The Model 1 - S&Ws' First Revolver Was A .22":

One year before the first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid and connected under the ocean that separates Britain from USA (in 1858 - sadly it only worked for three weeks!) - Smith & Wesson brought-out their very first metallic cartridge revolver - chambered for a .22" Rim-fire.. known for ever after as the Model 1 (1857).

Now - all of you who may be concerned about 'Knock Down Power' please note that this gun and its black-powder short .22" rim-fire cartridge - called then 'The Number One Cartridge' - was to be very popular with soldiers on both sides in the American Civil War. - So much so that the S&W company had to open a new larger factory in an effort to catch up with production demand.

This .22" round using a 29 or 30 grain bullet was specifically designed for self defence - and most references say that its small pinch of black powder weighed 4 grains - but I believe it was more likely below 3 grains and drove its small pills at between only 3 / 400 feet per second:
Ref: Mike Cumpston, GUNS Magazine .."In The Beginning There Was The Smith & Wesson Model 1 in .."

- So successful was this revolver (and its cartridge) that many rival rogue makers set out to make copies - resulting in breech of patent court cases and royalty awards.

Third Issue Model 1 S&W Open for Loading.

Later (in 1860) S&W set about developing a larger (longer) and more powerful .22" rim-fire cartridge that became known as the 22 Long.

Shhh now - but grit your teeth and repeat after me - The first S&W SIXGUN was a seven shot .22rf.

Yes - the worlds first breech loading revolver - built by Horace Smith & Daniel Wesson with twenty five workers on the second floor above a stable on Market Street, Springfield Massachusetts - was a .22" built to fill the needs of an emotional and bitter slavery war raging in the Kansas Territory - that soon was to develop into the American Civil War.

That first Model 1 had a nickel plated brass frame and a blued tip-up barrel that hinged from the top strap. At around 6.5 inches overall length depending on the grip design - they were built as pocket-pistols for folk needing protection.

That .22" Rim-fire cartridge has never really stalled as it developed and has come down through time to us as the affordable, effective, and easily shot .22" Long Rifle.

It's probably worth remembering that those old black powder rim-fires likely worked better .. well maybe more reliably than our modern smokeless versions - because although the black powder is an inefficient propellant - it was easier to ignite than the smokeless stuff.

If you are going to carry your loaded Number One in your back pocket - it will be best if you load beans into six chambers only and then carefully lower the hammer onto that empty chamber - as there isn't any trigger guard or 'safety'..

Marty K.

P.S. That Mike Cumpston referenced above is author of two excellent books .. "PERCUSSION REVOLVERS" & "Percussion Pistols And Revolvers" (with Johny Bates).

Gun Users Becoming An Oppressed Minority:

A dictionary definition of OPPRESSED is: To be oppressed is to be exploited or systematically harmed by others. People who have their freedom restricted are oppressed.

A MINORITY is: A group in society distinguished from, and less dominant than, the more numerous majority,  a racial, ethnic, religious, or social subdivision of a society that is subordinate to the dominant group in political, financial or social power.

______________________________

Licenced Firearms Owners in New Zealand are a social subdivision of society that are distinguished by having proved that they are 'FIT AND PROPER PERSONS TO POSSESS FIREARMS'.

There are in any society only a percentage of individuals who can provide evidence and independent witnesses to support the history of their legal and medical records stating that they are "fit & proper".

The following persons are specifically excluded by The Police Arms Code from having a Firearms Licence - considered not to be Fit and Proper:

People who have:
. a history of violence or
. repeated involvement with drugs or
. been irresponsible with alcohol or
. a personal or social relationship with people who may be deemed to be unsuitable to obtain access to firearms or
. indicates an intent to use firearms for self defence

- Those identified as fit and proper persons having been charged for applying for a Firearms Licence (& all subsequent endorsements) - the applicants close family & 'referees' are then interviewed - and their home inspected to ensure that this residential property has been fitted with Police approved security and is suitable for any firearm to be secured from burglary by uncontrolled criminals.

- This minority of worthy law-abiding licenced citizens is then subject to regular police inspections and checks. - If known convicted criminals, parolees and drug users were to be subjected to a similar regime of surveillance - one might truly expect the nations crime levels to drop.

The two concurrent groups of police and politicians now investigating firearms use in NZ are both signalling changes are coming that will further restrict and impose additional costs and requirements on licensed shooters - despite these fit & proper persons not being the problem..

But of-course - the 250,000 registered law abiding 'fit & proper' shooters are an identified minority group in society that present as 'low hanging fruit' - being visible targets for politically motivated action.

- Remember 'Dawn Raids' ?

Marty K.

Two Current Investigations Will Change Our Gun Laws:

 Radio New Zealand is today reporting that The NZ Firearms Review is likely to lead to law changes.

An internal review of how the police administer and monitor firearms is likely to lead to changes in the law, including allowing people to apply for a gun licence online.  ??  Didn't a TV3 'journalist' recently repeatedly forge signatures and licence numbers to illegally obtain a rifle?

The review was being carried out in parallel to the Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry into illegal gun possession following the shooting of four police officers in Kawerau and the discovery of un-licenced firearms in an Auckland 'drugs raid' earlier this year.

Police national manager for police response and operations Superintendent Chris Scahill said the Firearms Review Project would not report its findings until next year.

More than 1.2 million firearms are thought to be currently held by about 250,000 licensed firearms holders.

"This is a massive project for us and we will deliver conclusions of the review in 2017 but we will also be putting up a number of suggested modifications or improvements to the Arms Act," Mr Scahill said.

One of the suggestions the police would be making was to encourage more people to apply for a firearms licence online using the government's secure login service RealMe.

"We would be encouraging and incorporating that process into our licensing system so that people are not having to fill out manual forms, and manual forms are not being processed, so we have a full electronic end to end solution," Mr Scahill said.. Sounds like cost cutting to me.

The Police Association believed both the Parliamentary inquiry and the police internal review would find that more funding was needed to administer and monitor firearm use.

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said monitoring of firearms had been underfunded and not given enough priority for years.

"The policing of the whole Arms Act, the whole arms industry by police has been under-resourced and under-focused for some time.

"I would be very surprised if the recommendations coming out of both the select committee and the internal review don't result in recommendations for more resource" Mr O'Connor said.

Superintendent Scahill disagreed the current system was underfunded.

"We have had, in general, a largely fit for purpose administration framework and if I compare us to other countries around the world I think we stand pretty well," he said.

"Is there opportunity for improvement? Of course there is. We continuously try to improve what we're doing but largely, I do believe the framework is fit for purpose and particularly with that focus on ensuring that fit and proper persons obtain licenses."

- Stand by for a 'double hit' calling for higher costs, more expensive home security (- to keep out the crooks) and more restrictions and more licence rules for law abiding shooters.

Have you joined COLFO and/or Sporting Shooters New Zealand ?  Did you get your club to sign-up as a supporting member organisation ?

Are you ready for all semi-auto rifles including .22"s to be classified as Restricted E-Cat Weapons ? - Have you got $1,000 plus ready to buy and install a certified E-Cat safe in your home to police regulations?

NZ POLICE RECORDS SAY THAT LESS THAN 0.5% OF TOTAL CRIME IN NZ OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS INVOLVED FIREARMS. - PUT ANOTHER WAY .. MORE THAN 99.5% of NZ CRIME DOES NOT INVOLVE GUNS.

- Can you define the term 'An Oppressed Minority' ?

Marty K.

Wild Boar in New Zealand

I recently saw this picture of a Chatham Islands pig on US site 'All Outdoors'. The only information they had was that the pig weighed 292 pounds (132.5 kilos) when photographed back in 2013.

I haven't found any extra information about that particular pig - but I'm thinking it will have fed a few hungry mouths eh.

Wild Boar can weigh up to 200 kilo - 440 lbs. and they are wide spread throughout in the NZ bush and farmland where they are often hunted on foot with dogs.

Wild Boar in New Zealand are generally known as "Captain Cookers" because live pigs are recorded as being given to Maori tribes by Captain Cook on his explorations here as far back as 1770 (although a French ships Captain is recorded as first gifting pigs a year earlier - so they should be called "Captain Jean Francois Marie de Suvilles".

Sus Scrofa is so successful at finding plenty of food here - destroying crops and killing new born lambs - that by the 1930s a Government bounty was being offered of three rounds of ammunition or a shilling for every pig snout with its tail.

In 1947 it was recorded that there were estimated to be 123 wild pigs per every square kilometre.

New Zealand pig hunting is "hard work" hunting on foot through steep bush country with tough pig dogs specially bred and trained to the work .. as are too both the men and women hunters.

Those tusks mean that a Captain Cooker can fight back and cause plenty of damage:

I have shot wild pigs a fair bit in outback Australia - but the way we did it was covering outback property fence-lines and billabongs in comfort from a Toyota 4WD (using GPS and air-con.) from tracks in wide open country - with only a little foot chasing if a mob went into the bush. - I've also heard of Aussie hunting parties shooting from the air while using helicopters to chase the pig mobs.

 That kiwi-style on foot with dogs and maybe a knife to stick the bailed porker is way too tough for me.

Marty K.

P.S: 'Kunekune' pigs are also found here in New Zealand and are believed to have been brought here by American whalers as 'Polish-Chinese' pigs. - Kune means "fat and round" in Maori and these pigs are wattled - I read that the only other pig breed having wattles is the Polish breed.

M.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/posts/24075745

Ruger Old Army: 45th Anniversary of a Forty-Five:

Next year will be Forty-Five years since the first Ruger 'Old Army' came to market. - That might be a great opportunity for Sturm Ruger to come out and declare that their 44" Cap'n'Ball was in fact a .45" and to celebrate by offering a new 45th Anniversary Model 45" Smoke-Stick.

An Early Brass Framed Ruger Old Army:

Ruger could make special 'anniversary models' with 'Eagle' stocks and a British version with 'Union Jack' stocks (I think that properly licenced UK target shooters are still permitted black powder revolvers for target shooting).

The *New*  Old Army might be a sleek more compact, stainless steel percussion revolver, complete with their transfer bar safety mechanism looking something like their 'Vaquero' - and maybe complete with a 45 Colt conversion cylinder.

Vaquero

.. many of those original Old Armies will be aging fast and ready for retirement:

They might even offer it in both .45" and .36"/38" (.357") ball calibre - Nobody ever listens to me anyway eh ..

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/posts/24075745

FBI Choose 9mm Glocks:

This Report came from Outdoorhub 1st July:

In a notice put up on a government website, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indicated that it has chosen 9mm Glocks for its new line of service handguns. According to the notice - the contract could go as high as $85 million for the Austrian gun maker, which also has a factory in Smyrna, Georgia.

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is issuing an unrestricted solicitation for various 9mm Luger pistols and all associated replacement parts with the intent of making single award of a fixed price indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract,” the FBI’s procurement arm stated.
The agency first announced in 2014 that it will be ditching its iconic .40 S&W round and returning to 9×19.

In 2015, the FBI submitted a new request for proposal (RFP), which sought both a new compact pistol capable of holding 14 rounds, and a new full-size handgun with a capacity of at least 16 rounds. The contract reportedly will also be responsible for equipping up to a dozen federal agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Agency; the U.S. Marshalls; the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; the Capitol Police; the Postal Service; the Park Police; and the Department of Defence.

As many expected, Glock surfaced as the prime contender for the government contract. Expert speculation once leaned toward the SIG Sauer P320, but the agency ultimately decided to go with a gun maker it was already very familiar with. The Glock 22, chambered in .40 S&W, has been the FBI service pistol since 1997."

Performance design of Law Enforcement 9mm ammunition has advanced so well in recent years that the difference between 9x19mm, .40"S&W, and the 45"ACP has been largely discounted.

Personally - I went with the G17 twenty six years ago - & the G20 10mm (Major Power Factor) for IPSC competition as soon as it was developed.

Martin K.

A 'Better 9MM' (-8MM?) - or the 5.7x28mm?:

Why is the .32 ACP (32 Auto) cartridge also known as the 7.65 x17mm SR Browning ? - Surely the .32 bullet that variously measures .311" - .314" diameter is truly an 8mm.

1mm = 0.03937 inches - so 8mm = 0.31496" (see above)

Why is the old British .303" Round (actually also an 8 mm) not called an 8mm? -I dunno (politics? - but the 7.62x39 Russian is the same diameter bullet .. actually 7.92mm or .312" ) - some European 8mm rounds use bullets sized up to .324".  ** I've just read that in Canada the .303" round (still in use in  No.4 Mk1* Enfields by volunteer units like The Rangers) is known as the 7.7x56mmR .

Yes - it is a mess..

Now when NATO were looking for a 'better 9mm' they got the FN 5.7x28 - a bottle nosed centre-fire .22".  - why didn't they opt for an 8mm/32" calibre version of a short .300 Blackout cartridge (.308") aka 7.62x35mm and call it '8x28mm NATO' ?

300BLK Could be Shortened to say, 28mm to give an 8x28 MM ?

('7.62 or 7.92 x28' if you must).

I'm more comfortable with old English inches than centimetres and millimetres but why complicate things when there's a clearer, simpler way? - Many of what are commonly called '30 Cal' cartridges are properly closer to .32"/8mm.

My 'origami' 8x28  NATO (32 Calibre) 300BLK.

- a sort of stretched high pressure 32 NAA?

Bottleneck cartridges do feed very well into gun chambers - Wouldn't that work & impress better in a side-arm than a "centre-fire .22" ?

FN 5.7x28

Marty K.