Celebrity Aristocrats - & Standards:

New Zealand managed to put on a good show for Harry & Meghan Sparkles who are currently rewarding their loyal Commonwealth subjects with some short duration celebrity presence.

They sportingly took part in the solemn ceremony of Throwing Of The Gumboot while managing to dodge most of the foul weather.

"That's Right .. One of Us WAS Elected".

Why ... Prime Minister Jacinda loyally even demonstrated a 30 second 6.2 EARTHQUAKE for them at Taumarunui - no expense spared.

"Dukey & Dukeyess" will have also been impressed that they are being chauffeured on the left like back home in Mummy's country. - Thinking further about the direction we inmates are instructed to drive our vehicles - again reminded me of the sheer stupidity of some other regimes governing our lives:

When you consider electricity in the home  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity_by_country

.. there seems to be at least 17 different "standard" power plugs in use in various countries .. plus TWO main voltages.

Then we have that incredible situation whereby slower nations steadfastly continue to use archaic pounds & ounces, yards & miles, Pints & gallons - royalty & candle-power - dating from the imperial ages.

What about temperatures .. ? How stupid is it that a nice warm day of 25 C. is to many other inmates 77 Fahrenheit. .. while a freezing 0 Celsius is their 32 F. ?

There are so many other lesser STUPIDITIES such as paper standards : ISO 216 specifies international standard (ISO) paper sizes used in most countries in the world today, although not in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Colombia, or the Dominican Republic. The standard defines the "A" and "B" series of paper sizes, including A4,

- Despite our anachranistic German heritage 'Royals' still benefiting from subjects revenues - this IS the 21st Century and we do (mostly) all pay taxes to governments to sort this stuff .. but it seems that some prefer to deliberately insult their taxpayers by reducing corporate taxes while neglecting essential services - choosing instead to focus on selling munitions to another 'royal' family in Arabia.

International spacecraft Hayabusa 2 carrying four rover vehicles to asteroid 162173-RYUGU is due to deliver samples back to Earth about now - while using it's improved ION engines over a planned distance of 5,240,000,000 Million kilometers ..

Could we agree to mark this century as the era when folk direct their administrations to eliminate nonsensical PRIVILEGED un-elected groups such as the 'House of Lords' & other aristocracy - and 'The Electoral College' .. instead adopting truly proportional democracy?

.. Can't we end for ever 'TRICKLE-UP economics' - where the working poor subsidize the wealthy?

Marty K.
P.S.

Hi Marty

As you know, the USA uses the archaic imperial system of measurement (but choose to have their own size gallon).  The curious thing is the USA only has one official system of measurement, the metric system which was passed by an act of congress in 1866.(The Metric Act 1866)  Go figure!!

Cheers, Rod
Wikipedia says:
United States customary units are a system of measurements commonly used in the United States. The United States customary system (USCS or USC) developed from English units which were in use in the British Empire before the U.S. became an independent country. However, the United Kingdom's system of measures was overhauled in 1824 to create the imperial system, changing the definitions of some units. Therefore, while many U.S. units are essentially similar to their Imperial counterparts, there are significant differences between the systems.
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

NOT-So-Small-Arms 30MM:

- Ever wondered why there's an official caliber limit for civilian owned 'Small-Arms' (US) set at .50" Caliber? (.50 inch is 12.7 millimeters)?

One explanation would be that 30.0mm equals 1.181 inches ..

GAU-8A 30 mm depleted uranium core ammunition is projected from GAU-8/A Avenger 'Gatling' style auto-cannon at up to 3,900 rounds per minute.

.. This I will concede - does somewhat relegate my sweetheart 'thirty-two' caliber into the mouse-gun zone.

Surely There Was Room To Slip-in a .32 ACP Cartridge On The Left.

"Why Don't Smiff & Western Make a Gun In 30 Millimeter?"

The A-10 Thunderbolt "WARTHOG" when firing it's full load of 30 mm ammo is slowed by 15 knots .. the recoil energy is actually greater than it's engines forward thrust - but the magazine is emptied rapidly.
 - AND the spent gasses from the cartridges - being inert & oxygen-free - can cause the aircraft's engines to 'flame-out'.😱

P.S. 

Hi Marty

There is no caliber limit in NZ.  If you have a Firearms Licence you may own and use (in the appropriate area) a firearm that meets ‘A category’ requirements regardless of bore size.  A 25 Pounder, 105mm howitzer, no problem!  They may only be used with solid shot though as the use of HE, smoke, etc. invokes a bunch of other legislation.

In the pre-1983 legislation, the Arms Act was limited to firearms of less than 20mm.  Anything over that was exempt from legal restriction.

Rod.

   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

Value Of Small Arms:

Whether you are piloting your al-quwat al-jawwiyyah al-malakiyyah as-sudiyyah F-15 at Mach-1 while steering a GBU-10 guided bomb onto a target.

 - or sitting at the air-conditioned Creech AFB Las Vegas GCS console*  flying your Predator or Reaper Drone armed with Hellfire Missiles while seeking "insurgent activity" from above Iraq ..

or perhaps you are at the helm of your Ohio Class guided-missile submarine caring for your cargo of 154 Nuclear Cruise Missiles.

Whatever - You are not likely to be stressing about which caliber or brand of handgun .. what capacity magazine or what color plastic rail you might fit to your so-called "Assault Rifle".

Small-arms are of much reduced importance to the worlds mainstream MILITARY - as killing and destruction go High-Tech. - The biggest remaining military small-arms use is with specialist interdiction teams sent in to extract or eliminate political targets - when an efficient remote brisant shattering might be diplomatically embarrassing.

*Strangely the remote Ground Control Station Console word (console) also means: " to alleviate or lessen the grief, sorrow, or disappointment of; give solace or comfort" 
- Logical really - that military remote killing leaves you feeling remote and with little grief.

The big 21st century scene for hand portable arms is Sporting & DEFENSIVE - as in Law Enforcement and civilian self-defense. - And anywhere in the world -that is traumatic face-to-face stuff that hopefully none of us experience.

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

Fit To Go Pop - SAAMI (ANSI-SAAMI) & CIP:

When reading a 1999 review of the Krausewerk "BABY LUGERS" 3 inch .32" acp I perked-up when reading that these guns wouldn't cycle properly with current US made ammunition .. because they were designed to use 'pre-war' spec full power stuff. Link:
 http://krausewerk.net/32-acp-baby-luger/

Look - I couldn't Find An Image Of A .32 Caliber Baby Luger

 - So This Will Suffice.

(Shame it's not in color eh)
(I don't think that it's a 'Lady-Boy' But ..)

This situation goes some way to explain why 'thirtytwos' are so often denigrated by US hack writers - while Europeans successfully worked-out years ago that small bullets will kill just as well as large - provided that you hit the target.

In America - due to climatic/commercial conditions - you are likely MORE dead if killed by a forty-five .. or, even if totally missed .. at least your hearing will be damaged.

"Some comparison of the ".32 Automatic" as defined by SAAMI and the "7.65 Browning" as defined by CIP may be useful. ...  the maximum average pressure - as measured by a transducer on the test barrel - is 20,500 psi (1,410 bar) according to SAAMI, while CIP allows up to 1,600 bar (23,000 psi). This may explain why the cartridges from European manufacturers tend to chronograph at higher muzzle velocities compared to those from American manufacturers."

- That's from Wikipedia but it made me suspicious about the organizations quoted:

SAAMI specifications should properly be addressed thus: ANSI-SAAMI 

AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS INSTITUTE - SPORTING ARMS AND AMMUNITION MANUFACTURERS' INSTITUTE.

ANSI is a US privately owned group that promotes voluntary standards
 & SAAMI is a business association not overseen by government - with standards that only it's members comply with.

7.65 Browning / 32 ACP Semi-Rimmed Cartridge.

- Whereas CIP - Commission Internationale Permanente pour l'Epreuve des Armes à Feu Portatives ('Permanent International Commission for the Proof of Small Arms')  - is an international organization of some 14 National Governments.

.. So the International Government organisation reckons that 23,000 psi is safe for .32" ACP but the US manufacturers owners group thinks that only 20,500 psi better matches US manufactured .32" caliber firearms.

Who am I to question their insider knowledge?

Note: It seems likely/possible that the 7.65 mm Browning and the .32" ACP cartridges historically were separately developed around 1900 and merged as interchangeable later. - John Moses Browning being involved in the basic concept and design of both.

- This would likely go some way to explain the different specifications .. Read this useful  & very detailed linked page:

https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/more-info-on-32-acp-7-65mm-ammo/3601

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

MINIE BALLS - 'PRITCHET' or 'ENFIELD' Bullets:

Look - I'm only doing what I'm told .. 😁
Hi Marty

 Do some research on William Pritchett who was the superintendent at RSAF Enfield.  He developed the Pritchett bullet which became the standard British bullet for the Enfield .577 rifles, and was also the main bullet used in the US Civil (very uncivil) War.  He also set up his own firearms manufacturing company in London and I own one of his P’56 rifles that was used by a member of the Otago Rifle Volunteers in the 1860’s.

Cheers

Rod W.

Typical? Minie Balls

- The situation seems to be that MINNIE BALLS evolved to replace round ball projectiles in Musketry and went through a series of iterations throughout their extensive usage worldwide.

The year 1849 marks the 'invention' of this "Minnie" design by Claude-Etienne Minnie in France. - As far as new ideas go - we all "stand on the shoulders of giants" and I expect that Claude himself had studied and experimented with a variety of musket projectiles before settling on his Giant step forward .. the key features were that his conical bullet was undersized to the rifles bore, for ease of loading into fouled barrels - but it had an iron base plug fitted into a tapered cavity that EXPANDED the projectile into a tighter fit when rammed home onto the powder charge. The hollow base also making the bullet nose weight-forward  helping stabilize them .. BUT

Captain John Norton developed his cylindro-conical bullet with an expanding base in 1832:

British man W Greener had designed an expanding bullet in 1836 that employed a tapered plug to expand the ball to bore size:

However .. the bullets designed for the Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle were the work of William Pritchet of Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield. - Known as "Pritchets' "Metford-Pritchets" or 'Enfields' these bullets evolved over time from a hollow base without a steel cup or plug to having a steel insert and then to using a clay plug to promote expansion.

'Enfield' Bullet Recovered From CRIMEA.

The iron cup insert may have been called a 'culot'

Forceful ramming of these bullets onto the powder charge would push the skirts outwards into the bores - but the gas pressure on firing would definitely have an even more positive result on obturation. (obturation is defined as 'closing an opening).

In America - James Burton further improved & modified the 'Minnie' design with an enlarged conical hollow base and a thinner 1/16" soft lead 'skirt' as made by Harpers Ferry Armory & used in the civil war.

 - NOTE - From 1855 to 1860 Burton worked as Chief Engineer at RSAF Enfield making Pattern 1853 rifles before returning to US and then moving back & forth across the Atlantic developing arms factories. Link to his story:

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/07/27/james-henry-burton-19th-centurys-most-influential-man-in-firearms-development/

Mr Pritchet was an owner of his family gunsmith manufacturing business together with son R T Pritchet - supplying Pattern 1853 Enfields and equipment.

The Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle was used by the British from 1853-67 - when many were converted to cartridge breech-loading SNIDER-ENFIELD rifles.

 - Some 900,000 were sent to America for use in their CIVIL WAR by both sides .. plus many came to New Zealand during The Land Wars.

Minie Ball Injury.

Useful Links: https://mrsgalloisdabest.weebly.com/the-minie-ball.html

And a superb detailed article on these bullets"

http://4thla.weebly.com/uploads/3/7/9/6/37969349/enfield_cartridges_by_bruce_carins.pdf

Snider-Enfield Conversion.

- Any good Rod? 😊

Marty K.

A Real Civil War Minie Ball:

Shooting mate 'Ja' and his lady recently returned from an American road trip exploring ROUTE 66 - knowing my interest he gave me a genuine chunk of hardcore from the original road - and a civil war mini-ball bullet picked-up from a nearby battle field.

Valued Souvenirs of Route 66.

The US Civil war Minie Ball was something of a combined UK-USA-France design effort starting in UK with Captain John Norton & William Greener .. France with  French Army Captains Montgomery and Henri-Gustave Delvigne & Tamisier (who designed the grease grooves) - with Claude-Etienne Minie who invented the Minie Rifle ... and American James Burton - who "added lightness" in 1855 with a deep conical hollow base that helped the 'skirt' to expand and seal the gasses.

Burton's Harper's Ferry .58" caliber ammunition was used in paper cartridges rammed home by 'ram-rod' and the slugs weighed as much as two ounces ... that's a serious lump of lead that delivered terrible injuries when fired from either Springfield or the Enfield made Minie rifle at around 1,100 feet per second ...

Springfield Model 1855 rifle.

The shocking casualty rates of the civil war - 200,000 killed and more than 400,000 wounded are mainly down to the use by both sides - of rifled muskets firing this Minie Ball bullet design.

Marty K.

Bent Pollies:

Here you go then - if you need an example of exactly how corrupt and self-serving many are .. just take a look at this world map below:

Note: By "pollies" I mean corrupt self-serving politicians - not 'tame parrots'.

The pathetic blue colored bits show 35% of the planet's inmates are STILL driving on the wrong side of the road - despite the horrendous extra engineering costs and the resultant sad 'Road Toll' every year of injury and mayhem caused by confused motorists.

What possible justification is there in the 21st Century to have a third of the worlds drivers directed to not drive the same way as the rest?

It's just total dereliction of duty. Full Stop.

There Is A Reason For This.

- Don't we PAY politicians to sort this stuff?
Come on New Zealand and Australia - set the date now for 2025 and lets get on with it .. watch the rest just follow.

- Let's all drive on the RIGHT SIDE .. what a great advance towards unification.

Marty K.

Governments of Bread And Circuses:

How can a modern powerful "democratic" Nation select a "nutter" to lead it?

How can a 'leader' - supported by Fundamental Christians - excuse and trade with murderous anti-christian extreme autocratic rulers who torture & cut-up those who dare to criticize it's actions ... Because they are wealthy and "buy American"?

Roman writer 'Juvenal'  - born around 0055 C.E. originated this phrase "Bread and Circuses" .. that describes how corrupt leaders can distract citizens from their civic responsibilities - by providing relief of basic foods and the distraction of circuses or Games .. L. "panem et circenses".

So now you're a Latin Scholar - as well as a thinking shootist 😊!

.. Let's have a parade - bring on the lions, gladiators and bears and light-up the skies:

Desert Storm Fireworks.

- Here is one small 'classic' example of arrogant corruption: Today a female establishment figure is promoting a consortium project to build a large waterside Stadium (Circus Venue) and an infill housing development ... Unable to claim that this is wanted by the citizens and ratepayers - she clearly stated on National radio that "we will need to win the hearts and minds of the locals."

- In other words .. they are going to put a public relations group onto selling this costly 'for profit' idea as a dream benefit for taxpayers.

Marty K.

Guns v 15,000 NUKES:

So there are reckoned to be (officially) Eight Nuclear States .. China 1, France 2 , Russia 3, UK 4, USA 5 .. all Non Proliferation States, - PLUS of course, India 6, North Korea 7, & Pakistan 8

-  Plus (maybe?) Israel 9, ... PLUS 'used-to-haves' Belarus 10, Kazakhstan 11, South Africa 12, & Ukraine 13. - PLUS Belgium 14, Germany 15, Italy 16, Netherlands 17, & Turkey 18 who have them under NATO type sharing agreements .. So that's the eight nuclear nations.

- This is not to mention of course (shush) - an unknown but large number of atomic cannon, nuclear missiles, & nuclear demolition mines secretly deployed to South Korea 19 (from bases in Japan) by USA since 1958.

Now you may also have noticed that I haven't even mentioned IRAN 20?  ... who it seems has the brains & technology - and 8 of her 13 missile designs are judged to be 'nuclear capable'.. Do they have the intent? 

IRAN, Tomb of Hafez - Medieval Persian Poet.

- Also - not to mention all the missing or lost nuclear weapons - incidents known in the trade as 'BROKEN ARROWS' - 'BENT SPEARS' - 'PINNACLES' - 'EMPTY QUIVERS' - 'NUCFLASHS' and 'DULL SWORDS' etc.

- Look, with around 15,000 live nuclear weapons distributed around the globe and the leading powers, USA / Russia keeping some 2,000 of them ready to whiz-bang at all times ... and the UK Government holding stockpiles of Plutonium enough to build some 12,000 more if needed - we 'plebs' should be grateful that all our governments have our best interests at heart at all times eh.

Indeed, our solicitous leaders are so concerned with our ongoing welfare that they'd like to limit our citizens rights to possess hand portable self-defense tools such as pistols & long-arms - in case we injure ourselves.

Boeing Apache Long Bow 'Attack Helicopter'.

Updated & Re-deployed To "Rebalance" The Pacific.

.. How can any individual be so deluded as to imagine that they might need to defend themselves?

Ah, - how are the 6.2 BILLION POUND (or is that now 14.3 Billion?) two British Queen Elizabeth class Aircraft Carriers doing? - Have they managed to borrow any planes to park on their decks yet?

An interesting page listing 74 known military nuclear "accidents" also details Slotin's early 'DEMON CORE' death. - Link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_military_nuclear_accidents

Do you live near any of these accident sites?

Marty K.

On the Meaning of Insanity

An oft-quoted bon mot (or 'funny remark') -  frequently attributed to Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, or a number of other people who probably never said it) is that insanity may be defined as “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” While the job of lexicographers might be easier if they were allowed to use witty sayings instead of precise definitions, such belletristic labors are not within their purview. The straight facts about insanity are these: it has been in use in English since the late 16th century, for the first two hundred years or so carrying only the literal meaning “the condition of being mentally deranged.” In the 19th century it began to take on a looser sense, “extreme folly or unreasonableness.” In modern usage, insanity may be found in both senses: you may tell your brother that trying to skateboard while holding onto a car is "insanity" (in which case you mean that it is extremely foolish) or encounter the stricter original meaning in such contexts as insanity plea.

M.K.

BUNCEFIELD FIRE & NUKES: - Do you Trust Your Government?

Have you heard of the December 2005 'BUNCEFIELD FIRE'?

I guess this story went straight over my head at that time without any alarm bells.

Satellite Image Of Smoke Plume Following
 The 2005 Hemel Hempstead Explosion & Fire

Briefly - it was a very serious explosion & fire at a London fuel storage depot caused by negligence - poor maintenance and even poorer management.

If you have faith in the competence of responsible Establishment Authorities - read on this brief  British accident report from Wikipedia - or follow the Link for the full Wikipedia page:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buncefield_fire
Causes

The Hemel Hempstead smoke plume on Monday, 12 December 2005.

The final report of the Major Incident Investigation Board (MIIB) was written in 2008 and released in February 2011.^[42] The investigation found that Tank 912 at the Buncefield oil storage depot was being filled with petrol. The tank had a level gauge that employees used to monitor the level manually, and an independent high-level switch which would shut off inflow if the level got above a certain setpoint. On Tank 912, the manual gauge was stuck and the independent shut-off switch was inoperative, meaning that the tank was being "filled blind" with petrol (i.e., being filled without a clear indication of the level). Eventually Tank 912 filled up completely, the petrol overflowed through vents at the top, and formed a vapour cloud near ground level, which ignited and exploded. The fires from the explosion then lasted for five days.^[42]

The investigation found that the level gauge had stuck at random times after a tank service in August 2005, but it did not concern maintenance contractors or site management. The independent shut-off switch was not fitted with a critical padlock to allow its check lever to work. Secondary containment (meant to trap the petrol in a retaining wall around the tank) failed and allowed petrol to flow out. Tertiary containment (drains and catchment areas to prevent release of spilled chemicals to the environment) also failed, and fuel and firefighting foam entered groundwater supplies. The investigation found secondary and tertiary containment to be inadequately designed and poorly maintained.^[42]

Wider management failings were found by the investigation to have contributed to the explosion: management safety checks at the site were found to be deficient and not properly followed. Site staff did not have control over the flow rates and timing of two of the three inlet sources, meaning that they did not have enough information to properly manage the storage of incoming fuel. Further, overall throughput had increased, reducing wait times further and shifting the emphasis to process operations instead of process safety.

- Failure upon Failure upon Failure. - So you still trust your Government with stuff like nuclear weapons and nuclear power?

They didn't release the report until more than FIVE Years after that Buncefield explosion.

How do you feel about the Grenfell Tower fire?

 - Anyone in prison yet?

Marty K.