A Fairly 'Grave Matter' - Introducing Dr. Ning LI:

The answer to life and all that might perhaps be advanced by the ongoing? work of US Scientist Dr. Ning Li. - Doctor Li was interested in ANTI-GRAVITY.

After claiming to have made a discovery - she then poo-pooed the idea .. before leaving her research job to start her own science business operating with funding from the US Feds - DoD.

MOVEMENT & Travel might be revolutionised by such development - let alone military stuff like ballistics eh ..

Good explanation watching here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ugQArIkM8A

- And read all there is about Dr. Ning Li who has sort-of disappeared ( .. a little bit) from the public's eyes:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ning_Li_%28physicist%29

Imagine "anti-gravity" space travel & anti-gravity guns ? .. go on. 😈

Marty K.

HALL'S M 1819 Rifle & M 1843 Carbine:

Hall's Breech-Loading design marks a significant advance from the then standard MUSKETS .. but  they don't seem to be at all well known .. they haven't been much lodged into 'The Halls Of Fame' for firearms eh 😃.. There are multiple iterations and combinations of the 'Hall's' .. which is partly because these weapons were built right from the start with interchangeability of parts.

The flintlock M1819 Hall's Rifle was the first breech loading long arm adopted by the military in USA - and furthermore - the later Carbine version M1843 was also the first percussion ignited long arm adopted and issued by America.

As expected .. the Hall's were both praised and damned by the Officers of the day. The breech-loading design alone vastly increased the rifleman's rate of fire .. while the later combination with percussion cap ignition once again advanced the ease of fire while bringing greater reliability under stressful battlefield life .. BUT the breech loading design was imperfect in it's ability to seal and contain the gasses under pressure when firing - getting dangerously more leaky with wear over time.

One interesting feature of all Hall percussion firearms was that the entire breech-block could be removed and carried around as a very crude pistol - lethal at close range. - Many U.S. soldiers during the Mexican-American War commonly carried their loaded breech-block in their pockets when off duty - giving themselves added close quarter protection.

Hall's firearms were variously built in a range of bore sizes .. and issued as both smooth-bores and rifled versions - and as percussion-ignition & original flintlocks - many of which were subsequently converted to percussion fire.

Wikipedia as usual has a decent page on these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1819_Hall_rifle

- and here is a brief "Forgotten Weapons" show-&-tell video:

https://www.forgottenweapons.com/hall-breechloading-carbine-at-ria/

.. There was a BAD SMELL later around the 'HALL CARBINE AFFAIR' when during the American Civil War, John Pierpoint Morgan financed the purchase of 5,000 surplus rifles at $3.50 each, which were then sold back to the government for $22 each. - Quite a scandal ensued and this may have resulted in these arm's importance being deliberately historically neglected. - Shhhh ..

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

Marty K.

ROBOTIC HEAVY MACHINE GUNS:

I recently learned that AUSTRALIA -  just across the Tasman Sea from little old New Zealand - is the FOURTH LARGEST International ARMS PURCHASER in the world.. I already knew that they are buying Drones and other advanced military stuff for their "defence forces".

This is the sort of thing that they may be getting:

Milrem Robotics Unmanned Ground Vehicle deployed publicly for the first time with the FN Herstal DeFNder Medium cupola, with a 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun ..

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2019/10/31/potd-milrem-robotics/

Really - Don't worry about it at all - 'cos robotics and artificial intelligence are the way of the future eh .. coming to your friendly local Government forces. - New Zealand has already reported buying unmanned vehicles from ROBOTEAM ..

https://flicense.blogspot.com/2019/06/new-weapons-for-both-nz-police-defence.html

I had seen this TFB post showing the machine gun Robots - immediately after spending nearly an hour trying to do the "ONLINE" BUYBACK registration for two wee Stirling .22" s/a rifles - PROHIBITED rabbit guns - only to have my application terminated at the completion because my F.Lic. had been "used previously" by someone .. (ME!).

- I then eventually managed to find-out that I should be able to use an earlier "Firearms Notification Number" for this second "Buy-Back" attempt .. after a further 10 minutes peeing about on the phone.

So - in case you haven't put two-&-two together to make twenty-two .. 

Our Governments are buying 'Unmanned Ground Vehicle' - "Killer Robots" for our "Defence Forces" - while our "Police SERVICE" is tooling-up with prohibited MSSAs and Three-Man Armed Vehicle Patrols .. while we .. lawful 'fit and proper' trained licensed sporting shooters are busily surrendering our sporting goods because we don't want to be thrown in prison by Police AOS raiders.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2019/10/31/potd-milrem-robotics/

All is well with the world,

Marty K.

Submissions To Arms Bill (2nd Tranche);

I spent much of yesterday Thursday 31st watching oral presentations to this committee from Christchurch ..

I watched our local Pistol Club President explain the clubs concerns about "misguided changes and unintentional consequences" - and I did witness a further series of well considered objections and helpful alternatives, proposed by a dozen or more experienced licensed shooters who know that what they are talking about.

 - It was interesting that I personally knew five of those addressing the panel.. illustrating how long I have been competing and enjoying various shooting related interests here in New Zealand.

- I did not hear any speaker support the govt's hurried changes to New Zealand's long serving firearms regulations. - However there was an 'on-line Troll' called Marjory MacLean making angry & inane anti-gun one-line comments on Facebook - that I was pleased to observe everybody just ignored.

I don't have any numbers to hand - but IF most of the submissions were as those I personally saw being made .. and if there is any such thing as justice - the current legislation should be withdrawn and wholly reconsidered.

 - But of course there isn't actually any such thing as political justice.

Marty K.

WMD & GUN SALES: Who's Making The Money?:

Well there's no secret about who is the biggest & best eh ... of course it's THE USA.

- but second place still goes to us 'Brits' - our Queen & Mother Country - who manage to make 20% of the big-boys-toys sold in one year - 2018, to the power seekers for 14 BILLION POUNDS. - These latest Government figures are freely available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-defence-and-security-exports-for-2018/uk-defence-and-security-export-statistics-for-2018

This is quite an easy read and comes with straight-forward graphs .. well worth a look eh.

Here's interesting - WHO is buying these oversized fireworks is fascinating too -

BUYERS:

New Zealand's "Big Brother" across the ditch, - Australia comes in as THE FOURTH LARGEST ARMS PURCHASER in the world ... What are they planning? - These would-be bullies don't spend their tax-take unless they can see a profit from it.

There used to be a joking thought that the best answer to economic problems would be to get invaded by America .. that would fix all our debts .. perhaps the Aussies have heard the same idea?

The United Nations "Arms Control" policies are actually meant to help control the sales movements of this type of weapons of mass destruction - but are of course being used corruptly by ambitious governments to restrict and BAN civilian gun rights.

One Rocket Load Of UNEXPLODED Cluster Bombs In Southern Lebanon:

.. Well this one above failed - but now it's left yet another deadly problem for the locals.

I'd like you guys to try to fully understand how important and significant YOUR semi-auto rifles and shotguns truly are in the scheme of power-politics on our wee blue-green planet ...

- Did you join and donate to COLFO ?

Cheers - Life is good,

Marty K.

NZ LICENSED SHOOTERS BEING JERKED ABOUT:

Generally I am fairly patient, peaceful and slow to anger ...

I postal bid and "won" a collectors antique black-powder single shot percussion pistol at an un-named auction.

Not This One - But Any One?

Now - I'm not going to tell you about the several lots of mixed 'two-two' ammunition that I also won at this auction .. only to be told that I won't be getting these at the bargain prices or any other bid price - as the paperwork involved is now SO extensive and complicated to courier ammunition as to render the process un-viable.

- See? - I'm not going to tell you about that.

This "FABLE" relates only to one firearm. - I threw out a bid of $200 for this muzzle loading single shot - more out of curiosity than for any heartfelt need - but my bid on this unseen novelty was the highest .. so it was knocked-down to my postal bid from over the water to the South Island.

In due time I was mailed an invoice for $269.00 total including 'Buyers Premium' & Couriers /Packaging fee - with a letter detailing the latest police procedure and Couriers system that was for carriage ONLY DEALER TO DEALER. - I had to specify on a form which Firearms Dealer in my area was approved by the Courier

..so I phoned that COURIER's nearest depot (a two hour drive away) and was informed that B*******'s was the approved Dealer. - So next I rang B********'s to confirm that I wanted to have a firearm couriered to them by 'F*****y's Courier' and I needed to quote their Dealer's License number on the form for the police .. well once they sorted-out that their license had NOT in fact expired - I confirmed that I'd have the pistol delivered to them: "OH NO - WE ARE ONLY LICENSED FOR 'A' Category firearms" !!

- Pointing-out that this particular gun was not listed as needing an endorsed license didn't help much so we agreed that they would call me back later.

I sought further direction by 'phoning my district Firearms Officer who is a top man to deal with ..

He thought that there were other "approved" dealerships around but that didn't help me as it had to be a dealer "approved" by this particular Courier who was contracted to this Auction House. - So I asked (that's another mistake eh) did any of this matter and did he need to confirm this 'movement' anyway as it was an exempt "antique" .. so says he "Read me the description" .. then he declares that this was not in his estimation an exempt antique collectible & that I needed to go back to the Auctioneers and get them to sort-out what category the pistol belonged ('B' or 'C') - Register it and start again.

So - I couldn't own it as a non shooting antique (too new?) and I couldn't own it as a target shooting 'B' Cat. - because the three inch barrel is too truncated - but I might have it as a non-shooting 'C' Cat. once it had been registered by the auctioneers & a serial number added to it's action.

So back on the phone to the Auctioneers who said something like "F*CK ME - I've got to go to my local Firearms Office tomorrow anyway as I've got five lots of PROHIBITED FIREARMS that I need to enter in the "BUY-BACK SCHEME" but Police are refusing to accept them from me as they insist that the original owner only can do this ... which is difficult because three of the lots are from DECEASED ESTATES and the original owners have permanently departed this strange country."

My lovely auctioneer suggests that I FORGET IT and we'll nullify the transaction for some future time in a saner world.

.. The "Approved Dealer" hasn't rung me back either ..

Marty K.
.. I've signed-up to Patreon. - after five years writing now you can send me a wee support - starting from $1 - for all this stuff from exotic New Zealand  .. yes most everything here is indeed EXOTIC .. apart from those interesting native birds eh.

https://www.patreon.com/user?u=16618870

A Historic NZ Adams Revolver:

.. Since (postal) bidding on a lot (1302) - that was said to be "A 54 bore Adams Percussion Revolver" I've been researching-reading everything that I can to find-out about this "English" .44" self cocking pistol,

As a man , Robert Adams (1810-1870) seems to have been rather disagreeable - well anyway he repeatedly disagreed with his working associates and terminated their relationships one after t'other .. he might have been a lovely bloke 😍. - The family probably all sat modestly under the vicar's Sunday sermons .. eyes downcast to their top-hats and their white kid gloves on their knees - like all good arms dealers do - bibles hand-in-glove with the sabers & cannon.

And his pistols were built not only in England .. they were so fast-firing, serviceable, & popular as to also be made in London, Birmingham, - Belgium & in Massachusetts America - while the British Empire busily colored the world's atlas red - from the Crimean War 'Charge of The Light Brigade' to the Indian Mutiny, - the Zulu Wars, - and both enterprises of the American Civil War.

CRIMEA: Battle Of  INKERMAN 5 November 1854:

(There are a couple of 'Inkerman Streets' in NZ commemorating this hard won battle)

plus this 'famous' one on TV's Coronation Street

There is no question but these "Adams" revolvers were the first double-action revolvers made and they pushed Colts single-actions out of British manufacture around 1856-57.

- Here are links to two of the best histories that I have so far found:

https://rockislandauction.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-first-double-action-revolver.html

https://www.rockislandauction.com/blog/beaumont-adams-revolver/

My guess is that this gun is a Beaumont-Adams - but I'm thinking that there are sliding linkages between Adams,  Deane - to Deane, Adams & Deane - to Beaumont-Adams, - London Armoury Company, to Tranter & Kerrs & then to Kerr's Patent Revolvers .. In 1867 Robert's brother John Adams left 'LAC' to set-up 'Adams Patent Small Arms Co.' .. & other associated names later are Kynoch (Aston Arms Factory) (& Tranter Brothers Gunmakers) and Schlund - then on again to BSA British Small Arms.

There does seem to have been familial ties somewhat - "kissing cousins" even. - An interesting family to have known. - Someone with money might build-up a hell of a related firearms collection eh.

- NZ Police Arms & Ballistics Officer G G Kelly writes in Chapter 12 of his book 'THE GUN IN THE CASE'  about a Deane & Adams Revolver taken from a museum exhibit seventy-five years after the Maori Wars in Taranaki - The revolver had remained with two chambers loaded .. until a sixteen year old boy playing with caps in an attic, set-off  the old powder & heavily oxidized lead bullet with unintended but deadly impact into his own temple.

______________

But I missed-out ..

The 'bottom line' is that despite my maximum bid exceeding the auction estimate by $500 - the winning bid was for nearly a further $500. - Others recognized that this revolver was an important HISTORIC New Zealand arm.

Marty K.