The Criminal Classes:

 I see  NZ Prime Minister Jacinda has been out 'hitch hiking' again, - back in September she cadged a ride from London to a General Assembly at the United Nations, after Elizabeth II's funeral, with the Canadian anti-gun boss Justin Trudeau. 

- Now she's been on the scrounge to the Italians to fly her back to New Zealand from ANTARCTICA where she had been on a fly in  Photo-Op on the ice. Her flight down was delayed by weather issues with the RNZAF Hercules not being able to depart as intended - and the return leg was prevented by technical problems with an engine on the Hercules getting too cold.

Facts is Facts ..

Last year, 2021 - The U S Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Federal agency tasked with gathering data on crime and the criminal justice system, published a report that found roughly two in five – 38% of the 24,848 incarcerated people that they surveyed across 364 prisons reported a disability of some sort. 

- Across the entire U S incarcerated population, - that translates to some 760,000 people there with disabilities living behind American bars.

Here in New Zealand -The Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment Act) of 1992 created a new definition of mentally disordered, that excluded those with intellectual disability from being found unfit to stand trial under the Criminal Justice Disabilities Act. 

It seems that around ONE THIRD of Youth offenders here have a NEURO-DISABILITY.

This FACT is known by our NZ Government.

I'm not here to make excuses for criminals. - If this is bullshit then those convicted persons should be isolated from further victims & property in our society by proper detention for a considerable duration - while they are given education and training opportunities to make their passage through life better and more productive.

IF it is true that a third of offenders are variously disabled intellectually to the extent of being diagnosed as sick .. there MUST be alternative action taken to extract them from our Justice System and to place them into proper HEALTH Facilities where they can be professionaly cared for and helped to live within society without falling into criminal activity.

I know that I am not dreaming here.

This situation is one specific example of our elected government NOT DOING WHAT THEY ARE PAID TO DO BY WE NEW ZEALAND VOTERS ..

They could use the money that they are wasting on new firearms legislation setting-up a USELESS FIREARMS REGISTER - to build better facilities and to staff them with qualified staff.

It is widely accepted that careful tutoring of prisoners to improve their READING abilities yields useful results in future employment.

It is well known that helping prisoners to obtain their DRIVING LICENSE reduces further traffic convictions as well as opening up decent employment opportunities. The country is seriously short of professional drivers. 

There is NO WAY that New Zealand can afford to waste these unfortunate peoples lives whereby they are a costly negative factor in society at the same time that we are short of workers.

POLITICIANS .. DO SOMETHING USEFUL.

Remove GST from essential basic foodstuffs.

Reduce general GST to 10%.

Introduce APT - an Automatic Payment Transaction Tax - initially at 0.5 % - a neutral broadbased fair tax to provide adequate funding for properly functional Law Enforcement, Justice, Health Services, State Housing, Social Services, Transport, & Education,

Introduce DRIVING INSTRUCTION into schools so that all leavers gain their License.

DE-CRIMINALIZE Cannabis.

Return all essential services such as Power Distribution-Generation, Health and Dentistry to Nationwide democratic control for the benefit of New Zealand families.

Introduce an UPPER HOUSE CITIZENS ASSEMBLY staffed by One Term only Jurors selected by SORTITION.

End PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGE - that enables deliberate lies and misleading in our Nations Highest Court.

All of this might be achieved within months by the use of 'URGENCY' - as was applied to introduce oppressive ANTI-Gun Legislation reducing Civil Rights to end lawful firearms ownership.

Marty K.

This beautiful land of New Zealand once more can lead the world by example - running it's affairs for the benefit of all it's citizens.

 

Colts Model Of 1849 POCKET Percussion Revolver :

- Something for the weekend Sir? ..

I read a lot .. they taught me how to do it at school in the 50s. I have read both that this .31 Caliber gun from Colt is ".. almost forgotten today." and alternatively - that the Uberti reproduction M1849s are very popular, accurate and fun to shoot.

- You may take your pick from the professional writers eh - but by the standard of that era the Pocket Model was regarded as a sturdy and trusty 'manstopper'. 

A Popular Modern Replica 1849 From UBERTI ..

Experts state that this most successful percussion revolver was made by Colts over a 23 year period - starting 1850 - with production numbering around 335,000 units from factories in both U S and England. The appellation "Model 1849" is a label used by modern collectors & enthusiasts.

Sale numbers were doubtless helped by manufacture covering the whole span of the American Civil War period April 1861-April 1865 - with this small pistol being popular as private purchases by combatents of both armies. - Every review about this Model 1849 seems compelled to trot-out the apocryphal legend that this percussion five-shot revolver was carried mainly to prevent battle-field surgeons from over-eagerly amputating damaged limbs. 

Later improved steels led to SIX shot versions being machined without increasing the cylinder's size.

This best seller .31" 'Pocket Model' - 'The Gun That Won the West' - is reputed to have been nicknamed by some 'A Fifth Ace' due to it's popular carry by saloon card gamblers - to smooth the run of the betting.

Good Looking Lads Displaying Their Period Essentials ..

"YOU GONNA PULL THOSE PISTOLS OR WHISTLE DIXIE?"

My "pet point" would be that the projectiles for these .31" Caliber black powder pistols actually measure larger than the later .32" caliber guns ammunition .. but only by a wee bit eh. - These revolvers were nowhere near as powerful as the earlier .44s - BUT they weighed half as much and didn't suffer from ball-creep, where the strong .44" recoil resulted in balls loaded into the chambers shifting forward with each shot to jam the gun by preventing the cylinder rotation .. the .31"s didn't kick as much .. nor blow apart so often either. Original M 1849 barrels have 'Gain Twist Rifling'.

Maybe - after a few beers - I'll admit that the '36" caliber makes a superior black powder arm and that then went on through the ages to become a 'sweet spot' sized cartridge handgun that encompasses the .38 S&W, .38 Special, .357 Magnum and the many other 9mm (.355") sized arms .. but the 'Thirty-Twos' (8mm really) had a lot going for them as early times tools and at the later higher smokeless velocities.

A thirty-one caliber .323 inch ball weighs 50 grains - which is somewhat heavier than a typical .22 Long rifle slug - and it will penetrate to plus or minus 12/13 inches in clear gelatine depending on how much black powder you like to ignite. Conical bullets are naturally heavier again and harder hitting. These 'Pocket Pistols' are small in the hand - and while small caliber, are multi-shot, easily carried and accessed .. being both accurate AND deadly.

Before I go on .. may I bring to your notice 'C&Rsenals' Small Arms Primer No.151 US Colt 1877

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8CkTwrU3IY     .. Which while being about a different, later cartridge gun - is VERY insightful & most interesting about Colts hidden innermost secret family stories.

________________

Now - these wee pocket pistols would be scorned by some as being underpowered mouseguns - only fit to threaten before running away .. as they throw their 50 grain soft lead balls or 70 grain conicals at around 500 to 700 feet per second or above, producing POWER similar to today's 'two-two' rimfires and perhaps up to the 32 ACP lower levels.

I don't think that those 340,000 free citizen customers used their hard-earned bucks in the day to buy this compact tool because they were deluded - they were bought to serve a useful  purpose ..

The power debate continues (endlessly) of course .. but I insist that a HIT with a small caliber is far more effective than a miss with any magnum.

Colts slightly earlier small .31" percussion revolvers were known as "Baby Patersons" - then the "Baby Dragoons" appeared that developed into this popular model, - which itself was upsized in due course into the .36" caliber ''.Navy Models

The "Wells Fargo" .31" model had to make it's way through the West without the benefit of an under barrel loading lever .. as do too some other versions with the shortest of barrels.

STAGECOACH HOLD-UP Roller Engraving:

__________

I got one - an ORIGINAL Colt M1849 ...

- love it - here's the other side ..

Five inch barrel, with a fair bit of silver plating still on the brass bits but no blueing or case hardening colour remains. The steel parts have a matt grey/pewter patina appearance. The 'safety' pins at the rear of the cylinder are battered & worn. There is an area (25%?) of bad rust pitting on the cylinder - but for a 165 year old it is in excellent working order eh. - Check-out the foresight, that has been changed sometime from a pin to a blade ..

This sort of forsight blade modification was not uncommon .. perhaps to correct damage to the original short pin - or to lower the usual high point of impact closer to the line of sight.

Grey patina o/a. - strong hammer spring - gain twist rifling - no major damage - suggested 1857 year of manufacture - such a sweet little original revolver I'm well pleased to have it ..

I've seen worse ..

Marty K.

YOU'VE GOT TO BE JOKING.

 New Zealand as you like it ..?

It seems to have taken two years for the NZ JUSTICE System to sentence 18 y.o. Jayden Meyer with Nine Months HOME DETENTION  for the RAPE & SEXUAL ASSAULT of five young New Plymouth girls.

Police claim to have arrested nearly 350 RAM RAIDER Offenders and to have laid 1,000s of charges in Waikato & Auckland.. I doubt these offenders are being held under supervision or in detention .. 

As Police are finding it difficult to deal with these "COMPLEX MATTERS" they are now pleading with car owners  "Owners of these vehicles are asked to take extra precautions to keep their vehicles safe..This includes simple things such as purchasing a steering wheel lock, removing valuable items, locking your vehicle and parking it in a garage or driveway."

Five year old MALACHI SUBECZ was killed by his carer because of a "LITANY OF FAILURES" by ORANGA TAMARIKI. - Meanwhile, Oranga Tamariki and Nga Pirihimana o Aotearoa (Police) are being asked if they might have done more to prevent the killing of a 15 month old child Leith Hutchison by his father DANE BLAKE

Sexual Abuse in New Zealand Residential Schools? "Mistakes were made"

The New Zealand Justice System and Police Service are malfunctioning because of the long term lack of funding and under-resourcing - BUT they have sufficient tax revenue to spend MILLIONS OF DOLLARS on introducing another GUN REGISTER .. that we all know from past experience - WILL FAIL IN EVERY WAY TO BE EFFECTIVE AT REDUCING GUN CRIME.

- But these expensive new licensing amendments are discouraging legal gun ownership by making it difficult and costly to comply with the law.

New Zealand is short of police, judges, doctors , nurses, qualified builders, and various other essential workers .. BUT we seem to have an abundance of well fed CAREER POLITICIANS and Criminal Gang Members.

We elect governments to manage & provide the BASICS needed for a civilized society ..

- HEALTH 

- LAW ENFORCEMENT 

- EDUCATION 

- HOUSING 

& SOCIAL CARE.

- Which of those five basic needs can you say Government are doing well?

OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM IS FAILING TO SERVE NEW ZEALAND PROPERLY.

Why are we short of essential tax funding, with increasing CRIME, while businesses enjoy low Corporate TAXES?

Is one issue that we live in a CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY that has NO WRITTEN CONSTITUTION?

A second UPPER HOUSE of Government CITIZENS ASSEMBLY would give the people a voice that would be heard .. and fairer taxation.

Marty K.

Bullets Shot By Bullets?

 FBI figures released in U S show that over ONE MILLION 'civilian' firearms have been sold EVERY MONTH for the last THREE YEARS.

- that's interesting eh ..

When I was a teenaged kid, my eyes were pretty good .. well, I missed being a 'MARKSMAN' in my London school CCF by one point only - so had to wear a 'First Class Shot' badge with a Star rather than a 'Crown' on my tunic sleeve .. No re-count allowed.

My mate Frank and I later both bought Webley Mk3 underlever air rifles and used to compete by shooting at match-sticks poked into his back garden fence at maybe 20 yards range. Easy-Peasy eh.

This image is reputed to be from the front at that disasterous Gallipoli Campaign of WWI where many New Zealanders fought .. I have no right to question the validity of the image as clearly it is REAL and fully possible .. the only question might be - was it a combat hit, or perhaps did it result from static aimed target practice during a more relaxed moment? - Who now can say?

There is no shortage of similar impact hits - as in the next shots below ..

I have no idea of the stories about these - but these pics DO show that hitting an object of around 8mm  is readily achievable.

This next shot is much more interesting and satisfactory to view imho ..

What this photo does clearly illustrate is how safe or stable from accidental discharge metallic cartridges can be eh.

Old friend Frank & I met at my first "grown-up" employment as an engineering apprentice (FAILED  - I was 'let go' for bad time keeping in 1960). - We took those fine Webley air rifles down to Bodmin Moor in Cornwall to hunt rabbits for a week or so .. Never saw a single bunny on the whole trip - but we had great walks around the peaks of 'Brown Willy' and 'Rough Tor' in that ancient open landscape - promised an Army Officer that we wouldn't shoot any of his men on exercise-training on Bodmin - and we "discovered" CLOVELLY - a wonderful old fishing village built into the cliffs above it's picture book harbour. 

I'd bet that Clovelly nowadays will be heaving with jiggling visiters queuing to use the 'facilities' and buying snacks & drinks.. but when we two awoke around dawn back in 1961 in my Morris Mini van in a clifftop carpark and looked over the edge - the place was near silent and we clambered down a small footpath past the cottages to the sea without a single creature observing us other than a ginger cat and some seagulls - MAGIC.

Marty K.

Shooting Heroes Needed ..

We are living in an era of PERSONALITIES - this seems to be an emotionally led selection of familiar faces where popularity is far more important than any logic, reason, virtue, or fact..

The most dedicated and fair thinking politician has NO CHANCE AT ALL of guiding her/his nation sensibily into the future .. unless she/he comes across on the Telly as a likeable and entertaining personality. They now have to look 'right' - sound right & walk right.

To have any chance - we lawful shooters need some popular figureheads to present our basic human rights arguments and to support our rights to arms.

 The popular late Queen Elizabeth was a deer stalker and game shooter

As was her husband ..

Michael Bentine - co-founder with Spike Milligan of 'The Goons"  was a firearms collector and leading figure in UKPSA involved in 22 SAS Regiment "pistolcraft" training

Well known Kiwi actor/singer/comedian Billy T James .. William James Te Wehi Taitoko MBE  was a pistol shooter/collector who sadly died following heart disease ..

- More use might be made of actor Tom Sellick by the U S NRA - but he is getting older  & past it with every year having been born in 1945 ( I was born very young in 1944)

- Who have we got that is willing and able?

Marty K.