Saturday 30 December 2017

French Opinel Blade Saves The Day:

You know .. there are some basically good things around .. things that work

- So there I was on my knees - arse up in sweltering heat with sweat dripping into my eyes - scrabbling in the bottom of a planting hole - trying to cut pine tree roots with a bendy, blunt & rusty old pruning saw that kept jamming .. when inspiration lit-up my day. "I've got an unused folding Opinel saw in the house .. GO".
Opinel No.12 Saw.
The Opinel 120 Saw features a 12cm carbon steel blade to ensure an outstanding cutting edge, it has an anti-corrosion coating that protects the blade from rust and teeth carved from the block and arranged in two lines. Cutting is effortless with a pull stroke. The handle is varnished beech wood and has a safety locking ring to secure the blade when open and shut. Grown on French farms, Beech wood is hard, strong and easy to work. The colours vary naturally from yellows to pink tones. It is recognisable by the presence of many small dark flecks. The handle is painted allowing for better protected against moisture and dirt. Invented in 1955 by Marcel Opinel, the safety ring (the closing on all knives from No. 06) is cut from stainless steel, and consists of two parts: a fixed part and a sliding part. In addition to locking the blade in the open position (safety in use), it is now possible to lock the blade in the closed position. Ideal for the garden but also for outdoor activities, this small saw proves very handy and efficient.

- Did it do the job?? - You betcha - very easily 😁

Well - as you asked - it is an Arbutus Unedo - a 'Killarny Strawberry Tree' or 'Madrone' that I've planted.

- lovely peeling red bark too .. in a few years time eh - the fruits are edible (just - when over-ripe) but insipid unless you are a hungry frugivorous dickie-bird - but I understand that Mediterraneans make preserves & booze from them.

I have a bit of a thing for the reasonably priced Opinel knives - & must have 7 or 8 of various types. They are good working tools but be warned that their blades will snap if abused (yes I've done it).

Marty K.

Thursday 28 December 2017

New Ruger 'P C' 9 mm Carbine:

Remember those handy "CAMP CARBINES" from Marlin, Ruger -  Hi-Point & Just Right, - well good old Ruger have jumped into the yawning gap with a new well-priced tool for our delectation .. The PC-9 Carbine.

It has a 'Ghost Ring" rear sight, all the Picatinny rails you could want, takes down with a flick of the wrist .. AND it comes with a second magazine well to change it's feed-stock over to Glock 9 mm magazines ... now that is great & sensible thinking by Ruger !

Furthermore - it is swappable to left handed function and it's very accurate - plus it should be selling by the millions for around US $500. - What more could you want for an 'all-round, working gun'?
Check out what Jeff QuinnGunblast has to show you. Link:


So OK that barrel assembly doesn't shove up it's own adjustable length butt (- like an AR7) - but this new carbine is real handy and comes threaded for a silencer.

- It's almost a pity that I'm so well served by my 9mm 'JustRight' carbine already - as I don't need another.
'JustRight' for me.

Sure .. I do like Rugers .. I wonder why?

- Here's a LINK to an earlier piece about my 9mm "De Lisle" bolt-action and buying my 'JustRight' 9mm carbine .. plus Nick's new Norinco 1911 & Ruger Carbine.


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



Tuesday 26 December 2017

Wrong Caliber /OVERSIZE Round Fired In 5.56 mm Rifle:

This picture is said to be of a sectioned barrel showing a .300 Blackout round that was fired in a 5.56 mm barrel.

Someone was very lucky that the heavy barrel didn't let-go /blow and cause serious injury ... but I'm copying it here as a further indication of the pressure applied to a projectile upon firing.

 - A mate commented previously that he thought my story in October about bullets being 'upset' and expanded when fired from a chamber - without a barrel to hold their shape "was a joke".. LINK:

https://flicense.blogspot.co.nz/2017/10/bullet-expansion-by-upset.html

No joke. This oversize .300 inch projectile has been squeezed-down to .223" and s-tr-et-ch-ed hugely by the gas pressure on firing. The "reformed " pill is now longer than the brass case it was squeezed out of!
Look At The Length Of  THAT Slug.

There is extreme force on the bullets base when it is fired and that pressure is what accelerates the projectile AND 'obturates it' by deforming it into the barrel where it is forced into a new shape made by the bore and grooves. 

If you remove that iron grip of the barrel - the bullet will shorten and expand from the hammer blow of the explosive force of high pressure gasses on it's base ..
.38" Slug Fired From Revolver WITHOUT Barrel.

Apparently that **300 /.223 kaboom** blew out the magazine and stuffed the rifle's action - but didn't permanently reshape the shooter.

All of us hand-loaders & shooters need to be reminded of the forces that we are working with.

Marty K.

Sunday 24 December 2017

Colts OHWS Handgun (SOCOM .45") & H&K MK 23:

You may have noticed that I'm not a great fan of the "legendary"  Colt 1911  .. BUT it certainly is and was a formidable short range performer in the right hands and in the right state of tune.

The later gun developed at Colts in 1991 for USSOCOM had (or has) potential to be even greater ..

 - "The gun that might have been" - the Offensive Handgun Weapon System OHWS - was designed by Colts to blend all the best features of the M1911 with those of the Colt All American 2000, - and the Colt Double Eagle into a winning primary offensive weapon system - & they almost did it.

This was to be a large 'attack' weapon system using +P ammo - as opposed to a defensive tool.

I'm certainly not expert on this weapons features, that was developed hurriedly for SOCOM trials - so can do no better than to direct you towards reviews by 'them-that-know' - LINK:

http://www.smallarmsreview.com/display.article.cfm?idarticles=1588


LINK 2:

https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2015/08/02/offensive-handgun-weapon-system-ohws/

Ten round magazines, rotating barrel lock-up, built to accept an efficient sound moderator and 'Plus P' ammunition - highly corrosion resistant. - What's not to like? (- well it is a BIG gun) - but Colt's missed-out and didn't continue with it's development having built only around 30 guns.

 - Heckler & Koch got the contract.
H&K MK23 US SOCOM Pistol, 12 Round Magazines, +P .45"
  Adopted 1996. - Large & Expensive.
Complete With Laser Aiming Module & Suppressor.

LINK 3: .. Read both pages for the full H&K MK 23 story:

http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=1947

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

Thursday 21 December 2017

Bore, Gauge, & Caliber Meanings:

Now -do you enjoy getting confused? .. Of course not - this is why so many 'Old Farts' (& "Old Fartesses" 😈) are reluctant starters on the smart-phone & internet tech uptake.

.. I still call my 'Flash Drives' - "sticky-up-things"

.. so I decided that I wanted to get clear headed on the issue of bore sizes and gauges - and "pounders".

Well - for starters let's take the .410 Gauge Shotgun ..  WRONG !  It should be '.410 BORE'. - And it might reassure you further that historically this size was also known in Europe as 12 mm which of course it is not because .410 inches equals 10.4 mm.  And just to tickle your fancy even further - this chambering used to be called "36 Gauge" - which is even worse - as If the .410 Bore had been named in the traditional fashion, - by the number of lead balls .410 inch in diameter needed to make one pound, -  it would be either a 67 or a 68 gauge.

- So I'm really getting clear on this already eh.

Over the centuries -the inventor or maker named his "wonder-stoppen-cruncher' whatever he fancied - and to decide what size it was himself. Two "classics" are the 'thirty-eight Special" bullets that measure .357 inch and the 'forty-four' Magnums that measure .429 inches. (Or the 'thirty-twos' that mike-up at .312" including the 327 Magnum that also mikes-up at .312 inch ... Would that .32" caliber be 160 Gauge?).
 Our ancients could choose the chamber size, bullet size, barrel size, or might also pick the weight of the standard gun powder charge as named features.

The whole "SIZE" and "NAME" situation regarding "GUNS" is very confused & complex.


68 Pounder Cannon - Fort Nelson.

What I wanted to find was a chart listing all the Gauges & 'Bores' with a size in inches and the metric equivalents - and maybe a listing of the cannon 'pounders' and their sizes.. but  one chart** that I did find .. might be disputed over.

- Cannon used to be classed for size by the weight in pounds of the iron cannon-balls that fitted in their bore.

GAUGE was determined by the number of bore sized lead balls that add-up to 1 pound.

BORE is a measurement of the actual caliber or internal Diameter of a firearms barrel .. the size of the hole -  BUT while this is mostly measured at the lands (e.g .303" rifles use a .311" bullet) .. sometimes this is measured at the grooves (e.g .308" Winchester rifles use a .308" bullet). Bore may be stated as measured in either inches or meters.

- So which is the biggest slug -  .308" or .303" ? (think about that before answering eh 😈 )

- Bullets for a rifled barrel are normally best sized to the groove diameter.

**   http://www.cherrytreefamily.com/gaugetocaliber.htm

This Chart (linked to above) is very good BUT doesn't agree with some other folks information that I've seen - but when all is said-and-done .. at least he's had the balls to write it down. - Is 38 bore .491" or as said elsewhere .497 inch ? -Is 80 bore .388" or .392 inch as per a late model Tranter Revolver ? - AND might the differences be due to "windage" or allowance for the use of patches?

A nice 80 Bore Tranter.

Probably it's safe to say that it may not matter .. unless you want to build an exact replica of an ancient relic eh.
_________________________

- Here's a 'can-of-worms' - what size bullet should you use in a 7.62 x 38R caliber 1895 Nagant Revolver?

 - "Cartridges of the World" says .296" diameter - others say .308, - and I say  .312" because these revolvers were built specifically to use barrels from production of the Mosin-Nagant  7.62x54R Rifle  (.311 / .312") .. Or am I wrong?

Mate & gunsmith Rod has sent an image of an old bore gauge that he uses regularly:

- Thanks Rod.
Marty K.



Monday 18 December 2017

7 Dangerous Words Ban:


That basic RIGHT to own an 'equalizer' doesn't make you equal - any more than owning a violin makes you a musician .. And such capability comes with huge obligations & responsibilities.

US society .. the Land of Opportunity .. seems to be racked by evidence-based statistics of tragic problems like drug abuse deaths and amok killings - widespread poverty, and poor education & healthcare standards. -These science-based studies clearly give evidence that the US poor & vulnerable in all their diversity are held far below any reasonable entitlement as citizens of the worlds most powerful nation - by the extreme concentration of wealth into the transgender hands of the American Aristocracy .. Their astronomic wealth & property transforms these corrupt & greedy lifeforms beyond any real humanity that their fetus may have held before it's birth.
___________________

The Trump administration has reportedly banned officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from using these seven words in budget documents — a move that some are calling downright Orwellian:
  • evidence-based
  • science-based
  • vulnerable
  • entitlement
  • diversity
  • transgender
  • fetus
The Union Of Wealth Grabbers.

Here is a Link to a short US Wealth Inequality video:


- Have a nice day,

Marty K.

Sunday 17 December 2017

H&R 'BOBBY' Revolvers For "Unarmed UK Police":

The "unarmed" London Metropolitan Police Force (It's a Service now!) was formed in 1829 by Robert Peel. .. hence their being called "Bobbies" or "Peelers".

From 1884 until 1936 all of London's "British Bobbies" were permitted by their Commissioner  to carry revolvers known as "Comforters" when on night patrol .. then in 1936 they were instructed to keep them in locked cupboards in every police station but only for the next three years.

Webley Police "Comforter"

 - These arms were Webley revolvers .. however following the 'Battle of Stepney' in 1911 - Mk.I Webley Semi-Automatics were issued to officers.
Mk I Webley & Scott s/a .38" acp.

Early in the Second World War (1st September 1939 to 2 Sept 1945) - somebody in a position of authority (Home Secretary John Anderson) decided that Britain's 100,000 regular Police Force and 100,000 'Specials' should be fully armed - as the wartime footing & risks of NAZI sabotage were serious. - So 3,500 .303" Ross Rifles were obtained by 'Scotland Yard' - along with nearly 24,000 revolvers.

All Military arms were in short supply but American maker Harrington & Richardson were able to supply suitable arms - and a contract for 25,000 was agreed.  Based on the 'Defender' and earlier  'Automatic Ejector' series - these revolvers were supplied to the Met in .32 caliber and serial numbers running from 1 to 23,782 are known.

There is a very good story in Gun Digest 2002 by John Malloy about H&R Defender revolvers - that mentions this 'BOBBY' Model - and states that they were to be made in both .38" S&W caliber and in .32" S&W Long .. but I don't think any 'Bobbies' are known in the thirty-eight caliber.
.32" S&W Long H&R BOBBY Metropolitan Police Revolver.
VERY RARE.

 The revolvers were of abysmal quality and 1,700 odd were returned to the H&R factory for correction & modification to a "Mark II pattern" . There was quite a stink over the quality of these revolvers which were inspected at the Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield.

 There is discussion by expert collectors as to why the accepted revolvers were not marked with an Enfield inspection mark or 'Proof Marks' - but we are not likely ever to find-out as wartime records are thin on the ground AND almost all of these revolvers were scrapped & melted-down shortly after peace resumed in 1945.

 Almost every Police issued revolver was quietly destroyed except for maybe half a dozed that were 'pilfered' .. but who knows if these exist today. One or two had been lent to civilian dignitaries, but it's not known if those were ever handed back.

 - The cost of the MET's wartime purchase - that included several hundred thousand rounds of ammunition was seventy five thousand pounds. Their 'thirty-two' caliber "BOBBIES" certainly won't have been fired much during their short service lives.

  'BOBBY' - .32" S&W Long Caliber.

- From an online chat group:
Per your PM to me, here's what I know about the Bobby model. It was listed for one year( 1940) in the H&R catalog, and they named it their Bobby Model as some were sent to the London Metro Police - known as "Bobbys". 
Ser. #s ran from 1 to 23782. It was made mostly in .32 cal (H&R Model 15) and a few in .38 S&W cal. ( H&R Model 25 ) , aka MKII by the Brits.
"P.  M.P." = Property or 'Proof?' Metropolitan Police.

 Your gun is serial number 16,000. All had 4 inch barrels and were finished in Blue. Weight 23 oz. with checkered walnut stocks. From known examples it appears that the actions are the same as the Auto-Ejector models, although some guns have free wheeling cylinders and some have automatic cylinder stops.

 The guns were made on the "Rice" frame as used on the Sportsman models. Your gun does not have the required English proofs as would have been added to guns received by the Metro Police, however it does have the MKII stamp as added by the Brits, I believe.

 We know that Pre-Victory models received by the Brits in this time period were not given the required proof mark either, so that requirement may have also been shelved for the Bobby Models due to the war going on. The P.M.P. stamp on the grip stamp is believed to stand for "Property of Metropolitan Police" The fate of those guns sent to arm the London Bobbys is unknown to collectors, however since very few have appeared I would assume the majority were destroyed.



Blue Book of Gun Values says:

"H&R BOBBY LARGE FRAME TOP BREAK

.32 or .38 center fire cal., double action, 5 or 6 shot, round ribbed 4 inch barrel, fixed sights, blue finish, one piece oversize checkered walnut grips (some furnished with one piece plastic grips), free wheeling cylinder, only the .32 caliber seems to have been purchased by London's Metropolitan Police, these will be marked MK-II, on the top strap as well as having the company name and address on the top of the barrel rib, No. 15 model is .32 cal. 6 shot, No. 25 model is .38 cal. 5 shot, own serial number range, overall length 9 inches, 23 oz. Mfg. 1939-1942."


Goforth shows that revolver as the No. 15 "Bobby Model". According to the book, the serial number appears on the front grip strap and also on the left side "with one or two letters whose meaning is unknown." The illustration shows a revolver identical to that pictured by the OP, and describes the markings as on the OP's gun. In 1940-1942, serial numbers 1-23782 were shipped to the British Purchasing Commission. All were in .32 Caliber. The No. 25 was in .38 S&W, but "it is unknown if any .38 caliber revolvers were purchased by Britain."

While .38 would seem to be a logical choice for the British, perhaps they took what H&R could produce, or planned to order .38's later and did not.

So - as often the way - the UK's London "Unarmed" Police rightly had fairly free access to arms from 1884 and in (wartime) England 77 years ago.

 Irish police - both RIC RUC  were always armed.

Marty K.

Police Practice & Demonstration.

Link to Very Good History of UK Police Arms:

http://www.oldpolicecellsmuseum.org.uk/content/history/police_history/firearms

M.K.



Thursday 14 December 2017

'Webley' Revolver Production Continues in India:

The Webley company is among the earliest of firearms makers - dating back to the late 1700s. They are widely known for several famous models .. The Webley Royal Irish Constabulary Model, - The British Bulldog Model, - & the Webley Fosberry Automatic Revolver are quiet well known - along with the various Service revolvers that served the British Empire and Commonwealth nations for many decades.

In a lecture to enthusiasts, 9th January 2006 Richard Milner confirmed that after the official cessation of production of .455s, - Webley continued shipping parts guns and refurbished guns. The last shipment of a .455 was in 1959 .. Richard said that was probably a refurbished gun.

Revolver production completely ceased in 1982 and I have read somewhere that the production equipment may have been transferred to India where manufacture continued - and it is said that the IOF designed the IOF .32' Revolver in 1995.


The first Webley production revolver appeared in 1853 ... and their last handgun is recorded in 1979.

Webley & Scott produced 450,000 Service Revolvers - 310,000 during the Great War alone.



The Firearms Act in 1920, restricting the sale of firearms for civilians, almost brought Webley & Scott to its knees. It was at this time they started making quality spring-piston air guns. The Mark I air pistol became the first of Webley's air pistols. Demand for air pistols grew in Britain through the 1920's and helped Webley & Scott's sales. Production of air pistols would go on, after the decision to stop firearms manufacture in 1979, until 2005 when Webley & Scott closed down.
Grip Detail From Webley Senior Air Pistol.
Present day Webley & Scott is owned by Wolverhampton based Airgunsport, who have relocated air gun production to Turkey and have started making shotguns.
The Webley records show the last Mk VI revolver being sold from the factory in 1957 with "Nigeria" noted against the entry.
However ..The first 'modern' sidearm produced in large quantities by their Ordnance Factory in India was the Webley Mk IV revolver, 

made at Ferozepore in the early 1900s - before production was moved to Ishapore and Kanpur.

  - Versions of the Singapore Police Webley with a manual safety are still produced for the .32 S&W Long - for sale to civilians as the Indian Ordnance Factory 32 ..
and another version said to be made of light weight titanium is sold as the Nirbheek:
The Indian 'thirty-two" ammunition is loaded with a 98 grain bullet at a gentle velocity of 705 feet per second. - "Gentle"  maybe - but I'd never volunteer to be shot by one 😆

Indian industry Is advancing fast - certainly with new model motorbikes coming from Royal Enfield and a BMW 'single' motorbike now coming from there. Don't forget that Daewoo & Jaguar - Land-Rover are owned by Tata Motors based in Mumbai.
F-Type Jaguar, 4,  6 or 8 cylinder Engines
 - Both Come From Indian Owners Tata.
Marty K.

Sunday 10 December 2017

Steel Revolver v Polymer Pistol: Old v New:

News is that NYPD is ending forever the use of revolvers by it's officers - but individuals may retain their wheel guns as back-ups.

 31 August 2018 marks this notable retirement.
Link:
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2017/11/30/nypd-set-retire-last-revolvers/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=2017-12-03&utm_campaign=Weekly+Newsletter

  Glocks - both G17 & G19, - and Sigs will be the rule.

Technology has progressed considerably in my lifetime - as an illustration - compare an MG TF sports car that I wanted as a teenager, - to my current wee Honda Jazz:

The closest I got to owning one of these was when I rolled into the rear of one in my mini van (slow speed - no damage) at some road works in the rainy Edgeware Road, London in 1966.

The MG TF  was a 2 door convertible car with a front mounted engine powering the rear wheels. The 1.5 litre engine is a naturally aspirated, overhead valve, 4 cylinder that develops 65 bhp (66 PS/48 kW) of power at 5500 rpm. Having a claimed kerb weight of 912 kg, the MG TF can dispense with the 0-60 mph  sprint in 16.3 seconds. Top speed is 137 km/h, which equates to 85 mph. While fuel consumption would average around 30 mpg.



My (1070kg.) Honda Jazz RS knocks-out TWICE the MG's power @ 97kW/155Nm from the 1.5 litre 'Earth Dream Technology' ivtec DOHC motor. - I'm getting 5.7 litres/100k - that's within a sniff of 50mpg in Olde English - and the 0-60mph (that's 0-100k) is 9 seconds.

And this wee "Jazz grannymobile" has much better comfort, braking, steering & handling too.

Likewise ... my current technology Glock 17 out-scores my revolvers (even my latest Ruger 327 caliber) and for serious work it would rate as being superior in many facets. 
But both the cars and handguns ..  are very different & desirable in their own way - and pleasing to use. Revolvers can fire a variety of 'odd-ball' loads that would never function a semi-auto.

- & we do need to remember that the old tech versions continue to be mostly effective - as being old doesn't mean that everything stops working eh. 


New-Tech & Old-Tech .. Both Great.

Marty K.