Working With LIMITATIONS:

Not being able to legally buy or own a Kalashnikov AK74 (or an AK47) rifle in New Zealand

It is said that five million AK74s were produced. Yet other reports say that there are as many as 18 million units in circulation worldwide.

I thought I'd "do my bit" to help progress the Russia-Ukraine war .. I bought a vintage Soviet era 'Slava' Слава twin barreled mechanical watch, advertising the "Odessa Tea " Packaging Plant. Probably my last chance to get it sent from Ukraine before the Russian forces take over Odessa. - Only US$40. from The VINTAGE ODESSA SHOP

A decent 27 jewel movement having TWO mainsprings ..

In 1871 Kalman-Wolf Wyssotzky (a member of Hovevei Zion (Lovers of Zion) imported his first shipload of TEA from China by steamship into the Black Sea port of Odessa, Ukraine Russian Empire.

In 1917 the Russian antiTzarist Revolution confiscated and nationalised this tea business as The Odessa Tea Packing Plant.

I have another Soviet era Slava Слава twin-barrel watch in a Vostok military case that I like to wear .. to annoy right-wingers. Sad eh.

Slava-Vostok Soviet Military Watch - With brass-Fish Gun Powder Flask .. 

Watch is an early Russian Federation "Franken" built by desperate entrepeneurs,

 following factory closure at the Soviet Collapse.

Note 'VOSTOK' is also spelled Boctok (Cyrillic) and Wostok. - All three spellings mean 'East' and are sounded as vostok.

Note: Postal & package services from Russian Federation are suspended - so other ex-Eastern block Nations such as Ukraine remain a source of these vintage time keepers - which are great value, different & rugged reliable watches. One might wonder as to where, and whose wrists these watches come from. 

I understand that Russian Federation Military are currently issued with "Fifth Generation" AK 12 and AK 15 rifles:

Being 'Fit and Proper' in NZ means you are NOT allowed to own a "military style" s/a rifle

 - NOT being 'Fit and Proper' (as an unlicensed NZ Police employee), means you ARE allowed to use restricted weapons whenever you choose to ..

Are You Fit and Proper?

Are NZ Police 'FIT AND PROPER PERSONS'?

FIREARMS LICENCES FOR NZ POLICE.

Marty K.

P.S. Here's a 'commie watch' Link:

https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/soviet-russian-watches-collectors-intl-hnk-dst

'BB' stands for "BRASS BARREL" not Brigette Bardot.

 An Absolute FIRST .. 

YOU ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR FIRST  -  BRASS BARREL PERCUSSION

as received -

My guess is that this was a period conversion from a Flintlock ..

- Now WHO can tell for sure whether such a gun as this was made using brass , bronze, or that particular bronze alloy called 'Gunmetal' - I read that yanks call it "Red Brass".

This is an antique six & a half inch barrel, two-stage 'cannon-barreled' - percussion pistol that measures around one foot overall length - having also a rare brass Lock-Plate. - The high use of NON-FERROUS metal suggests this gun might be a marine piece .. The 16 gauge barrel would have been loaded either with a single patched ball, or swan shot (Buck-Shot), (or a mixed "buck & ball" load) that when discharged at close ranges would be devastatingly effective.

Dropped lead 'SWAN SHOT'

Nasty Stuff

This is a 'Sidelock' Caplock Conversion? smooth bore Pistol - around 225+ y.o. with nice quality hardware - and being non-ferrous I was eager to poke-up my "endoscope" to show it's brazen intestinal beauty .. but that overpriced american-chinese lense let me down - or maybe I've still got a lot to learn on how to use it.

On the hole - not as pretty as expected

I measure the bore at .657 inch, that charts as being 16 Gauge firing a patched 437 grain lead ball. - These antiques are old and they didn't always work to exact measure back then .. so if someone wants to call this pistol the slightly smaller 17 Gauge that will be fine by me.

The stock wood is a bit broken and has borer holes so I will be looking at taking it apart and trying to refix & to strengthen the cracks with an epoxy resin .. plus the Nipple cone is completely fucked (a ballistic-technical term) so I will be trying to remove and replace it.

Silver Wire Inlay is interesting and a little damaged - but overall I like this piece as a workmanlike tool from the past. - What attracted me at first was that you don't get RUST on a brass gun .. but this baby does have an iron breech plug at the back end where there is some rust that will be getting the Oil of Wintergreen Oil chelation treatment.

HOWEVER .. while brass - a Copper/Zinc alloy - does not rust - it can be subject to serious loss of strength from dezincification over time, under some conditions .. such as when in water, - when exposed to ammonia, (as in urine from rodents) - and galvanic (electrolysis) reaction. - Ah, - but what about BRONZE ..? - Well many bronzes also contain zinc as well as TIN/COPPER so may be effected. - It all depends on the variables eh - so be very cautious when recommissioning any old gun.

I did ask my pc AI if bronze cannon were as strong as iron ones .. but why bother -  as AI says both that it is stronger and weaker .. and that the copper alloys were much more expensive than iron - which naturally explains why cheaper percussion revolvers are made with 'brass' frames eh.  Drrrrrr ..

Anyway I have spent time working with this brazen old lady - using imported Chinese 'Oily Glue' from Ali Express to repair cracked and splintered stock wood and some 13 wormholes and she's looking better now with a dressing of dark walnut stain and some furniture wax.

A bit more wax and she'll be right.

- You don't want to "go too far" refinishing an old gun, otherwise they might look like a movie-prop .. but she's feeling better already.

I have owned and shot guns since they taught me AT SCHOOL - on the school rifle range, aged 14 in 1958. 

- IT IS NOT GUNS THAT ARE DANGEROUS - IT IS UNDISCIPLINED, POORLY TAUGHT, SOCIALLY MALADJUSTED LOW IQ NUTTERS & PSYCHOPATHS THAT ARE THE PROBLEM.

Are You Fit and Proper?

Are NZ Police 'FIT AND PROPER PERSONS'?

FIREARMS LICENCES FOR NZ POLICE.

Marty K.

PS. If the Israeli-Yanks do attack Iran - all we survivors may end up trying to live off the land like these Brits from the '70's on BBC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W00-dkBio4

Instant Coffee Etch - for your Gun's "DAMASCUS" Looks.

Please - Don't drink this stuff - try black tea or green tea or even pure water first .. or make real coffee in a plunger pot from freshly ground beans. - Nothing advertized as instant can be good. - Never consume that crap that tastes like processed sewage. - If you want to appreciate exactly how processed sewage tastes - try drinking tap-water in Sydney Australia - even their homeless prefer beer.

From time-to-time you may find an old knife or gun barrel made from pattern welded steel that is generally called "DAMASCUS" steel - which it is not. There are a lot of expensive knives being made currently with pattern-welded steel blades. - REAL Damascus steel was high carbon WOOTZ steel having natural manganese, nickel, and tungsten -  SOLD in the Near East City of DAMASCUS from ores or billettes of metal from India and Sri Lanka. These strong blades had a water textured appearance ..

Old Real Damascus or Wootz Steel.

The antique Pattern Welded iron and steel barrels are an Art Form that grew out of gunmakers and iron workers attempts to strengthen gun barrels to better resist the explosive force of Gunpowder by folding and laminating different iron alloys.

Look at THAT

Never for one minute think that those folk in Olden Times were dumb .. I've got two nice wee 175 y.o. antique pistols with pattern welded "damascus" barrels that are faded by time. - Now "experts" would tell me to leave them alone but of-course I'm going to try improve their looks. - I don't want to renew the finish .. but rather to enhance the contrast & beauty of the patterning while keeping it's aged look.

Observant Shooters will note the barrels of the 'Double' are REGULATED TO CONVERGE.

Going by this image - both guns look OKish but I'll have a go at the single barrelled piece first because as received it does have some rust in the bore to be cured anyway.

The word is that cheap, hot, strong INSTANT COFFEE (perhaps with a little added lemon juice?) will refresh "damascus steel" from a grey textured surface and return it's interesting patterning contrast. Phosphoric and other organic acids in the instant brew cause the darkening while careful bright polishing of the highlights is needed. - I am not trying to deepen the metal's etch - I want to restore and beautify the contrast between the shining highlights and the blackened lowpoints.

God that soluble-stuff is crap .. I dumped half a pouch of $6.30 freeze-dri instant - dissolved in boiled water into a glass 'handle' and left the kitchen, to clear my nose of the stench of it. - It stinks like dog shit from a sugar fed pekingese. - I hope it doesn't etch the glass.

- This is after 45 minutes in the freeze-dri-etchant and flushing clean with boiling water ..

My guess is that the result is not worth the effort or the $6.30.

  Maybe a few hours immersion might work better But I'm not bothered - Don't take my word for it? - try these links:

https://rtknives.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Refresh-Damascus-Blade.pdf

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

Are You Fit and Proper?

Are NZ Police 'FIT AND PROPER PERSONS'?

.. not many

FIREARMS LICENCES FOR NZ POLICE.

Marty K.

Buying B.P. & Use of Blackpowder SUBSTITUTES:

 I have been around the SUN 811/2 times and when I terminally drop-off this sphere, to head 26,670 light years into Sagittarius A.Hole ..

- our galaxy's supermassive black hole - I don't expect that anything much I've learned about ballistics will be very useful. - but .. Triple Se7en is another carbon based life form ..

 HOGDON introduced their "Triple Seven" loose powder in 2002. Triple Seven is apparently a gluconic acid (sugar-based) propellant that is far more efficient than Blackpowder or Pyrodex, with corresponding increases in muzzle velocity and internal pressure.

- If used in a sensible manner, to fire lead downrange out of a modern made muzzleloading percussion gun, all will be well and diddly-poo. - Sensible means to be aware at all times that triple se7en is a more efficient propellant than real 'Blackpowder' - requiring the loads to be REDUCED by around 15-20%.

 

All will be well if you operate at internal pressures the gun is capable of handling AND - you refrain from injecting yourself with the stuff - as Zinc gluconate injections are used to NEUTER male dogs.

- Not an outcome many of us on range wish to observe.

zinc gluconate is used for the non-surgical castration of male animals, primarily dogs and cats, by injecting it into the testes to cause permanent sterility and testicular atrophy. Administered as Neutersol® or Zeuterin, this chemical castration method is a licensed alternative to surgical neutering, working by destroying the seminiferous tubules and halting sperm production. While generally safe and effective, it carries some risks of scrotal ulcers at the injection site in a small percentage of dogs.

MmHm - scrotal ulcers (with onion gravy) ..

The exact 777 recipe is no doubt hidden away, but carbon-based fuels need, err, carbon to burn. If not using charcoal, there are few more economical options than sugar. The problem has always been the caramelization process, where several previous attempts had failed to achieve consistency, but Hodgdon finally did it satisfactorally. 

When you caramalize sugars by heating them .. you get what appears to be BURNT TOFFEE coating the inside of your firearm. Not Good for ease of cleaning eh.

When contemplating shooting original OLD antique guns - you should make bloody sure that the important bits are not weakened by rust pitting, wear & tear, damage, and sheer old age. - And you should contain your enthusiasm by reducing the amount of propellant you load, to moderate charges.

AND if using 'triple se7en' substitute - a wise person would reduce the load further by 15-20 percent.

REAL Black Powder is close to hens teeth nowadays and bloody expensive as REGULATION has been applied to the carriage, storage and sale, by our wise and friendly authorities - Mostly I find it is OUT OF STOCK.

This stuff is made in WAIKATO New Zealand by www.pyroworks.co.nz

email:  martin@pyroworks.co.nz 

It's getting close to impossible to find your HOLYSMOKE Gunpowder with all the regulations being applied - Can licenced shooters BUY DIRECT from your works by arrangement as private citizens, with limited amounts for self carriage?

If so, - we should put the word out  ..  ..

Hi Martin,

 

Thank you for your enquiry and we are happy to supply direct. We have a wide range of Black Powder and other items available, see below list.

 

This is pick-up only as no freight companies will transport this. You are allowed 15kg on your Firearms Licence.

 

Holy Smoke - Sporting in Cannon, Fg, FFg, FFFg and FFFFg at $160 per kg.

Holy Smoke - Cartridge in 1.5Fg, 2Fg, 3Fg at $180 per kg.

Swiss in 1.5Fg, FFFg at $110 per lb.

Schuetzen in FFg, FFFg at $80 per lb

Percussion Caps CCI No.11 at $35 per tin of 100.

Percussion Caps CCI Magnum No.11 at $38 per tin of 100.

Percussion Caps Top Hat at $50 per tin of 100. (4 Wing Musket)

Cannon Fuse – green, 2mm, 10 meter roll at $60

Davide Pedersoli - accruements, funnels, top hat cappers, powder measures, etc

Parker Hale - jags, mops and brushes, 410/45cal, 12 gauge

Tin Alloy – 35% Tin 65% Lead Alloy ~2kg bars $90.

 

Open all hours with some notice. Live, work, play all at the same location.

Kind regards,

Martin

 Dr Martin Van Tiel, PhD Chem, BSc Chem & Physics, NZIC          

Van Tiel Pyrotechnics Ltd
37 Moss Road, R.D.2, Taupiri 3792, New Zealand
Ph/Fax +64 7 8246564
Mob +64 274 515575

www.pyroworks.co.nz

I suggest that ALL LICENCED FIREARMS OWNERS passing through WAIKATO call into these premises and pick-up some black powder for their mates or to help re-stock their nearest friendly FIREARMS DEALER

When under attack .. We need to HELP EACH OTHER .. NETWORK

Are You Fit and Proper?

Are NZ Police 'FIT AND PROPER PERSONS'?

.. not many

FIREARMS LICENCES FOR NZ POLICE.

Marty K.

What a LOAD of BALLS:

Reported Raids & Recoveries ..

Angela Brazier of THE FIREARMS SAFETY AUTHORITY was recently quoted in The Bay Of PlentyTimes 29 August 2025 stating .. “It is particularly concerning that a firearms dealer is part of this investigation,” Brazier said.“Firearms dealers are subject to higher thresholds of conduct to be considered a fit and proper person to hold a dealer’s licence.

Link: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/police-seize-firearms-in-east-coast-black-market-investigation/HP6HIRZRIZC3NHRKV35AFCOTEA/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMd3dZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFIek5QN0VpN2RETmxpNUtiAR7MFveLz-Mi5-dibFonbev4SiKN2ZjehrJJAmIpY2zUdEYFnSN3qC9lFE4Fqg_aem_mENU7UGT2pDxGNnP5wZO4w

May I, as an ex firearms dealer and longterm licence holder, point-out that POLICE - as the responsible authority and enforcement agency - should also be subject to higher thresholds of conduct .. and NOT be EXEMPTED FROM ALL REQUIREMENTS TO OBTAIN AND MAINTAIN NEW ZEALAND FIREARMS LICENCES as "fit & proper persons".

Either you ARE 'FIT & PROPER' or you are NOT .. Nobody should be exempt from these requirements.

_________________

Regarding making 'caseless charged cartridges' or "HAZARD Bullets" for percussion firearms ..

https://flicense.blogspot.com/2024/09/hazard-caseless-boolits-4-blackpowder.html

These loads involve mixing the fff  black powder with the added adhesive of around 6 or 7 percent DEXTRINE or DEXTRIN - as the glue to hold the charge together when shaped & compressed. - The question has been asked "WHICH IS IT?" and my research indicates that this modified glucose-starch is a variable product with a variable spelling so don't worry about it. - Then there is the thought that this small amount of adhesive may reduce the propellant's power - which it might or might not .. those requiring the highest possible energy and velocity might compensate by INCREASING the charge volume/mass by a small percentage to compensate.

In the Olden Days - the gum on envelopes and postage stamps was dextrin.

My guess would be that any dextrin-adulteration power loss might well be fully compensated by the use of the nitrocellulose GLUE used to stick the charge to the BALL and to laquer seal the outer surface. - Use the right glue.

Here is a link to a gentleman making hand mixed 'Corned Powder' for fireworks .. He uses dextrin as an additive to produce larger granules:

https://www.skylighter.com/blogs/how-to-make-fireworks/hand-mixed-black-powder

- Such simple hand blended powders will be GUNPOWDER - better than crude dry-mix 'Serpentine Powder' but less powerful than proper optimum propellant from a Ball Mill.

_________________

Two of us were questioning what exactly was the difference between #10 and #11 Percussion Caps .. we couldn't agree - So I thought "My computor AI will know .."

"#11 Percussion Caps are slightly larger than #10s, with #11s being longer and having a slightly greater internal diameter, although the size difference varies significantly between brands. #10 caps are typically used for revolvers, offering a tighter fit on the nipples, while #11 caps are generally used for muzzleloading rifles. However, it is best to test both sizes on your specific firearm, as a #10 will be loose on a #11 nipple and a #11 can be too large for a #10 nipple." 

- So #11 is larger and longer .. maybe.

I'll go back to my ignorant uninformed earlier self - and use whichever I can get andadjust the nipples to fit.

It's all down to your nipples mate. 

ALL the percussion guns I've ever owned were "Pre-Loved" and the nipples had been hammered & mushroomed out of shape. As a guess I'd say that the longer cap might be more securely held on a nipple than a shorter one - BUT naturally not if it is a looser fit. These 'cones' are tapered.

If your caps keep dropping off - you can give them a squeeze to distort them and grip a bit tighter, - or you 

might consider a wee dab of Nail-Polish to seal them gently in place - or I've read that the flexible clear 

plastic petrol pipe sold in various sizes may be cut into short stubs and pushed over the capped nipples as

 retention sleeves

 

Are You Fit and Proper?

Are NZ Police 'FIT AND PROPER PERSONS'?

.. not many

FIREARMS LICENCES FOR NZ POLICE.

Marty K.