Early Caseless Ammunition Systems:

In 1968 Daisy-Heddon managed to make some 23,000 of their innovative V/L rifles that fired caseless .22" rounds - before the US BATF&E closed production down in 1969.

Daisy Outdoor Products were not licenced to manufacture arms despite their many air guns - so they lost a potential goldmine of profits.

I read about this case-less system in the 1970 GUN DIGEST the other day (- BOOKS are good - and old books are even better eh).

 The Daisy V/L is said (by some) to be the very first production arm using case-less ammunition - but I question that.

The rounds are (were) fed singly into the chamber - and the rifle, that was really an under-lever spring-piston air rifle - when discharged drove a blast of compression-heated air through a small hole at 2,000 degrees F to ignite the yellow coloured propellant and send the 29gn bullet down the barrel at 1150 feet per second.

A good working system but the shooter had to cock the spring piston for each single loaded shot. The Belgian inventor Jules Van Langenhoven  ("V/L") filed his US patent Number US3854400A in 1968 for this 'air ignition system'.. However ..

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'Rocket Ball' ammunition was patented in 1848 and was something like a hollow base Minie Ball but had the propellant packed into its hollow base - to be fired by a percussion cap..

- and the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company went one step further by including a primer / cap to make a completely self-contained round.

It worked back in 1848 - but due to the restricted volume of the bullet cavity the rounds were rather low powered - and were soon replaced by the metallic cartridge cased ammunition.

Minie Ball Rounds for Comparison.

One current case-less system is the Heckler & Koch G11:

G11 Case-less Round- "exploded" View.

I think the jury is still 'out' on whether the high temperature propellant is safe from 'cook-off' - or will the military settle for maybe a plastic case round. - Another possible development might be to use electrically fired ignition.

The 'rounds' rectangular section (as opposed to normal cylindrical) does away with wasted space when the rounds are stacked in magazines.

Interesting 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

Local Gun Show Bargains:

Saturday was a good day catching-up with mates at the Christchurch Gun Show and looking for bargains at the sales tables.

The show display tables of weaponry were great as usual - even the Christchurch Pistol Club made an effort and had an interesting spread of handguns - attracting some interest while I was there.

I found and bought a box of .457 lead balls for a good price and then - just for the hell of it I asked the stall-holder my 'silly question of the day' - "You haven't got any nipples for a Ruger Old Army have you?"... "Yes .. but only one set" !!

Nipples & Balls For The Ruger Old Army Percussion Revolver.

- I nearly broke my wrist grabbing my cash dollars to hand over before I woke-up from a dream.

- Current NZ Police and Customs regulations are making it just about impossible to import small spare parts such as springs etc. for firearms (or anything else shooting related).

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- Those 'eneloop' AA cells are in the middle photo as they are supposed to be the all new, all singing & dancing rechargeables - they won't always be dead when I want to use the camera .. maybe - just a little bit.

Good company, good day, excellent Chinese chicken-on-rice takeaway, - mind you I had wasted good money the previous day when I bought the latest 1911 & AR15 Sales Brochure from USA titled "Guns & Ammo Magazine". They really keep playing that same simplistic firearms industry tune - over & over .. I guess it saves having to write an original thought eh.

One conversation at the gun show voiced concerns that importation of propellants into New Zealand - especially 'black powder' is already very difficult and wickedly expensive - & likely to get worse.

Marty K.

Terminal Ballistics Research - Kiwi Long Range Rifle Shooting:

I was hopping from site to site online - following my nose on American shooting blogs when I saw a reference to this 'Kiwi' experts site:

As  I have only just learned of this NZ (Taranaki) based enterprise and their site - I'm unable to praise them due to my not being at all good with the technology and art of hunting.

However it does seem that they have some excellent information on the topic of effectiveness on target. ballisticstudies.com 

If I were more of a rifle-man perhaps I'd have a better basis to work from eh.. but what I've read and seen so far looks great.

Take a look.. ballisticstudies.com

Marty K.

S&W Model 1 1/2 and Model 2 Revolvers:

I did intend to do a post on the next model revolver built by Smith & Wesson to follow the Model 1 in .22" Short .. But it got so complicated that my head jammed in my brains-unlimited pill bottle.

S&W Model 1 1/2 in .32" R/F Calibre.

It seemed like a good idea to follow these guns numerically through that Civil War era - but I found it all a bit too confusing - especially bearing in mind all those experts out there waiting to pounce on any 'misspeaks'.

Model 1.5 Second Model? Tip-Up .32" - Single Action.

.. Follow the Model 1 with the Model 2 - what could be simpler?

S&W Model 2 (from The First Delivery) (Top Hinged)

- It was a Larger Calibre Version of The Model 1 1/2.

Ahh, you noticed that Model 1 1/2 up there above that Model 2 .. hmm - it seems that the Model 1 1/2 was made from 1865 onwards as an enlarged Model 1 in .32" rim-fire.. more than 223,000 built.
- Now it appears that there were three flavours of the '1 1/2' - the first two were tip-up models and the third version was a 'top-break'  known as the 'Model 1 1/2 Single Action Revolver' .

S&W Model 2 4th Model "Double Action" in .38" Calibre.

- But that Model 2 is different from the other Model 2 eh - it's got a trigger guard and hinges down from a 'bottom-hinge' as a "Top Break" .. well it's a 4th Model Model 2 Double Action. - Maybe

Model 2 'Baby Russian' in .38" Calibre.

Yup - that's another flavour Model 2 - known as a 'Baby Russian'.

Here comes another one - just like the other one ..

NO - that's a three pin top strap - not a two-pin Model 2 ..

It seems that from 1876 there were 5 iterations of the Model 2 Double Action in .32" Calibre and 5 further iterations of it in .38" calibre .. Then there was the "Perfected Model" ...

So I give up. - Too many models and variations - and that's without trying to record the dates and calibres  - both .32" and .38" Rim fire - and then .32" and .38" S&W (centre-fire).

But let it be said - just like the Model 1 .22" Rim Fire that's come all the way through history to us
- The .32" S&W has also travelled a long way since it's 1878 debut in the S&W Model 1 1/2.

- First was the .32 S&W (Short) then .32 S&W Long followed by the lengthened again .32" H&R Magnum only to be further lengthened, strengthened and developed into the high pressure 327 Federal Magnum.

327 Federal Magnum - Energy Up There With 357 Magnum

- But Less Recoil & More Capacity

In the April 2008 issue of the NRA's American Rifleman magazine, Field Editor Bryce Towsley summed up his review of the 327 Federal Magnum cartridge as follows:

"The .327 offers more 'real-world' energy than the .357 Mag., (at least in my test), better penetration and one more shot per gun load. It does all this with substantially less recoil and noticeably less muzzle blast than the .357 Mag."

 - is that a fourth 'iteration' for that .32" rimmed centre-fire cartridge? (Sure - If you ignore the .32 Merwin & Hulbert cartridge eh). - what a good word that 'iteration' is.

If I had the time & money and patience to start collecting again - I'd certainly be tempted to look at those early "Perfected Model" and other Model 2 - Fourth Model Double-Action, Top Break guns that were made in calibres certainly including .32" and .38" S&W.

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Meanwhile - I'm seriously (repeatedly) trying to get my pinkies on a four inch barrelled Ruger SP101 in 327 Federal Magnum. - I have bought the dies (two sets), new .32" brass in various iterations - various projectiles and suitable powder - but importation of my new gun ex USA is progressing something like an aged blind 3 legged turtle with a bad back climbing a steep and rocky shore into a head-wind while being taunted by stone throwing youths.. so many obstacles - will it get there?

The pleasures of living in a "far-flung land"

Life IS good,

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

Hickok45 - Shooting The Breeze #12. Thank You:

He's been 'crook' but now is back ..

I just watched  #12 Shooting The Breeze and I feel a need to say 'Thank You' to hickok45 for all his great videos about guns and shooting - he is a fine representative voice for all law-abiding gun nuts and his video reviews are so informative and entertaining.

#12 - like all the previous breezes, is worth watching for its common sense but he was looking a little pale after his surgery.

- While I was sitting at the screen I also watched his Ruger LCR .327 Federal Magnum review on YouTube. That is a serious shooting combination in a small pocket piece eh.

Marty K.

Christchurch GUN SHOW 23 July:

SATURDAY 23 JULY:

Gun Show/Arms and Militaria

Riccarton Park Function Centre (Ricccarton Raceway)

Saturday 23 July

Following our very successful ninth show in 2015 (including the presentation of the Best Display Robin Rapley Memorial Trophy) we are proud to announce that the next Mainland Arms and Militaria Gun Show Special Features are a WW100 anniversary- trench warfare display and an engraving display by internationally renowned engraver Andrew Biggs.

Despite the earthquakes in ChCh sellers, collectors and the general public attended the 2015 show in record numbers - a real indication of their resilience and desire to carry on with what matters in their lives. Many stating "I was so impressed by the displays I needed more time to see them all so I had to come back later in the day".

Many children (including some big kids) had a go at bayonet fighting, stripping Machine Guns and having a ’sword fight’ with a Knight in shining armour. With increasing public interest in celebrating 100 years since WWI significant displays of Signalling Equipment, the NZ Mounted Rifles mannequin horse with saddle equipment and Hotchkiss Machine Gun and, personal items and equipment from Gallipoli Campaign attracted much attention.

For this our 10th Show many world-class displays of items from the Boer War, WW1, WW2 and the Vietnam era including a complete RFC mannequin display, a Galloping Maxim Machine Gun and the Hotchkiss Machine Gun plus equipment have been confirmed along with sales tables and collectors displays of firearms, ammunition, antiques, medals, badges, uniforms, collectables, swords, bayonets, and books. Also on display will be several military vehicles, machine gun stripping and a medieval camp.

Date(s): Saturday 23 Jul

Time: 9.00am to 4.00pm

Venue: Riccarton Park Function Centre

Official Website: Click here

Pricing: Adults $10.00. School aged children with an Adult and or Vietnam (or earlier) veterans free

Event Categories: Exhibitions _________________________________

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).