Tuesday 31 January 2017

The Perfect Handgun Grip - Where Can I Get Some of Their Stuff?

A couple of times recently on-line after reading an article I have been tempted to scroll-down the screen to the comments thread - to see what the locals have to say (and to have a laugh).

One was a TFB post claiming that the Glock 19 might be the "perfect gun" - except the writer did explain how he'd had the grips re-shaped and stippled to suit his hands!

Latest Gen 4 Glock 19.

The comments seemed to go on (and on) for pages with the commenters getting more and more dogmatic, abusive, silly and off topic.. Especially about grip angles.

 Where can I find the same 'chemical medications' that they are taking? - I'd love to be as smart as they are!

Would you believe that I once actually read a 1911 fan describe Glocks as "blocky looking"! Pot-Kettle, Pot-Kettle.

The 'perfect' gun will of course be the one that you like and can shoot, & afford to shoot in your chosen caliber - and manage to ignore or overcome all of it's annoying features.


One example difference is - Glock's finger grooves suite my hands but my mate 'J' hates them as he's got fat fingers that don't fit into the grooves but sit on top of the ridges.

The early ("Gen 1"?) Glock 17s had grips that got slippery in sweaty hands - but you could cut a length of old rubber bicycle inner-tube to fit the grip - or maybe glue on some 'skate-board' grip tape..

First Model (Gen.1 ?) Glock 17 Had No Finger Grooves.

Too sharp? .. if you stipple the grip with aggressively sharp diamond points - then those folk with soft hands will complain that it hurts them. (I have another mate who - when he was house building - had hands like lumps of hard rough concrete - I don't know how he got 'hands-on' with any female companions!)

We're all different and like different stuff - look at music and cars as examples of the wide variety on offer and actually bought by somebody! - We come in different sizes and with different priorities. - I really appreciate Glock's efficient modern slick'n'simple operating systems, but half the world hates that plastic (the other half is busy copying it).

 - Some people might be described as "dyed-in-the-wool" with entrenched fixed beliefs and faith in legend - others are more open minded and fact based eh.

 Meanwhile - I also really enjoy and value the 'old fashioned' sturdy features on offer by quality revolvers. - Revolvers will put that fired brass straight into your hands for the next reloading session & eliminate all that scrabbling about for the empties at your mates feet..

- If you can master the long heavy-weight trigger pull required for accurate double-action revolver shooting - you'll be able to shoot anything no matter how crappy you think the trigger is! - Good exercise for trigger fingers.

Inner-Tube Art.
"One size fits all" ? - don't you believe it.

Somebody close by is pleased as a puppy with his new original Tyler T Grips that he's bought from America. - Me? - Hmm not so much - sort-of  'folksy-traditional'..


- but they definitely do improve the shape, size and angle of the horrible S&W original shaped splinters of wood.

___________________________

Here is a link to a short video that discusses the .45" acp effectiveness for self defense relative to other calibers. Those of us who are interested in the "caliber wars" should enjoy it.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2017/01/05/oh-went-tym-45-acp-sucks-self-defense/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=2017-01-07&utm_campaign=Weekly+Newsletter

Marty K.

P.S. According to The Telegraph .. 'definitely' is the most misspelled word - well I never did!

- I watched Hickok 45's  new video shooting his original 1853 Enfield rifled musket - now that definitely is a quality video.

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

M.K.

Monday 30 January 2017

S&W 686-6 Plus Hand Cannon In the Wind - Things That Don't Go Bump When They Should:

- A very strong gale roaring all afternoon on range Sunday - blowing-over target frames and making accurate shooting problematic.

Things that mature old guys do for fun on range!




.. Same guy ('Cutters') has bought a new S&W revolver..

Smith & Wesson Performance Centre 686-6 Plus 'Pro Series' Five Inch.
- Seven Shot .357 Magnum - Comes with Only Two Moon-Clips.

A rather special speed-shooting gun - now sporting a full sized "45 gallon oil drum" strapped on top .. he likes his 'red-dot' sights. Can be used with or without moon clips.

Interestingly - as bought - this tuned revolver failed to fire. - Giving only light primer strikes until the grips were removed and the 'strain screw' was wound in fully to increase the main spring tension.

______________
Autos:

Friend "J" has two Berettas plus a Gen. 2 Glock 17 in 9mm - and recently has loaded hundreds of rounds using a plinking load that I'd used way back around ten years ago and had written on the label of the tin of old (now obsolete) powder.

Gen 2 - No Finger grooves.

 Problem - Sadly none of his three autos will cycle properly with these lightly loaded cartridges - but then when I insisted that we try them in MY Gen 3 Glock 17 - they were fine and worked beautifully.

Maybe I ought explain further that my range cobbers like to jibe at me about my overly weak hand-loads - ever since I test-loaded a Handbook load for .357" revolver that stuck "pop" in my Ruger GP100's six inch barrel - while it just managed to exit from a S&W four inch revolver muzzle.

And, - you might care to note that this powder charge was listed as a maximum safe load !!

Hey Ho - where's that brass rod and hammer?

Gen.3 Glock 17

I may be able to score some cheap practice ammo shortly eh - unless he finds some weaker recoil springs .. 

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/user?u=16618870

Saturday 28 January 2017

Col. 'Jeff' Cooper - Man of His Time

There surely can't be anyone reading this pro-gun blog who doesn't know of:

  John Dean Cooper..(1920-2006)

'Jeff Cooper' a Familiar Image - With a 1911.

Fourth From Left - Much Younger.

Before serving as a Marine Officer during WWII & in the Korean War - Cooper graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Political Science and later again earned his 'Masters' in History - when working as a teacher for over 20 years.

We know him as being a strong advocate for the 1911 pistol in .45 ACP - as the founder of the GUNSITE ACADEMY  - and developer and publicist of 'The Modern Technique Of The Pistol' - and the founder figure of  'Practical Pistol' and IPSC Shooting competition.

This was the era following WWII - when '1911s' could be bought for around $15. - He didn't like 9 mm (or any other 'lesser caliber') pistols - that he would call "cruntch'n'tickers".

 Col. Cooper also designed the BREN 10 auto pistol and its' 10 MM Auto Cartridge.. and he was a most successful book author and contributor to US gun magazines.

An Original is an Investment 
- But Available Reprinted

This was a shooting man - who also later promoted his ideas for his versatile 'Scout Rifle'.

RUGER Gunsite All Purpose .308" Scout Rifle.

Many of his pithy quotes have become 'standards' - such as:

"The trouble with democracy is that fifty percent of the voters are below average"

"Remember the first rule of gun fighting ... have a gun" 

"It is true that the victim who fights back may suffer for it, but one who does not almost certainly will suffer for it."

- Strongly opinionated and entertaining - but expert .. his stuff is still well worth reading even if you disagree with some detail.

Marty K.

P.S. I was interested to note that another expert shooter and writer, John Taffin was also a teacher for some 30 odd years in US. - It's all about communication eh - He really enjoys his single-action revolvers.. and also comes from that era when decent moral standards were held to be important.

.. Hickok 45 is also a teacher well known for his video firearms reviews.

_____________

- In great contrast - I was depressed to hear of a recently dead 'pop singer' drug addict who's most famous achievement was being found guilty of performing a lewd act in a public toilet - and who boasted of more than 500 homosexual intimate "lovers" - was being acclaimed (post mortem) by ignorant media 'hacks' as an 'ICON' (- worthy of veneration) ... surely any male who engages in multiple sexual acts with strangers in public toilets has hugely demonstrated their stupidity. )

M.K.









.




Wednesday 25 January 2017

Trident Missile & Submarine Cover-Up:

I tried to look-up "Trident Cover-Up" - as the British radio is reporting this .. but there are so many Google entries for this cover-up wording !!

.. November 9th 2015?

.. May 17th 2015?

- If you are not already scared - you will be after reading this statement below:

https://wikileaks.org/trident-safety/

November 2015 Trident Missile Test Launch?
- Off California Coast.

It may be that there are so many errors that I'll end up doing a "headless chicken" - running in a crazy circle.

The California lawmakers seem to be so fixated on reducing their residents gun rights which they perceive as a danger - when they would be better to focus their concerns on the military actions of the British Royal Navy..


- But NO - this cover-up is even more recent:

"Labour former defence minister Kevan Jones has demanded an inquiry into claims that the launch of an unarmed Trident II D5 missile from a British submarine off the coast of Florida in June malfunctionedOn Saturday  it was reported the cause of the failure remained top secret but questions could be asked over the Government's failure to publicize the failed test weeks before MPs approved the £40 billion Trident renewal program in July."
I have read (and written about) hugely incompetent working methods in the early atomic power stations - Windscale, Calder Hall - but they might excuse that sort of "broomstick handle & coal shovel' technique - as it was immediately following WWII  & they were racing to beat the USSR - but this slack handling is now - in the 21st Century.
Marty K.
The State Govt. of California prohibited the sale of all .50" caliber BMG rifles (This law does not apply to the law enforcement officers with permission from their employing agencies.) - so the Barrett Firearms Company has replied by refusing to sell to or service any such arms owned by any California Government Agency. - That has to be sweet justice..
M.K.

Tuesday 24 January 2017

A NEW "1911"(Not) From Hudson Mfg. - Looking Good:

Shot Show 2017 .. what can I say?

I've found this semi-auto pistol touted as a "New 1911" - and as a "New 1911 Style" pistol:

The Hudson H 9.
It looks very tasty to me and I'm not taking the piddle out of the gun.. but 'Merican' gun writers need to be chastised into the realities of the 21st century with a gentle but full power cattle-prod.

This promising looking Hudson pistol is:
A/- a 9mm.
B/- STRIKER fired.
C/- High Capacity using a x 15 round magazine.
D/- Low bore /axis line.
E/- Standard with a Trigger Safety.

- No way does that add-up (even with a decent straight line trigger pull) - to make that pistol a '1911'.

The simple fact is that the innovative makers are claiming 7 Patents for features of this original design surely means it cannot be called a 1911.

The latest 'catch phrase' arriving from US in a shower of bullshit is 'ALTERNATIVE FACTS'

- which I understand IS 'an alternative fact' for LIES.

Facts that I can determine indicate that Hudson Manufacturing are based in Temple, Texas, and their H9 pistol is an all new design. - They have a Web site: https://www.hudsonmfg.com/

Marty K.

Saturday 21 January 2017

S&W's Very First Auto Pistol - And Its ".35" Half Mantle Bullets:

For many years (since 1856 - when the famous duo got together for the 2nd time) - Messrs. Smith & Wesson had only sold revolvers (plus the occasional single-shot) .. but then, leading up to  1913 - they noticed that Colts and Savage Arms were making a lot of money fast - from selling 'auto pistols'.

What to do? .. the answer was a deal with Charles P Clement of Liege in Belgium who was making his patented original version of an interesting and accurate 7.65 (.32" ACP) blow-back pistol that had its barrel solid with its frame.

S&W Model 1913 Auto Pistol - AKA Model 35.
 - That's A 'Squeeze Safety' In Front of The Grip.

The deal was that Clement and S&W refrained from exporting into each others territories while it licensed S&W manufacturing rights for the Clement design in US.( A similar deal to Colts arrangement with F.N. on the John Moses Browning designs.)

However - somebody at S&W made a 'cock-up' - well really a whole series of cock-ups - so nothing new there then.

The original blow-back Belgian Liege guns used jacketed ammunition - but the experts at S&W who were used to soft lead revolver bullets - decided that jacketed bullets would wear-out their barrels too quickly .. but appreciating that exposed lead noses would cause feeding problems - they developed their own new "Half -Mantle" bullet design for auto pistols that used a cupro-nickel cap or 'jacket' to cover the bullets tip and most of it's nose - while leaving the bearing surface that contacts the bore as exposed lead .. basically this is the reversed feature of a jacketed projectile:

S&W .35" HALF-MANTLE CARTRIDGES - 
The Cupro-Nickel "CAP" is Hard To See .. Being 'lead coloured'.

.. Now - don't ask me why - but some internal company expert decided to extend this redesign of the 7.65 mm / .32 acp 'all the way' - and to enlarge the half-mantle bullets diameter by .008" (eight thou.) so that their bullets would not fit into the other makers autos - while standard .32s would still go into and work in the S&W Model 1913 auto.

S&W then declared that their baby's feed was to be called a ".35 Automatic Smith & Wesson Pistol Cartridge."  - despite the fact that their bullet diameter was actually .320" - just .008" larger than the ,32 ACP whose bullets generally measure .312" (Don't ask!). Link:https://flicense.blogspot.co.nz/2016/03/31-and-32-revolver-and-auto-cartridges.html

- Then S&W further "enhanced" their proprietary round by giving it less velocity and less power than the standard .32" ACP.

.. And then they failed to offer their 'Half-Mantle' cartridge's "point of difference" design features for any other larger standard calibers (.45 acp?) where it might have proved popular.

Well S&W sold only 8,350 of their 'Model 35' despite its improved & extended life barrels that might last up to twenty times longer than any lands and grooves firing jacketed rounds.

Clement-Smith & Wesson 1913 Opened For Cleaning
 With a Pull Of The Trigger Guard.

The guns' design was fine .. so much so that after they ceased producing it in 1921 - they then re-introduced it only a few years later then chambered for the standard .32 ACP.


Short Lived .35 'Half-Mantle' Cartridges.

_______________________


During my several online wanderings researching .32" caliber cartridges and guns - I have come-across 'expert' debate regarding the development of the 32 ACP .

 - Most references state that John Moses Browning himself originated the round in 1900 - but some authorities dare argue that Winchester developed the round starting from Brownings supplied prototypes - while making the very first production ammunition - and further, that F.N. and UMC were also involved in subsequent variations.

- My guess is that it is all true - just pick your pet version and be content - as history is a bit of a "moveable feast" - where dates & facts can change over time.

(I'm told that Christmas was originally set at March 25 or April 25th before being moved to the Winter Solstice date).

Be Happy,

Marty K.

Friday 20 January 2017

Enfield Blackpowder 1853 Caplock Musket:

I recently dared to be unenthusiastic about a Hickok 45 video (about a Bowie knife) - but now I've seen a much more typical and excellent firing session with an original "Civil War" percussion rifled musket. - Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iDS9w-i9yU

It's entertaining fun, - and surely it will show you just why shooting black-powder is a great interest when you want to enjoy a day outdoors in good company.


Marty K.


Thursday 19 January 2017

Bullet Sizes (Diameters) v Bore Sizes (Part 1):

Recent friendly correspondence raised the issue of bullet sizes versus barrel bore sizes.

I am NOT going to answer this question because of the SAFETY issue - and the facts are that there are too many variables that must affect the results - but I'd like to point-out some possibilities for our interest.

Some Variations in Expansion Of Fired  Bullets.
There Is A Lot Of Force Involved.
- & Just a Little Soft Cloth Changes Results.

The only acceptable factual findings would need to be sourced from a ballistic scientist  using a properly equipped test chamber.

- However - the issue was raised : Is using nominal .357 diameter jacketed projectiles unsafe in a 9mm barrel meant to fire a bullet that measures a nominal .355"?

I have done this (with a reduced powder charge) with no ill effects.. but this does not mean that it is safe for every instance.

Some of the variable factors are the actual bore size, the strength of the barrels, depth and type of rifling, the 'hardness' of the projectiles, the length of the bearing surface, the weight of the projectiles, the 'peak internal pressures' - 'burn rate' of the propellant and the friction between the moving object within the bore etc.

We are talking INTERNAL BALLISTICS here.

This problem reminded me of an old article I read in PISTOL & REVOLVER DIGEST that was published by DBI Books Inc. back in  MCMLXXVIthis 'Roman' date I interpret using the 'subtractive method' (!!) as being 1976 in "modern" Hindu-Arabic numerals or 'European digits'.

In this article (Chapter 13), the writer Dean A Grennell shows photos of a Hornady .38 Special jacketed bullet that was fired from a revolver without any barrel. The round was caught in a mixture of grease & paraffin that was used back then to test bullet expansion.
Top "Pregnant" Looking Round Fired Without Barrel.

Now, because of its low velocity - being fired without a barrel (but while the cartridge was contained within a chamber) - it has not expanded or opened at the front.

 .. but the main body of the projectile has been 'bumped-up' in diameter by the unrestrained impetus of the high pressure gasses against the inertia of its mass - while its flat base has been blown concave. - He describes it as looking "pregnant".
Base Of Bullet Distorted By Heat & Gas Pressure.

Now, going back to the question whether a .357" pill is dangerously oversize in a .355" sized 9mm barrel - today I noted bullets for a "Thirty-Two" (7.65mm) revolver - said to officially measure .312" - that are listed as being variously .311" , .312" , and .314" - and I bought x 100 Hornady lead round balls described as 32 CAL  .315".

- If a lead pill contained in a copper jacket can be reshaped to such a degree by peak gas pressure on its base - operating over the short distance that follows a bullet leaving a chamber in free air - and the gasses dispersing...??? ( - Isn't this similar to how the copper slug used in measuring 'C.U.P' internal pressures works?)

- Further - If these photos of a bullet distorted by gas pressure do show the amount of 'malleable shaping' that may be present under firing pressure - but normally is contained in the barrel - surely there must be some degree of tolerance in the 'fit' of our bullets ordinarily.

- Now - I'm honestly not trying in my ignorance to prove anything - but it seems possible that the fit between bullet and bore is flexible (within limits) - as an under size pill will 'set-up' - and an oversize one may extrude or squeeze-down to conform with the lands and grooves - which after all - is how barrel rifling works.

According to Wikipedia the formula used to calculate the pressure required to deform solid base bullets is:
Bullet's BHN x 9.80665 N/kgf×106 mm²/m² = [N/m²] = pressure in pascals
Bullet's BHN x 1422 = pressure in pounds per square inch

 - When a bullet 'flares' or 'upsets' under pressure to fill the bore and engage the rifling - it is called 'Obturation'.

I don't - of course - want to be the person who experiences exceeding that upper limit in one of my guns.

- Sadly no answers in this online article about 'Forensics' - but it is VERY interesting, - Link:

http://www.mackscriminallaw.com/the-science-firearms/

Sorry but I'm not a ballistician  - but we do have fun eh..

Life is Good,

Marty K.

Tuesday 17 January 2017

A Big Kiwi "Bowie" Knife:

Hickok45 and son John have recently posted a video with a bit of a New Zealand flavor - about large handmade, heavy 'bowie' knives they have bought:
 The SVORD Von Tempsky Bowie Knife 

https://www.full30.com/video/985f032dd4475343365ca7af07e70da5?utm_source=system&utm_medium=email&utm_content=hickok45&utm_campaign=subscribers


In a rather rambling** video they introduce their audience to this large working bowie style blade that is named by it's New Zealand makers after Gustavus Von Tempsky a military trained Prussian who was a leading fighter in our history during the 1863 New Zealand Taranaki land wars.

I covered these original 'Von Tempsky' blades back in April 2014 - follow this link:

https://flicense.blogspot.co.nz/2014/04/some-early-new-zealand-firearms.html

These modern Frontier style Bowies look very useable as bush knives - but don't appear to be replicas or even near copies of the early fighting tools that Von Tempsky had custom built to equip his men.

Von Tepmsky was very serious in the knife fighting tactics he trained his Forest Rangers to use in close combat "jungle warfare" - using the large knife in the left hand to fend-off attacks while wielding the revolver in the strong hand.

Original Von Tempsky Knife In Waikato Museum.
(Has Likely been shortened.)

For real bush bashing I use a cheap 'do anything' Chinese machete that I paid $5 for 25 odd years ago!
**  I am thinking that Hickok45s recent videos on Full30 are perhaps 'less serious' than their earlier YouTube work - maybe?
____________________

This weeks 'Tip for bachelors': The perfect 'four-minute-eggs' to go with your 'soldiers' for breakfast will take five minutes if you keep your eggs cold in the fridge eh.

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/user?u=16618870

Sunday 15 January 2017

H&R REISING "Bassett Road Machine Gun" - NZ Mysterious Murders:

Looking back - perhaps the most notable aspect of
"The Bassett Road Machine Gun Murders"
of 7th December 1963, - was the personal involvement of TWO of our senior National Party Politicians. Both future Prime Minister Robert Muldoon and future Police Minister John Banks were associated with the accused murderers.

This was the era of "the six o'clock swill".. when bars had to close for the day at 6.00 p.m.

John Banks - a teenager at that time - spent two years working with his father in Auckland's illegal 'sly grog' beer-houses - and says that he made a fortune from returning the empty beer bottles and claims to have handled the H&R Reising sub-machine gun later used in the killings

"Someone handed the gun to me and encouraged me to aim into the back of George Courts (On Karangahare Road), but I refrained and handed it back"
A Reising M50 .45"acp Sub-Machine Gun.

"I did not inhale"?


- And the then Member of Parliament Muldoon is reported as the man who drove suspect Gillies to the Police station and introduced him there to Detective Inspector Ron Walton, head of the 32 detective team investigating the murders.

Some researchers still feel that the two sly-grogger victims Kevin Speight & George Walker were shot as a result of the illegal alcohol & drugs sales and gang conflict - but a more recent analysis says that a 'love triangle' involving a seventeen year old girl was the origin of a redirected attack.

The bodies were found by their Remuera 'Grog House' landlord having been shot "several times" & were described in the newspapers as "riddled with bullets" - despite the evidence stating that the (missing, never traced) gun was fired in single shot mode. The Coroner concluded that the murder weapon was likely a .45" caliber machine gun.

Evidence was presented that the 'professional criminals' Ronald Jorgenson & John Gillies - who both denied the murder charges - had been smoking illegal substances before the shooting - and Gillies admitted having bought a "machine gun" and the crime was headlined as a Chicago Style Massacre.

Both the accused were found guilty on rather weak evidence and served their prison time - but there is some mystery as to where they ended-up subsequently - after Jorgensons' empty car was found below a Kaikoura cliff in 1984 in a possibly faked accidental death - as there were several reported sightings of him in Perth Australia.. however Jorgenson was declared dead in 1998.. Gillies' whereabouts is unknown (Wellington?).
___________________________

Though described as a sub-machine gun, the Harrington & Richardson Reising .45" was actually designed as a compact lightweight semi-automatic carbine, firing from a closed bolt using 12 or 20 round magazines. The M50 was a selective fire weapon, (capable of a fully automatic fire) and uses a 'delayed blow-back' system firing from a closed bolt. They sold during and after the Second World War era for a quarter of the price of the Thompson SMG.
Folding Stock Reising M55.

The Reising served with the US Marines throughout the Pacific area and Guadalcanal - but was not well liked - as they were said to be unreliable in the field unless kept perfectly clean.

Marty K.
P.S.
Hi Marty

The M55 Reising folding stock SMG was used by the US Marines in the Pacific and a good number of them were brought back to NZ by NZ soldiers from the Solomons as they fitted neatly into a kit bag.  I have seen several here and owned one for many years.  To my knowledge the full-stocked M50 was never used in the Pacific.  The US Marines disliked the Reising and literally threw them away when they stopped working (to be picked up by Kiwis of course!).  The problem was that the breech block had to tip up into a recess before the hammer could strike the firing pin.  As this recess was right by the ejection port it was easily clogged with debris.  Kept clean, they were perfectly reliable.

Cheers
Rod


Thursday 12 January 2017

'Duplex + Loads' - Handgun Ballistics Fun:

I like to play about a little with the loads in straight walled pistol cartridges. I have developed 'different' loadings for the 9x19mm, 10mm , 357" Magnum, and the latest victim is the 327 Fed. Magnum.

Anyone who ventures into "hand-loading" usually starts by wanting to save money and to re-use scavenged brass - but variations can start when faced with shortages of your original preferred components.

When you can't buy any more xxx powder - you are forced to look around and try yyy eh.. and who knows - it might even turn-out to be better, cleaner shooting with less smoke - or it might mean you use a few grains less propellant in each cylinder full without reducing the velocity.

"While there's lead in the air - there's hope." ..
- Way back in the early nineties I was having great fun (but little success) shooting bowling pin matches with a 9mm Glock - as my standard hard-cast pills just weren't very good at slamming those pins off the tables - they were no way as effective as the fat, soft & slow .45" slugs.


Sure, I had plenty of rounds to drill through and splinter the pins - and then spin them around on the table as the bullets flew-on down range - but the oppositions heavier lead seemed to thud into the pins and stay in them - and their pins when cleanly hit flew back right off the table.

I needed something low-velocity, with soft & heavy lead for a 9mm ... jacketed for that Glock polygonal rifling - what to do?
Those 158gn .357 magnum jacketed hollow points might do the job in a 9mm if only they would feed-up the ramp and chamber in my G17 - and they did work after their soft lead noses had been 'rounded' in the Lee die and had been lube-sprayed with a silicone aerosol before use!

 Those slow-slung 357" pills would enter the pins and not exit - raising lumps under their plastic jackets  - I won a club match & an engraved beer glass with that reduced low-speed load.

Note: There are some valuable safety remarks in the comments at the bottom of this post.

'Down-load' a 9mm to match a .45"s performance - and you've got very much the same load that I still use for hush puppy loads at around 800ft/sec. in my silenced 'Just Right Carbine'.


VERSATILITY:
The way I'm thinking says that you need length inside a cartridge case to fit funny stuff into. A short fat forty-five is fine as far as it goes - but you can't shove multiples ** down it's maw. Perfection comes shaped like a stretched magnum style case..  and the latest I've found is the 327 Federal Magnum.

                                       38 Spec.      327 Federal Magnum          357 Mag.
- Look At The Length Of That !

Now - consider that the SAAMI safe maximum pressure rating for the 327 cartridge is set at 45,000 p.s,i. and you have a strong & broadly tolerant brass case for experimental loading eh. - I'm thinking about two pills stacked 'back-to-back' or three round balls or 'one-plus-two' or ...

** A true .45"acp fanatic might maybe consider trying split multiples that look like a 'pie chart' - but they would likely fly off waywardly under the centrifugal spin?

Marty K.

Tuesday 10 January 2017

The Guardian Inspects US Gun Homicides:

If you'd like to consider an in depth look at American shooting homicide facts - take a look at The Guardians story:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2017/jan/09/special-report-fixing-gun-violence-in-america

What their analysis says is that US Homicides are clearly concentrated into city areas of:

 High Poverty, Low Educational Attainment, and Racially segregated 'Black' Areas - where most victims are black males.

All the facts show that this is clear .. but how long will it be before some politician calls their report "Racist" ?

Our administrators seek to label these cruel deaths as being a GUN PROBLEM - but it is obvious that it is a social problem caused by the politicians themselves failing continually to direct tax funding into these deliberately neglected areas of society.

The cures are - better schools - better health care - better employment opportunities - better housing - and better law enforcement.

I'm no economist - but I'd just about guarantee that moneys spent on those improvements would be more than repaid long-term by reductions in the hideous costs of anti-social criminal actions.

Further - I maintain that many other 'western' nations cities suffer similar problems that would benefit from similar correction.

What we truly have is a 'Politician Problem' - not a Gun Problem.

Marty K.

Google says:
Politician:
a person who is professionally involved in politics, especially as a holder of an elected office.

"a veteran communist politician"

synonyms:legislatorMember of ParliamentMPrepresentativeministerstatesmanstateswoman, political leader, lawmakerpublic servant, elected official, office-bearer;More

  • US
    a person who acts in a manipulative and devious way, typically to gain advancement within an organization.


Alice Parkinson - An Early NZ Shooting:

Some 100 odd Years ago - on 25 April 1915 NZ Truth (Issue 514) ran a report of the two day trial and included medical-evidence about the Napier shooting of Albert West - by a (26 year old) "foolish girl" Alice Parkinson.

Alice, penniless, without employment, and with her character stained by an illegitimate pregnancy, was desperate to marry the father of her dead baby - and had rented and furnished a home for them both - but Railway worker Albert West had changed his mind and rejected her. -  Alice bought a .22" caliber revolver in Hastings.


Alice Parkinson (With Her Later Family) in 1930.

2nd March 1915 - Alice had waited for her man after he finished work for the day and fired four shots into him before turning the gun on herself & firing one "stinging" round into her own head.

Immediately following the shooting - "A Mr A Otten took from her hand a small seven chambered revolver, in which there were five shells and two live cartridges."


Unknown Gun may have been Something
 Like This Iver Johnson .22" Revolver?

Bert West - having been shot three times in the body and once in the head, died three days later in hospital - but Alice Parkinson - although being found semi-conscious with a bullet in her head - recovered to be tried and found guilty of manslaughter.

 Chief Justice Sir Robert Stout sentenced her to life imprisonment with hard labor .. despite the trial Jury strongly recommending mercy.

Alice had given birth to a stillborn child during her long term relationship with West - who had then deserted her. - Following her trial - Chief Justice 'Sir' Stout - who was also Head of the Appeals Court - and therefor judging his own decision - refused her appeal - and Alice was sent down to Addington Prison in Christchurch to serve her life sentence.

However this trial and sentence caused widespread outrage and eventually - following THREE wartime petitions  Alice was - after six years in prison released in mid 1921 - still with that bullet in her head.***

The good news is that Alice met and married Charlie O'Laughlin a carpenter and they went-on to have six kids together. She died in Auckland in July 1949 - her husband having passed away earlier in 1942.

To this day - the personality of a judge can still greatly affect the sentencing outcome on conviction.

***  A further 1919 story in The Truth (Issue 721) about a 60,000 name petition for her release - contradictorily reports that Alice had "suffered a lot of pain in having the bullet extracted from her head."

Marty K.






Monday 9 January 2017

NZ Police Commissioner Bush Calls for GUN AMNESTY:

The Commissioner of Police and the Police Association have held a Press Release calling for an eighteen month firearms amnesty to encourage the handing-in of illegal firearms.
New Zealand Police Commissioner Mike Bush.

Mr Bush said it was clear a government buy-back of illegal guns would not work as a solution to the number of illegal weapons.
But he said police would support a grace period allowing people to hand in unwanted firearms for a time.
"In terms of a buy-back, no, I don't believe that's the appropriate way forward, but it's a matter for the select committee."
"The police advice would be an amnesty, yes, but not a buy-back. I understand our Australian colleagues didn't have a lot of success with that, it was hugely expensive," he said.
Police Association president Chris Cahill also agreed a widespread amnesty would be a good idea. - He said in the past people had handed in illegal guns as part of plea bargaining sentences. "The police have rejected this idea because it just leads to burglaries to get these firearms to hand in. "So the police have stopped doing that sort of deal," he said.
It is worrying that neither the Police nor The Police Association seem to be aware that the Arms Act 1983 Section 10.2 permanently provided that any firearm - Legal or ILLEGAL - may be handed in to a Licensed Firearms Dealer at any time.
Can it be that this 'Press Release' is intended rather to influence the outcome of the currently awaited findings of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Illegal Firearms Possession by Criminals?
Marty K.