I had become a little nervous lately about finding supplies of .457" balls for the black-powder RugerOld Army - they are not widely available - you can't expect every gun shop to carry a wide range of low demand muzzle-loading gear .. and if their stocked .457" balls are 74 cents each I will have to start shooting dried peas or rice balls.
I was beginning to think that I might need to invest in a Lee production pot and a mould to cast my own - but then 'Cutters' e-mailed me a link to a New Zealand producer and it's looking good.
Some Good Kiwi Stuff.
Logan Ruddell of SPALL-CO came-up with the goods at the right price - and the cast balls measured .457" plus - not being perfectly round in every direction as cast - and the surface marked readily when tested with the old thumb nail test for softness / purity.
They are located in Hikuragi - up North where they don't get our frosts or snow.
There are some thirty-four Acts of Law that govern the use (and misuse) of "firearms" in Britain - the main law is their Firearms Act 1968 but the rules were last updated in 2014.
The various regional Police Forces are known to differ considerably in how they interpret and enforce this confusing array of rules - and this leaves the defendants to argue their cause the best they can afford by paying for experts and lawyers.
Emotive Appeal.
The last Commonwealth Games held in Scotland lead to temporary exemptions and special security arrangements being made to permit the shooting sports to happen - outside of the then current rules.
Strange to report - but I have never heard what the crime figures looked like for that period when Scotland was awash with "banned" handguns, rifles & shotguns. - Surely the murder rate went sky-high eh.
There is to be a 'half day Conference' held next month organised by the UK Governments law reform advisors to see what if anything they can do "to improve" the restrictive and confused state of controlling law. There even seems to be disagreement over what actually is a firearm and what does 'lethal' mean!
Prof. David Ormerod QC.
This short conference is called by the Law Commission For England & Wales to discuss the "wide ranging consultation paper."
Be aware that what happens in the UK is often copied in New Zealand - as our 'democratic representatives' are not well known for having many original ideas of their own. - I recall that NZ gun law is up for parliamentary review currently anyway.
There sometimes seems to be a need to be seen doing something. (anything!)
The Australian choice of the Thales F90 type weapons system is very interesting - in the light of the New Zealand choice to go away from the Steyr AUG Bullpup type and adopt an AR15 pattern rifle.
Dare I mention that New Zealands Chosen AR15 /M4 model firearm is now a 50 year old design that has always been reputed to be a bit of a jammer when it gets dirty - caused by its 'Direct Impingement' design. - Rude folk call this operating system "Pooping where you eat".
The M16 commenced service with US Military in 1963 in Vietnam - and has undergone various improvements since then - including the manual 'forward assist' to push the action into battery when grubby.
M16 Forward Assist
No way am I qualified to question the Wellington Headquarters announcement that they are intent on ditching the Bullpup design - as I've never shot one.
Lewis Machine & Tool LMTCQB160DG Rifle
NZ Choice.
- However it did seem to me that their main complaint about their old Steyrs was that their 1:1 sighting system and worn-out barrels made long range marksmanship difficult.
The Irish Government decided that they could update their Steyrs with new parts including better long range optics.
The Australians have adopted an improved version (Thales F 88 -90) of their current Steyrs with better optics etc.
Personally - I'd much prefer an AR15 type rifle for sporting purposes - but the compact bullpup design has a lot going for it in military combat situations.
- So todays good news is that the two snail cappers that I ordered have been sent from USA without any hang-ups and they look well made from solid brass.
I had to make a minor adjustment to the feed nose of the 'side finger' - bending it a little with a small pair of pliers. This is to be expected as it probably would have been fine with #10 caps but the larger #11 caps needed a wee bit more clearance.
- The combined cost of the cappers and international post is higher than it would have been at last years dollar exchange rate - but that's life eh. This device should make loading and shooting black-powder a bit less fiddly.
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So to the bad news? - well I guess that we can kid ourselves that every mistake should be treated as a positive'opportunity' - however, I am sad to say that the ROA I bought from a large Dealer has its share of negatives.
It was a used gun but the Auckland salesperson assured me that it had NO CORROSION, that the bore was in "unworn" condition - while overall it was good with only normal scratches and dings from use.
When I took delivery in Christchurch - the person serving me couldn't find the tin of #11 caps that had been sent down as part of the deal - claiming that it had not been sent and would arrive later separately .. but eventually went off and brought it to me.
- These turned-out to not be #11s but #10 size caps, but somebody will use them I expect..
Dream on! The next day it took several hours to unjam the new Rugers BASE-PIN (spindle) and remove the cylinder - because the base-pin was bent - and it snapped when I tried to straighten it. These are very hard to find and expensive.
Broken 'Base-Pin' shown below Trigger Guard.
20 cent Coin is Ideal For Unlocking The 'take-down screw'
However - with the cylinder out of the frame I could now run a brush through the barrel ("unworn & as new" !) to find that there are five large areas of deep corrosion pitting close to the muzzle end.
I won't name and shame this Dealer as truly I should have learned my lesson years ago .. when ending every deal with this outfit - you need to count your fingers after shaking hands.
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I have just read the small print on NZ Posts 'YouShop' site and they clearly state that firearms and firearms parts may not be sent via this service.
The song says that - in 1895 - 'Stagger Lee' ("Stack"? or "Stag"? - flash dresser, pimp & bad man) - shot Billy Lyons between the eyes with his 44 .. but was then upset because he said that he'd aimed for the right eye.
The legend goes that Lee was robbing a coal mine - a card-game at the mine in St. Louis - but the true story seems more likely that 'Stagger Lee' Shelton shot Lyons because he took his Stetson hat during a saloon card game ! (a little bit - maybe!).
But, - then again - history records that 'Stagger' Lee Shelton was an organiser for the Democrats and that Billy Lyons was also an organiser .. for the Republicans - and was actually shot four times in the stomach. - There's even an argument over was 'Stagger Lee' black or white! - Blues singer Mississippi John Hurt claimed 'Stagger Lee' was a white man.
The Ballad Of Stagger Lee.
He gets into the song soon(ish)
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- So OK - like the top photo shows - I've had a rush of blood to the head and I've bought anotherRuger Old Army .44" - going to give this one the name "Stagolee" after bluesman MississippiJohn Hurts great singing.
(Do people who give names to things like cars, guitars, guns, - have a problem? (" I need a friend"!)
Stagolee is a fixed sight 'Round-top' 7.5" S.S. ROA - and these are said to be rare models. Most fixed sight round-top guns were 5.5" barrels - built for cowboy action shooting (CAS).
- For the same reason - the short adjustable sight 5.5" guns are said to be rare - as I read that only fixed-sights were approved for CAS competition.
You know - there are claims coming out of the backwoods that the Old Army is a good squirrel gun and will fill the pot - as it might just be the most accurate revolver around Tennessee.
"Gotta nice mess o' squirrel cookin while I pick on ma banjo - Whats dat squeelin back of de house?"
Great music .. Great guns those Rugers.
P.S. A certain gun shop in S.I. has a Speer plastic box of a hundred .457" lead balls on the shelves priced at NZ$74. - I know that lead has become expensive but .. 74cents a shot not counting the cap and powder?
'USA Today' reports that the recent increased calls for new gun controls have again fuelled increased sales.
The FBI reports that the August figures for Dealers background checks for gun purchases have peaked at 1.7 Million - the highest recorded figure since August 1968. (June & July also recorded new highs).
National Shooting Sports Foundation spokesperson said " Whenever there is a call for gun control, sales increase".
While the FBI doesn't track actual numbers of gun sales - the figures are a strong indication of a market upswing.
I am happy to report that NZ Posts forwarding address service 'YouShop' has done me proud and they delivered my new shoes in perfect condition from USA in a timely manner .. Top Marks.
We Live In the 'Packaging Age'
My only niggles would be .. 1/- so much packaging -it must have cost as much as the shoes.
2/- My strong new footwear from US was (not unexpected!) Made in China 'YouShop' sent me 5 e-mails letting me know the progress across the Pacific , through Customs and down the islands to my mailing address - I'm guessing that the package was scanned at each step and an automated message activated.
That's only eleven days from ordering to delivery.
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- Hell, I've waited longer for stuff from local New Zealand retailers - in fact I'm still waiting for stuff ordered over three months ago from one dealer - but I've actually given up on them totally and dismissed their business from my contact list.
I suppose the same sort of slack performance happens elsewhere - but there surely are a lot of people here who take the money that they are paid and don't do the job.
- Here's a story for you. I supplied 'a retailer' with stock (Glock items) many years ago and they wouldn't pay for them even after six months - so I went round and demanded the gear back from their display.. Fair enough eh - but then - a further six months down the line they paid me! - Wow they were smart.
Who says there's no justice?
- So now I'm considering just what else I need to buy from the 'land of the free' .. a gunsmiths screw-driver set? - some full-moon clips? - a fluffy toy?
Life is good,
Marty K.
Note: YouShop specifically refuses carriage of any firearms and firearms parts. - What their justification might be for rejecting completely lawful and safe goods from the mail system is unknown.
