Not a Bulldog - But Maybe a Bargain-Dog:

I bid-on, by mail and won, an auctioned collectible old revolver .. thinking that maybe I'd try it as a shooter (with light loads) as it has a 'New Zealand legal' four inch barrel. - Here is it's Auction description:

Lot 1943.  .32 S&W Calibre Harrington & Richardson Arms Co Top Break 6 Shot Revolver 4" barrel with Harrington & Richardson's name and address. Bore good. Star ejector.  Spurless hammer. Metalwork with approximately 85% finish. Good chequered hard rubber grips with the "H&R" emblem. Overall length 8". S/N 380. G+WO&C. Estimate $100 - $200.

I own it now and it's registered to my target pistol shooting licence. - But I think that I've got more to learn eh.

Two .32" H&R Revolvers - The Blued Example is NZ LEGAL to Shoot ..

 While The Bottom Nickel-Plated Revolver Is Judged NOT Legal to Shoot Here.

Reading a "When Bulldogs Ruled" story in GD 2010. I learned that most 'Bulldogs' had  unlocked cylinders that were free-spinning until the hammer is cocked.. This maybe explains why the larger double-action-only H&R pictured is a free-wheeling spinner that way and perhaps it isn't actually at fault there.

This was a problematic feature for pocket carry guns - as a partially loaded cylinder might rotate in the pocket and put an empty or fired chamber under the hammer at an awkward moment.

 - This one has a horrible & heavy trigger-pull that is not right and seriously needs sorting - plus the automatic ejector isn't and is jamming open.. But the bore is bright and shiny.. so that's something eh.

This latest purchase may properly be known as a 'Police Auto-Ejecting Third Model'? - but I need to do more research (and some work on it).

Ah yes .. that "approximately 85% finish" is cold blue over rust pitting - but it may be fixable!

Marty K.

Over Cautious Pistol Loading Data?

I've just read how one very honest shooter wrote his story about blowing-up his fine bolt-action rifle (in Gun Digest 2010)   .. He carelessly loaded some rifle cartridges with pistol powder and very nearly killed himself in the explosive demolition of an excellent hunting rifle.

- You really have to stay alert and careful when working with firearms .. and when hand-loading ammunition. Check and double-check. 

I found some loaded "dud squib-loads" recently (again) and when I checked the Lee powder charger disc in the press ... it had spider webbing partially blocking the charger feed bore.. I guess that it had been invaded by a wee jumping spider in the weeks since I had previously used the press with this set-up.

______________________

I have an interesting situation with my loads for my 327 Federal Magnum.  I have some .32" S&W "Long" brass that I'm using for lighter target shooting and 'plinking' recreational shooting.

- This is much like using 38 Specials in a 357 Magnum revolver.

I loaded these 32 S&Ws  with 2.6gns of AP70N powder behind Hornady 90gn lead semi-wadcutter pills. The ADI Handloaders Guide lists 2.7gns as a Maximum Load.

- So I used only one tenth of one grain less than the suggested MAXIMUM safe load.

They shoot very nicely and accurately .. no recoil to speak of - BUT ... It's too light a load. The powder charge has enough energy to push the bullet down range and through a paper target - but not enough strength to OBTURATE the Lapua brass cases - and expand the case to seal the chambers against the propellant gasses.

Look at the state of them - This is new brass only fired the one time.

The remedy will be to increase the powder charge by a wee bit - but how much - bearing in mind that I will then be theoretically exceeding the Maximum Load listed there for the .32 S&W Long?

- I'm going to try about half a grain more of the same AP70N powder in a few rounds - going to a charge of say 3.1 grains or even 3.2 grains and I'll have to 'read' the cases and primers for pressure signs such as primer flattening. - There should be no risk of over-stressing the Ruger revolver as it is designed to work with the SAAMI maximum pressure level of 45,000 psi of the 327 Federal Magnum.

I do understand that the US is a very litigious country - and if I was publishing loading data I too would be very careful .. but there is a risk here that the starter loads may be so weak as to cause barrel blockages and possible blow-ups that way.

Commercial ammunition sellers are very cautious with calibers that have been around for hundreds of years (.32"Short" since 1878 - "Long" since 1896!) - as they might be used in unsafe very old guns .. but surely that would be the gun owners problem?

This over-cautious light loading of 'Thirty-Twos' may go a long way to explain their shooting magazine reputation as being 'pip-squeeks'.

Marty K.

Is .455" Same As .476" ?:

I was reading a story about the British Webley-Green revolvers and I was becoming more perplexed by the minute - reading how these nicely made old revolvers could use both the .455" and .476" cartridges! .. surely the bigger round would cause problems?

You see .. you can learn something new every day 🙂

- Look .. You don't know what you don't know eh.

For starters - I read that the Webley-Green revolvers are more properly called the 'Webley Government' Model - but I don't get too excited about that sort of thing .. you can call me Marty or Martin - or even "Kav" and I won't object ... Although I did once work with a freak called Tony who insisted that his name was 'An-Thony' as per it's spelling ... so I thereafter made a point to call him "Thony" at every chance.

Well good old Wikipedia came to the caliber-party and explained that the .455" round used a .455" (or .454") diameter bullet - as did the earlier .476 round - which was named after it's .476" diameter case.

It seems that.450 Adams, .476 Enfield (Eley), and .455 Webley cartridges could all be fired in the Webley Government model revolvers - as they all used .450+" - .455" bullets from a similar case.

Confused again by calibers?.. I think that the bore size is or was .450 +". Please note that both bore and cylinder throat sizes are found to be variable - but the generally soft lead projectiles give a degree of flexibility.

This model .455" caliber revolver was bought privately by many British officers and NCOs - and used in the Boer War - plus both WWI & WW2 with whatever iteration of cartridges they might be issued with..

I get the idea that these 'different' cartridges were  various "loadings" from the Black-Powder and  'Cordite', & smokeless-powder change over periods with slightly different case length, bullet weight and shapes, and various powder charges for use in .450" bore revolvers from the 1880s. 

Enfield Cartridges - They Look A Bit Ugly Eh.

There's lots more interesting revolver history and 'battle history' out there but I won't just copy it here.

 - Google is your friend .. Or have a look at this tale about these old .455' & .450" cartridges. Link:

http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=introduction-to-455-cartridges

Marty K.

Police Firearms Code Withdrawn:

I am somewhat perplexed by the statements and actions of the leadership of our police force over recent weeks.

When visiting the Christchurch District Headquarters Firearms Office a few days ago, I picked-up a printed copy of the new 2017 ARMS CODE .. my interest was to read it thoroughly and absorb any changes to their published firearms policy.

Note: This is Police 'POLICY' - not the LAW.

Starting with the "Commissioner's Message" on the inside front cover .. he incorrectly states that "..the ownership and use of firearms is not an automatic right. It is a privilege."

I noticed new and very different versions of police policy relating to 'SELF DEFENCE' - and on page 41 of the printed version they now say that we are required to justify to police the  number of firearms that we have - when they come to inspect our security .. further, the new definition of a firearm (1a) seems to include anything that might be made into a gun some time in the future!

However - the Police News Site has just published the following statement:

Incorrect version of Arms Code published

Tuesday, 23 May 2017 - 10:15am

National News

The Arms Code was last published in hard copy form in 2013 and is currently being updated.

Unfortunately an incorrect version of a revised Code was published on the Police website recently.

This version contained a number of errors and has subsequently been removed from the website. 

Police apologises for any confusion or concern this may have caused among gun owners.

The Code will be reviewed in consultation with the Firearms Community Advisory Forum before being re-issued. 

A hard copy version is planned for publication in mid-2017.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

- I'm still confused - as I already have a printed hard copy of the newly published 2017 Arms Code - Is it possible that it too contains "errors" and has been withdrawn ? - That would be an expensive mistake to make.

I understand that there may be consultation shortly... Could be interesting eh.

Marty K.

Terminal Ballistics - Unquantifiable Variables:

.. Have you heard there's a new Number 1 out there" - by Donnie T and The Greatest Leaky Hose Band ..

When attempting to study and record the effectiveness of  handguns to indicate the 'best' firearm and ammunition choice - there needs to be accurate records of the primary factors of caliber and shot placement .. But there are many other factors that are not usually detailed for consideration:

A big Thank You is owed to Greg Ellifritz for his following list of  variables that are not generally considered or factored.

1/-  Range at which the shots were fired (terminal velocity)

2/-  The exact body structure hit (as opposed to head, torso, or extremity in the original paper)

3/-  Body size of the person shot. (People have become much larger & heavier in the last 60 years **)

4/-  Any drugs the person shot was taking

5/-  Psychological attitude of the person shot

6/-  Clothing worn by the person shot

7/-  Rate of fire (how quickly or slowly the rounds struck)

8/-  Whether or not the bullets traveled through an intermediate obstacle

9/-  Barrel length of the shooter's gun (impact velocity)

10/- Whether or not the person shot had been shot before and survived

11/- Speed at which emergency medical care arrived on the scene ***

12/- Whether the defender was an armed citizen or a police officer

All of those factors have an effect on how quickly a person stops after being shot.  They may be even more important than the caliber or bullet type used (we don't know) in the shooting.

** I might add further factors such as physical fitness /strength - activity level, and overall health of the attacker.

*** I read that provided the patients heart is still beating on arrival at A&E - there is a 95% chance of survival.

My input (my "pennys-worth") centers on the possibility that while it might become likely that one X Caliber is statistically a superior performer - if they are however difficult guns needing considerable strength and training to control & to keep on target under recoil and blast - their terminal ballistic advantages may be cancelled-out.

Beretta M 9

- The optimum sidearm for use by physically fit Military or Law Enforcement personnel may not be suitable as a carry gun for widely varying citizens in multiple environments.

Modern Chiappa Rhino Revolver.

One classic suggestion that is regularly made by 'experts' is that while a .357" Magnum snubby revolver is powerfully effective .. gun owners are advised to only load "weaker" .38" Special defensive ammunition that is less "shocking" and easier to control.

It is a fascinating issue that will likely never be fully resolved. - So many variables mean that there is room for every-ones informed opinion.

I know that lately I've been advocating for the smaller caliber handgun rounds - but I truly also like big heavy and slow  - especially when it's sub-sonic and silenced. The old 45-70 must hit with one Hell of a smack, and there's no doubt that the full power .308" battle rifle of yesterday was decisive in every way ... but there are reasons that it has been replaced by the 5.56mm - and that the .45" has been displaced by the 9 mm NATO.

- Both large and small enjoy their peculiar SINGULAR benefits that may prove beneficial under the circumstance.

.. Terms & Conditions may apply (Ts & Cs) 😃

If I was forced to have to select one only - I would have trouble making-up my mind .. I used to be indecisive - but now I'm not sure.

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?


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Korth The Most Expensive Revolver:

- Well I've already 'done' the smallest and biggest eh ..

KORTH - these are precision built in Germany - superbly finished in an extensive range of options & made from the highest strength hardened tool-steel parts. - None better.

Cross Sectioned Korth Revolver.

 - Who The Hell Could Afford To Chop One Open Like That?

It seems that these clinically presented examples of German Perfection and Precision will cost you around US$10,000 for the economy starter model - and I would never buy one - even if I came-up on the Lotto.

My reason being that I would never again be able to blame the tool for my bad workmanship! These things are so well made that they will never wear-out.. you'd have to change it when it gets grubby - like the Emerates Nationals changing their Ferraris ... when the ashtrays get full. (- They really replace them when the tyres need changing or a service is due).

Somebody else reviewing a Korth seems to have also been made to feel small by it's demeanor: Link:

http://www.guns.com/review/korth-combat-revolver-review-a-near-perfect-357-except-for/

- It seems that you may even be able to buy one in Damascus steel ..

- Would Sir like fries with that?

Note: Some years ago - I was driving a wee rental car on an Abu Dhabi multi lane highway, heading for the Oman Border in strong brassy sunshine - it was four lanes plus a service road either side for local traffic - making an 6 lane tarmac ribbon with date palms up the central reservation, through dirty looking desert  ... and I was doing around 150 kph in the fast lane and trying not to delay the overtaking locals too much in their shiny Ferraris, Maseratis, Porches, AMGs etc with their lights full on. - when a vision appeared ahead of a donkey-cart hugely overladen with camel fodder and its white dishdasha clad driver - blithely trotting straight towards me the wrong way in the fast lane.

- Knowing that any broken cartwheels would naturally be the fault of the foreigner - I just braked and changed into the slower lanes to avoid him .. I don't think he even looked at us as I sped on past.

Marty K.

Stopping Power Again:

I'm Posting some correspondence from the 'Comments' section that can be viewed at the end of each post.. in case you haven't been reading these: Here we go..

"Your statement “The mythical .45" seems not to have proven any more decisive against fanatical fighters than .38"s” does appear to be at odds with your later statement “Nobody can deny that a heavier more 'powerful' round will be more certain in it's effect than a weaker one”.

Nothing personal, but in a close encounter situation as American forces in the Philippines frequently found themselves to be, against drugged up fanatics; we just wouldn’t feel comfortable wielding your avowed choice of a .32. as a defensive calibre." ..

- Yeah Col, there seems to be a conflicted argument there.. so I'll try to clarify my argument.

It is apparent that a larger explosive shell or projectile will impose more destruction on a target than a smaller one.. Fact.

However, if the smaller device achieves the destruction of the object .. there is no value in the extra effect from the larger. - Now if individuals are packing devices to stop attacks on themselves and they being weak humans have a limit to what weight and recoil impulse that they are comfortable to withstand while managing a reasonable level of accuracy - they will logically select the most comfortable and usable size to carry THAT WILL ACHIEVE THEIR INDIVIDUAL NEED.

- Otherwise they would be well advised to carry a 40mm grenade launcher attached to a high capacity 12 gauge shot-gun

One indication of what will work might be to go around and personally conduct a 'MAXIMUM KILL RATIO' test as do the military when testing say cluster bombs.. they select their WMDs by determining their MKRs on bombing ranges against tethered agricultural animals. Civilian users of 'carry guns' may not tether live targets to posts and shoot them experimentally in a military manner.

Civilians cannot of course do that - but they CAN read published studies of police records of shootings that have occurred over a statistically reliable period and sample size - For example one such U.S. Study as published by Greg Ellifritz - in which he concludes that the caliber of handgun used in recorded shooting is not a major factor in determining the outcome.

- Indeed that statistical record shows that the 'thirty-two' (both revolver & .32 ACP) has a marginally superior performance record when compared to some larger calibers that are traditionally reputed to be superior 'stoppers'.

My stance is that a defensive shooter should carry and hopefully never need to use - a caliber of weapon as large as she or he can handle and shoot well - as SHOT PLACEMENT seems to be agreed by all experts as the main CRITICAL FACTOR rather than calber.

Military personnel in battle situations are naturally medically A1 physical condition and fully trained competent performers with their issued weapons. Civilians in normal life may not be such .. they may include the physically weak, injured, and handicapped.

I do fully understand that the New Zealand Police do not currently (since 1975) allow the issue of Firearms Licences for defensive purposes.

____________________________________

Any debate on "Stopping Power" must always be subject to many variables that cannot be quantified scientifically - and these must always be considered as 'grey areas' that may always remain.

Marty K.

Upgrade Your 1911 To 7.62x25mm Tokarev - & Anti-Gun Logic:

The more I investigate and read about the commonly disparaged "mouse gun" 7.62 mm and 7.65 mm 'thirty-twos' ... thirty caliber or "three line" cartridges being used in pistols - the more value I find.

In 2015, The Shooting Times ran an excellent story on how to upgrade 1911 performance with a conversion barrel kit to 7.62x25mm Tokarev.

Link:

http://www.shootingtimes.com/gunsmithing/converting-a-1911-to-7-62x25-tokarev/

They can explain all the benefits better than I - so just click on the Link above - but the conversion to the superior 'thirty-two' is best executed by starting from a .380" Super or 9x19 NATO chambered gun.

This upgrade may save the day for the many '1911' owners who have in the past been persuaded to spend their hard earned dollars on a disappointing old antique. 😈

LOGIC (not):
I just wanted to observe that there are repeated attacks on the legal ownership of firearms throughout the so-called 'Western World'.

 - This "clamping down" on law-abiding shooters seemingly because of reported gun use by criminal nutters - has as little logic as imposing legal restrictions on hospitals and doctors surgeries because of drug usage and manufacture by criminal gangs.

Surely nobody would attack our health services on such a weak excuse - but they do seem to be trying it on legal gun owners.

- A recent report (last week) from Washington D.C. reports that their new Police Chief has achieved a 25% reduction in violent crime as the direct result of cracking-down on drug dealers found in possession of illegal firearms. .. Now there's a surprise !

Link to the Reported 'NEW STRATEGY':

http://www.alloutdoor.com/2017/05/11/crime-goes-common-sense-approach/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=2017-05-16&utm_campaign=Weekly+Newsletter

Marty K.

Hot Borchardt, Mauser, Parabellum & Tokarev "30 Cal." (.32") Pistol Cartridges:

I guess there may be some who might complain at my inclusion of these historic 'bottle-neck" pistol rounds as "thirty-twos".. but they surely have some early pedigree to be thirty-twos - as does the much more recent .32" NAA bottleneck cartridge using a .312" diameter pill at around 1,200 to 1,450 foot per second from a four inch barrel.. I think that the WW2 .30" carbine round is excluded as it was specifically designed as a long-arm round .. although there have been revolvers etc. built for it's use.

 The C93 Borchardt automatic pistol and it's 7.65x25mm cartridge date from 1893.

7.65x25mm Borchardt With The Similar 7.63x25mm Mauser Round.

- and are said to be The First commercially successful early auto pistols & cartridges..

C 93 BORCHARDT Self Loading Pistol.

- Ugly and awkward looking to our modern eyes - but it worked - and fired an effective .30" caliber (.309" diameter - .a 'thirty-two'  7.65 mm bullet) at around 1,300 foot per second.

The Borchardt was soon followed by the very popular and widely used Mauser C 96 "Broom-Handle" pistol firing a very similar 'bottleneck' .309" diameter bullet & cartridge known as the 7.63x25mm Mauser - that was a somewhat up-loaded iteration to achieve 1,450 foot per second.

Famous historic gun fighters and combat pistol instructors Fairbairn & Sykes of the Shanghai Municipal Police in the 1920s noted that the C 96 Mauser was much feared by the Chinese underworld for causing hideous wounds when it struck bone. - British aristocrat / warrior Winston Spencer Churchill saved his life in battle while shooting his personal 7.65 mm Mauser empty against "Dervish" warriors at the Battle of Obdurman - Sudan 1898.

These are hard hitting velocities from these early 'thirty-two caliber' rounds. - The Shanghai Municipal Police had two levels of 'bullet proof vests" - the "Mauser-Proof" vests weighed five pounds more than the standard 22 pound vests.

Mauser C 96 Broomhandle.

Link to Hickok 45 shooting a war relic C 96:

https://www.full30.com/video/bf9a04ed7318a22b1cd48486e0366de8?utm_source=system&utm_medium=email&utm_content=hickok45&utm_campaign=subscribers

________________

- In 1898 the German firm DWM developed the shorter 7.65x21mm Parabellum round for their Pistol Parabellum - the familiar 'Luger' - that also used the .309" diameter projectiles at around 1,200 foot per second - before it adopted the 9x19mm cartridge.

Luger Parabellum In 7.65x21mm Caliber.

Then came the Russians with their enhanced version of the earlier round in 1930 - now known as the 7.62x25mm Tokarev cartridge that screams along at up to 1,720 foot per second.

Tokarev TT-33 Pistol.

Each of these excellent hard-hitting bottleneck 'thirty-twos' can out-perform 'forty-fives' in many areas - particularly in flat-shooting, penetration and bone smashing power.

It does seem that these European man-stoppers will always fail to join the Western Hero with a .45" image perpetuated by Hollywood and the US Firearms Sales and Advertising community.

The arrival of the 327 Federal Magnum round has signaled to modern revolver shooters that 'thirty-twos' don't fit the prevailing image of weak & wet mouse guns.

In my next post I will show traditionalist shooters how they can upgrade the ballistic performance of a "1911" pistol by fitting an aftermarket barrel that permits use of a bottle-neck .32" caliber cartridge. 😇

 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?

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Moro Warriors - .38"s & .45"s:

 'Colpepper Aramberriberri' again persists in maintaining the legend that the .45" is a magical death ray - and vastly superior to all other calibers. Saying thus:

"..During the Phillipine conflict from 4 February 1899 to 2 July 1902 American forces found the Colt model 1894 double action .38 revolver to be completely inadequate in stopping Moro warriors and it was replaced by the Colt model 1902 double action revolver in .45 Colt.

While admittedly, both the .38 and .45 Colt revolvers then fired round-nose lead-alloy projectiles the inadequacy of the .38 was simply overcome by the larger & heavier .45 projectile. In this particular case, caliber DID count.   "

Note: The Colt .45" was introduced into the US invasion of the Phillipines in 1902 - The following Wikipedia report relates to hostilities FOUR YEARS LATER in 1906 - with the Muslim fighters confronting military forces armed with the .45" pistols ..

- I regret that 'Colpepper' persists in his unshakable faith in Hollywood movies & anecdotal 'Church of The 1911' fables - refusing to accept fact as fact:

________________________________

Juramentados and stopping power

In the Moro Rebellion, Moro Muslim Juramentados in suicide attacks continued to charge against American soldiers even after being shot. Panglima Hassan in the Hassan uprising had to be shot dozens of times before he went down. This forced the Americans phase out revolvers with .38 caliber ammunition with Colt .45 ACP pistols against the Moros. Arrows, bayonets, guns, and Kris were used in suicidal rampages by the Moros during their war with the Americans. Suicide attacks became more popular among Moros due to the overwhelming firepower of the Americans in conventional battles. Moro women took part in the resistance at the Battle of Bud Dajo against the American General Lenard Wood in 1906. Barbed wire proved to be of no impediment since Moro juramentado warriors managed to surge directly through it even as it ripped at their flesh and even as they were shot repeatedly with bullets the Moros managed to use barongs to inflict horrific injuries upon American soldiers before finally going down.Moros under Jikiri managed to survive in a cave under machine gun fire by Colt guns. Kris and compilan were used by Moros in fierce close quarter combat against the Americans. Kris and musket were used by the Moro. The Moro with a kris defeats the American with a bayonet at close range when shooting is not possible according to The American journal The Field Artillery Journal, Volume 32. Americans were charged at by Moros using spears and kris. A Moro woman severely injured an American soldier called Johnston.  Moros fought to the death against Americans armed with rifles and artillery while they themselves used only Kris at the crater battle.

Novels were written about juramantados managing to kill soldiers after deliberately impaling themselves on their bayonets.

The mythical .45" seems not to have proven any more decisive against fanatical fighters than .38"s. - But don't worry about the facts eh.

Marty K.

P.S. 

Hi Marty

While the Colt .38 may well have been the official issue revolver, there was far from complete distribution and many of the older service (Colt SAA, S&W Schofield, etc) revolvers in .45 were still on issue.  It was the direct comparison of the battle results between the .38 and .45 that led to the adoption of the .45 again.  .45 revolvers were certainly on issue alongside the .38 Colts, and a number of the new Colt New Service revolvers in .45 were rushed into service before 1900, subsequently being formally adopted in 1909.  The .45 ACP M1911 never appeared until well after the conflict, and never fully replaced the revolvers until after WW1.  It is possible that some private purchase Colt .38 autos were used in the later stages but the first factory prototype .45 auto was not made until 1905.  The old US service.45 revolver cartridge (250 grain lead rn @ 720 fps) was a little bit more powerful than the .45 ACP.  The military .38 Colt revolver load (130 grain lead rn @ 770 fps) was puny and less powerful than a standard .38 Special.  Note that the official US .45 revolver load in the 1890’s was the old .45 S&W cartridge which could be used in both Colt and S&W revolvers.  The original SAA .45 Colt cartridge was more powerful but would not fit the shorter chambers in the S&W’s, hence the standardisation of the shorter round.  The .45’s were definitely superior in battle to the .38’s, so +1 to Col!

Cheers

Rod

Yo, Good Morning Young Rod,

Absolutely - Nobody can deny that a heavier more 'powerful'
round will be more certain in it's effect than a weaker one
. I just like to argue with Col 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?




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1934 Rangitoto - Five .32" Colt Revolver Murders:

The Evening Post of October 21, 1934 reported a sixth and final shooting death at the hands of 20 year old Henare (Henry) Hona - who used a small stolen Colt .32" caliber revolver to kill four victims, a Police Constable, - and finally ended the affair by shooting himself in the head.

A .32" Colt New Police Revolver

Made Between 1896 - 1907

Hona was recognized by a local taxi driver as being the man sought by police for the unexplained murder two weeks earlier of four members of the Davenport family - despite now calling himself 'Laurie King' - but when then being detained he grabbed the small revolver from his case in his bedroom and shot the Scottish born arresting officer:

"The next moment the Maori bent down and pulled a .32" revolver from the suitcase, turned around quickly, and fired two shots. One hit Constable Heaps over  the left temple and the other lodged in his arm. Constable Heaps dropped where he had been standing."

Hona escaped across the farmland but was hunted by a posse of 90 armed locals and police and when trapped in a ditch about five miles away he placed the revolver to his own head and died from this self-inflicted shot.

To this day it is not known why Hona shot and killed the Davenport family - but the evidence suggests that he may have been surprised when breaking-in to their farm house and used the revolver that he had stolen there to attack them .. then waited outside to shoot the family's two sons when they returned.

A 3 1/2" 1914 Colt Pocket Positive - Marked .32 Colt Ctg.
Produced 1907 - 1947.

1905 Colt .32" Caliber Advert.

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?

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Deane & Adams Percussion Revolver (NZ Armed Constabulary):

The British five shot "Adams" Percussion Revolver was subject to a 1851 patent and should be recognized as the FIRST SOLID FRAME REVOLVER and it is also claimed to be the first 'self-cocking' revolver by five years.

It went through progressive developments and manufacturing partnerships ending as the 'Beaumont-Adams' revolver .. I am no expert about these so will not detail the various iterations. - However these revolvers were bought by many British military officers and were used by the East India Company and in many conflicts such as the Crimean Wars, the Zulu Wars, and indeed in the American Civil War - while many were brought to New Zealand, seeing service with the rank & file in the many Maori wars - including the Battle of Gate Pa.

'Adams' Guns have been recovered from NZ Pa battle sites and were issued to the NZ Armed Constabulary ( "The traditionally unarmed NZ Police force"). - Indeed NZ Hero, Scout and officer Von Tempsky may have been killed in 1868 by a Hau Hau fighter using an Adams .456" (54 Bore) revolver.

- Why I'm talking about this revolver is that I've just been reading about a 16 year old boy who died (years ago) while experimenting with an museum example Adams that had not been used for some seventy-five years - but that was found by the early 1900s Coroners Court to have lain in a provincial museum display with two chambers charged and loaded for around three quarters of a century - since the end of the Taranaki settlers wars. (ref: The Gun In The Case).

Rule Number 1: Treat all guns as loaded.

Here's a Link to a good 'on-range' video about shooting these black powder Adams revolvers - from UK:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH3CsODgSCk

- and another video link to Rock Island Auctions site - where some history of four different iterations of Adams revolver's development is shown - all good stuff eh:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBrGxRaXUj4

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

Problems with NZ POST 'YOUSHOP':

New Zealand in most ways is a lovely country to live-in .. BUT you may get the impression sometimes that it is run by a bunch of intellectually handicapped, sub-normals.

I ordered (and paid for) three second-hand Gun Digests from Amazon US. .. 2011, 2012, 2013.

They weren't all that cheap but I didn't have them in my bookshelf and I believed that there is a good article about "BULLDOG" revolvers in one of them. So - Now Amazon wouldn't deliver them to NZ .. so I specified delivery to NZ Post YOUSHOP Warehouse in Portland Oregon for onward shipping to me in NZ .. at EXTRA COST of course.

(On further inquiry I think that the 'Bulldog Revolver' story may be in 2010 !! - Never Mind eh.)

ANYWAY .. NZ Post e-mailed me that a parcel they had intercepted contained 'a prohibited article'

- So I replied saying what are you talking about .. IT"S A BOOK.

So they have come-back and said - Ahh, it was received OPEN so we need to check if it's really yours

.. so when they stated that it was a prohibited article they were lying,. but they claim that it's a great service.

- Can I sue them?

Marty K.