and the Peacemaker "is rather light for a serious sidearm."  - Don't you love a man with an opinion?

I do understand that the .32" calibre is no "Buffalo Gun".

Way back in 1899 John Moses Browning patented the .32" 'Automatic Colt Pistol' cartridge that is also known as the 7.65 Browning or 32 Auto.

He developed this round to power his first ever semi-auto 'pocket' pistol. This concealed hammer pistol was first made by Colt and carried the patent date April 20 1897 - while later examples had the additional patent date December 22 1903. (The 'M1903' pistol was made up till 1945).

Colt M1903 Component Parts.

Now, there will be some of you already mouthing a cruel sneer at the very thought of this much derided "mouse-gun" calibre. - But wait - there's more!

Police Forces (& Military) throughout the world carried small pistols in this calibre without complaint for decades.

32acp Colt M1903 (Early Ones Had Four Inch Barrels)

NZ Police Commissioner Walter Dinnie introduced .32" calibre guns (Colts, Brownings  and Webleys) into service in 1903 - and NZ Police did not change-up to the larger calibre .38" S&W for the Armed Offenders Squad until 1964.

Today the Kel Tec P-32 is still popular in USA for pocket carry or to keep in an 'inside-the-waistband' holster:

- Or a shoulder bag ..

32acp 'Muddy Girl' Kel Tec P-32.

- Yeah , that's funny-cute - but what about when it's loaded at 970 ft.per sec. with ...

Or - 'All Copper' expanding pills ..

Yeah I do know that "bigger is better" - and there are times when I might feel under-gunned even carrying a 10mm Glock G20 - say in an ambush combat action in a desert gully "somewhere in the middle east".

- But you can't always have on you (even where permitted!) - the exactly appropriate tool for the job - Indeed in some  countries you are specifically banned by law from even thinking about having such a tool or the need for it!

How about a nice "Classic" Walther PP in 7.65x17mm (.32acp)

8+1 capacity weighing in at 660gm ( 23oz)?

The above "PP" (Polizeipistole or 'police pistol') is (like other .32" "mouse guns") a blow-back design that seems to be renowned for reliable operation.

Or the even more compact 7+1 Walther PPK (Polizeipistole Kriminalemodell - Police Pistol Criminal (Detective) Model above.

Maybe I need to remind folk that the handguns permitted for sporting purposes here in NZ have to have barrels longer than 4 inches (4"- Good guns.  3.875"- Bad Guns")

SP101 Four Inch Six Shot 327 Federal Magnum - That's so Pretty..

Now it would be rude of me not to (again!) mention that users of .32" calibre revolvers can also include the .32acp pistol round in their extensive repertoire.. .32"S&W, - .32"S&W Long, - .32"H&R Magnum, - 327 Federal Magnum, plus .32"acp.

This Ruger LCR 327 Federal Magnum Looks Good Too

- But That's A Naughty Barrel.

- Could be handy. Now if 327 Fed.Mag. was loaded and fired from a carbine at more than 1,800 - 2,000 feet per second ..

This is not a recommendation - but when Ken Harbicht killed three grizzlies with three shots in his farm yard in British Colombia back in the 1980s - he was using a .32 Winchester Special. - Success in shooting is after all, about bullet placement.

Marty K.

After researching & writing 1,036 blogs I've got something NEW to try .. I've signed-up to Patreon. - In over five years I've not made one cent from this .. NOW you can send me a wee support $ - starting from $1. to get all this stuff from New Zealand - over a year that's nearly the price of one Shooting magazine. - Am I worth it?

https://www.patreon.com/posts/24075745

NZ Navy Vessels Locked in Port:

There are current political claims that our NZ Navy patrol vessels have been tied up in port for years and that this is because:

    A/: They can't go to sea when it is rough.

or B/: They haven't got enough sailors and officers to man them following "efficiency cuts".

or C/: We have used all the allotted diesel fuel and can't afford to get any more.

or D/: The other Govt. Departments like 'Fisheries' & Customs don't want to / can't afford to use these ships to carry out their duties. (The vessels are equipped with kennels for Customs search dogs, etc.)

A Government Spokesman said that they should likely be sold - as they were bought when the opposition was in power!

There are four Lake-class Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPV) commissioned into RNZN service. They have been named HMNZS Rotoiti, Hawea, Taupo, and Pukaki.

The keel for the first vessel in class, HMNZS Rotoiti (P3569), was laid in March 2005. The vessel was launched in November 2007 and commissioned in April 2009. HMNZS Hawea (P3571) was launched in December 2007 and commissioned in May 2009.
HMNZS Pukaki (P3568) was launched in May 2008 and commissioned in May 2009. The last ship in class, HMNZS Taupo (P3570), was launched in August 2008 and commissioned in May 2009.

The large and strengthened platform allows operations even in harsh open ocean waters between patrol areas. This capability significantly minimises the stopovers during the transit. The vessel is equipped with an active ride control system.

The ships have the ability to patrol in up to Sea State 5 ('Rough' - waves up to 4 metres) and can deploy as well as recover sea boats in up to Sea State 4. The boats allow vertical replenishment (VERTREP) operations in Sea State 5 and can survive in up to Sea State 8. Each vessel is intended to achieve 290 available patrol days a year.

Note: Sea State 8 equals Wave Heights 0f  9 to 14 metres - 30 to 46 feet (Very High)

The Protector Class IPV is armed with three 12.75mm machine guns. It features a forward gun position for mounting the weapons of up to 40mm.

One of HMNZ Haweas .50 Calibre Machine Guns.

- Have They Got Any Ammunition?

Marty K.

US Judge Rules Victim Families Can Sue Bushmaster:

US Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis has ruled in Bridgeport Connecticut that the lawsuit against the maker of the Bushmaster semi-auto rifle used in the 2012 'Sandy Hook Elementary School Shootings' may continue.

Judge Barbara Bellis ruled Thursday that a federal law protecting gun-makers from lawsuits does not prevent lawyers for the families of Sandy Hook victims from arguing that the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle is a military weapon and should not have been sold to civilians.

A lawyer for the families had argued there is an exception in federal law that allows litigation against companies that know, or should know, that their weapons are likely to be used in a way that risks injury to others.

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has been criticized for his stance on this.. Sanders told the New York Daily News that "No, I don't" believe that the victims of gun violence should have the ability to sue the gun manufacturer."

New Zealand Police Have Some 900

Bushmaster XM15M4A3 5.56 NATO Rifles.

Marty K.

Glocks New NZ Defence Force Weapons:

New Zealand deliveries of the replacement military 'individual weapons' are due to start next month (May 2016) - commencing with 4th generation Glock 17 9mm NATO calibre pistols.

Gen 4 Glock 17 9x19mm

Australian company NIOA Nominees Pty. Ltd. was awarded a $1.8 million contract to supply approximately 1,900 new Glocks - that will replace the Sig-Saur P226 s/a pistols that have been in use with NZDF since 1992.

Sig-Sauer P226 s/a Pistol

These Sig handgun discards would be of strong interest to New Zealand collectors and licenced pistol shooters - and I have not heard or seen any definitive statement of intent about how they will be disposed-of. - However, given the current superficial 'anti-gun' public attitudes I strongly doubt that law abiding Kiwi citizens will be offered the old guns to reduce military spending costs.

I would think that a partial sale offering of perhaps a thousand Sigs would meet demand from the 4,000 'B' Category Pistol shooters plus the 'C' Cat. collectors based locally - especially if these guns were to carry NZDF armoury stamped identification marks.

________________

The NZDF rifles are also due for replacement soon - with the current issue Steyr AUG rifles having been publicly labelled as "underpowered, ineffective, and inaccurate" at long range. The AUGs were procured from Australia where they were built under licence at Lithgow. It is worth noting that these 'poor performing' 5.56x54mm rifles will be replaced by .... 5.56x54mm rifles of a much older basic design.

OUT .. Steyr AUG 5.56x54mm (.223").

Our AUG Bullpup rifles were adopted by NZDF in 1987 as an advanced design compact rifle with 'built-in' easy use optical sighting system.

I think that the main benefit of the 9,000 new rifles will be the wide range of optical sights that may be fitted to the new guns rail system - and they should shoot tighter groups than the old guns with worn barrels. (Plus .. being similar to US issue arms our Kiwi troops may be able to "pick-up" bits and pieces dropped by the Yanks!)

IN .. NZDF Replacement 5.56x54mm (.223") Rifle,

The NZ selected replacement is an AR15/M16 built by American company Lewis Machine & Tool (model CQB16LMT).

The AR15 was designed in 1957 by Eugene Stoner and first built by ArmaLight before being produced by Colt. - The M16 Rifle first entered into US service in 1963 in Vietnam. The AR15/M16 has undergone continuous development over the more than 50 years it has been produced - and it is barely recognizable as the same rifle.

Early M16 Rifle. (1970s?)

The AR15 / M16 rifle has been produced in huge numbers (some 8 Million) by a range of US manufacturers to be acclaimed as a very successful design - but it has to be said that its Number 1 rival in worldwide distribution - the so-called "AK-47" has beaten it hands down in numbers with an estimated production of  75 Million.

Marty K.
After researching & writing 1,036 blogs I've got something NEW to try .. I've signed-up to Patreon. - In over five years I've not made one cent from this .. NOW you can send me a wee support $ - starting from $1. to get all this stuff from New Zealand - over a year that's nearly the price of one Shooting magazine. - Am I worth it?

https://www.patreon.com/posts/24075745

Public Confusion About SELLAFIELD Nuclear Leaks:

Here is your mission (should you accept it) - After reading this post - write down who actually owns the business "Sellafield Ltd." - and who may be held responsible or liable for any radioactive contamination of people and property in those 'fair green islands' that make-up the UK.

- I noticed the name 'Sellafield LTD.' when reading about the ongoing radioactivity risks up in the  coastal area of Cumbria UK. (1st name change.. until 1974 Cumbria was called Cumberland).

Drigg Low Level Waste Repository - Flood Prone Nuclear Dump.
- Who to ask how the new 'Vault 9' is progressing? .. operated by LLW Repository Ltd., contracted by UK Waste Management Ltd., owned by the Washington Division of  URS Corporation (owned jointly by Studsvik UK, AREVA-NC, and Serco Assurance, - under contract from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
_______

Now what intrigued me was that 'Ltd.' actually means 'LIMITED LIABILITY' and it seems wrong to me that any corporate business concerned with nuclear facilities and plutonium production should be granted limited liability for its actions while the locations where it operates are guarded 24/7 by a specialist government police force - The CIVIL NUCLEAR CONSTABULARY.

Calder Hall - Cooling Towers now Demolished.

- So, not only have the "closed" or 'decommissioned'  crumbling contaminated H-Bomb factories of Calder Hall & Windscale been renamed "Sellafield" to deflect public interest ..

Sign at Cumbria Lillyhall Low Level Nuclear Waste Dump.

- But responsibility for the 10,000 on-site workers trying to control this blot on history has been handed to a limited liability business having a nearly untraceable record of ownership.

Windscale.

Wikipedia tries to clarify just who is meant to be stopping this nuclear dump from going feral:

Sellafield Ltd is a nuclear decommissioning Site Licence Company (SLC) controlled by Nuclear Management Partners Ltd, its designated Parent Body Organisation (PBO). It operates under contract for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), a government body set up specifically to deal with the nuclear legacy under the Energy Act 2004.
Sellafield Ltd's main aim is to manage the decommissioning of the Sellafield facility on behalf of the NDA. The body employs more than 13,000 workers and its focus is to deliver accelerated nuclear decommissioning and clean-up programmes. It is also involved in power operations, fuel production and reprocessing, international decommissioning, and international transportation.

History[edit]

Sellafield Ltd was formed out of the remains of British Nuclear Group (BNG), a subsidiary of BNFL. BNG was created from a reorganisation of BNFL in 2005, bringing together all of BNFL's businesses into one unit, with the exception of Nexia Solutions and Westinghouse Electric Company. It was BNFL's initial intention in 2006 to sell BNG whole as one business, however it was later decided to break up BNG and sell each asset individually, to maximise revenue.^[1][2]
BNG's US subsidiary, BNG America, its Magnox reactor business, Reactor Sites Management Company, its consultancy business, BNG Project Services and its one third share in Atomic Weapons Establishment management company, AWE Management Ltd were all sold.^[3] The remaining business of BNG was responsible for the decommissioning work at Sellafield. This was renamed Sellafield Ltd and ownership was passed to the NDA.
In 2008 the NDA contracted the management of Sellafield Ltd to Nuclear Management Partners Ltd, a consortium of US company URS, British company AMEC, and Areva of France. The initial contract was for five years, with an extension option for 17 years.^[4]

You want to ask whoever is in charge, - what?

I know that I've mentioned this before - but I continue to be happy that we are down here closer to the Antarctic Circle than anywhere else - and so remote that we are often left-off of world maps.
Marty K.

After researching & writing 1,036 blogs I've got something NEW to try .. I've signed-up to Patreon. - In over five years I've not made one cent from this .. NOW you can send me a wee support $ - starting from $1. to get all this stuff from New Zealand - over a year that's nearly the price of one Shooting magazine. - Am I worth it?

https://www.patreon.com/posts/24075745

WORST WEAPONS: British Nuclear Mine Was Chicken Powered:

The British Royal Armament Research & Development Establishment (RARDE) based at Fort Halstead, Sevenoaks Kent developed and made a ten kiloton nuclear mine in 1954 called 'Blue Peacock'.

Blue Peacock Nuclear Land Mine

A number (ten were ordered) of these massive 7.2 ton mines were to be deployed on the North German Plain - pretending that they were power stations but they were actually designed to be detonated by a three mile long cable when retreating from the Russians.

- Or failing that - they would, being unattended - detonate automatically eight days after being armed or within 10 seconds of being interfered with.

Their purpose was to contaminate the region by radiation & fallout and deny occupation to any invading force.

Doubts were raised that the electronics might fail in the low temperatures encountered in Northern Germany winters so it was proposed that captive chickens be sealed within the casing with a food supply - where their body heat would suffice to maintain a safe working temperature.

The project was cancelled in February 1958 but the 'Fort Halstead' explosives 'research facility' has continued to be the largest employer in Sevenoaks (Kent - The Garden of England) with as many as 1,300 personnel on site in the year 2,000.

Marty K.

SADM Backpack Portable Nuke
- in Backpack Transporter.

Further research: Google/ Wikipedia SADM (Special Atomic Demolition Munitions) - MADM (Medium Atomic Demolition Munitions), and TADM (Tactical Atomic Demolition Munitions) for more current deployments in Europe and South Korea eg.
M.K.

Now - Worst Ever Guns:

I've featured the smallest ever revolver and the biggest / most powerful revolver - so now maybe it's time for the worst ever made suggestions:

Colt M1877. . it was offered in three calibres, the .32" "Rainmaker", the .38"Long Colt "Lightning", and the .41""Thunderer" -  But sad to say all flavours of the new double action revolver suffered from weak internal components, poor and complicated design and - despite the resounding but unofficial names - all three proved to be so unreliable that they were re-named as "The Gunsmiths' Favourite".

- Now, for the worst ever semi-auto Pistol I have picked the WW2 Japanese Nambu 8mm Taisho 94(Shiki-Kenju 94). - Not only is it ugly as - it had a poorly designed safety that would cause it to fire while partially unlocked, but also the sear had an exposed bar on the side and that would fire the pistol when handled roughly.

My choice of rubbish rifle is either the Cochran or Porter Turret Rifle of 1851 - a percussion multi-shot that had the unfortunate trick of igniting all its loaded chambers together - with startling results - as there was always one chamber facing rearwards pointing directly at the shooter.

- So when firing the Turret Rifle you needed to keep your hands away from the turret chambers  gasses - but your face also needed to be held away from the stock.

Small Note: There are suggestions online that the first military version of the (AR15) M16 rifle (Introduced for use in Vietnam in 1963) would qualify as the worst ever rifle.. This adapted ArmaLite rifle deserves its own story.

"J" suggests that the "worst machine gun"- 'Light Machine Gun' class should be the WW1 USA Mle 1918 30-06 version of the Chauchat that was built in the French Gladiator works (Paris).

The Gladiator built  Chauchats invariably had misaligned sights (low and to the right) - a loose bipod, and featured removable 20 round magazines that had one side open to the elements, mud and gravel.. less than ideal for trench warfare. The Americans more powerful 30-06 ammunition accelerated overheating problems - with the action jamming open after a few rounds fired on full auto. - If loaded fully with 20 rounds the magazines would not feed. - US units would commonly discard their Chauchats in favour of Springfield rifles.

Other versions made in different plants seemed to have performed better for the Belgians and French.

Marty K.