The Guns We Own

[bobbysocks]

there is no reason for scrapping ac to make room. take the thing out to the desert where it can sit unmolested for years and still be able to be made flight worthy. ya never know when you may want to look at something again just for the heck of it....

 

[ToughOmbre]

It wasn't easy, but I finally was able to buy a rifle to complement my M1 Garand.

Other than the stock, hand guards and obviously not full auto, it's just about identical to the M-16 I lugged thru basic in 1971.

Steve

 

[yulzari]

Not entrely on topic, but I have tried all sorts of other forums (fora, forae?) with no result.

I bought cheaply a Remington model 1863 Rifle Musket (commonly called Zouave in modern times) made in Italy but nobody seems to know the manufacturer. No name. Italian proofed and marked 'Made in Italy'. It has a wierd lock that I suspect the manufacturer took out of his pistol production line. Beech stock in 2 pieces, dividing under the rear band.

It is fine to use except the half **** is only just off the nipple.

Does anyone recognise the logo on the barrel?

 

[meatloaf109]

Looks like it might be a Pietta imported by Navy Arms from the '70's. Can you post a couple more pictures.
Looking for the tang on the barrell and a possible eagle stamp on the lock plate.
If you haven't fired it yet, DON'T. There is a possible danger concerned with some Pietta Zuave .58's

 

[yulzari]

Hello meatloaf109, thank you for the reply.

I have never seen a Fratelli Pietta logo like this one. Normally they have the initials FAP inside a diamond outline and the Pietta name stamped alongside.

Like most Remington 1863 replicas it has the Remington style eagle on the lock plate. This one was sold in France and is dated 1980. The lock is weird but works adequately and the barrel is proofed (Gaderone) unlike US guns.

What was the problem with the 1970's Pietta Remington 1863s?

 

[meatloaf109]

Blowing apart where the tang fastens to the barrell.
I was in a re-enactors group in California many years ago, the Pietta Zauve was banned from use because of an incident in another group. One guy had the barrell seperate at the butt-end. Shattered the stock.

 

[yulzari]

Curious it didn't happen at the proofing. As far as I am aware (and I can be corrected) all guns made in Italy have to pass an independent proof house test before they can be sold internally or for export. Here in France USA guns have to be proofed at St. Etienne as there is no independent proofing in the USA.

I wasn't aware Pietta made rifles. Though gunmaking in Brescia is a somewhat incestuous tangle of history. I have been told that the Navy Arms Remington 1863s were bought in from another factory by the exporter to Navy Arms.

 

[meatloaf109]

Could be. My memory isn't what it was. This was over twenty years ago, alot has happened since then. I know it was a Zauve .58, could be wrong about the Pietta.
Anyways, be careful!

 

[mikewint]

Unless it is a NIB gun I never shoot it unless and until it has been checked by a competent gunsmith. It's not free but a small price to pay to not have a gun blowup in your face. That old Luger was in for a week being checked 6 ways from Sunday before I fired one round through it

 

[meatloaf109]

Good advice!

 

[mikewint]

Dad had a 10ga single barrel goose gun that had been his father's. The barrel was Damascus wire and designed for black powder, but we never dared to shoot it

 

[Matt308]

I offered a complete no strings donation. I just wanted to know that the items would actually be put on display and not just sit in a back room for years in some box and then disappear. No takers.

Deaccession. Happens all the frickin' time.

 

[GrauGeist]

Dad had a 10ga single barrel goose gun that had been his father's. The barrel was Damascus wire and designed for black powder, but we never dared to shoot it

We had an old Knockerbocker side-by-side 12 gauge damascus twist and we had low pressure RWS blackpowder rounds for it...didn't fire it all that often, but it was fun to take out once in a while

 

[mikewint]

Matt, really took me aback. went to several museums in Ill. and the Branson museum no one cared. Didn't expect them to jump up and down but.. Even found things mis-ID. A polite but disinterested: "well, we'll look into it"
Yea we talked about too but no gunsmith would certify it without extensive x-rays which were very expensive so, a very large paperweiht

 

[meatloaf109]

We had an old Knockerbocker side-by-side 12 gauge damascus twist and we had low pressure RWS blackpowder rounds for it...didn't fire it all that often, but it was fun to take out once in a while

I have had so many different firearms pass through my hands over the years. I remember a doublebarrel Damascus wire-wound that I sold to a guy as a wall hanger, on the promise that he would never fire it. I specifically told him not to fire it and true to form he did. Sometimes you can't tell a fool anything. I heard that he still has two fingers on his right hand.

 

[mikewint]

Yup, one little kink and the gases and corrosion start working their way through, then BANG!

 

[mikewint]

More Gun Show Booty: Went to the local Gun Show at the begining of March and picked up a Ruger Super Blackhawk Bisley SA revolver in .44 magnum "the world's most powerful handgun" as Dirty Harry put it (Harry's was a S&W model 29). No longer true, with the advent of the .454 Casull and .500 S&W the .44 Mag has been left in the dust. Still it hits with twice the force of the .45 ACP or Long Colt. .45 ACP(ball FMJ): 352 ft-lbs(477J); .45 ACP(JHP) 518 ft-lbs(702J); .44 Mag: 1200 ft-lbs(1600J); .454 Casull: 1900 ft-lbs(2607J); and .500 S&W 3000 ft-lbs(4109J).
For anyone not familiar with American ammunition I've made up a side-by-side comparison using actual ammo. Note the nine millimeter Luger for comparison

 

[Matt308]

Nice find. And she looks like she was babied to boot. But not for me, Mr. Flinch. In .44Mag all I see is Bisley grip, smooth furniture, that sharp hammer and my sweaty mitts. She sure is pretty though. Never have seen a Bisley Blackhawk. Really graceful lines and you'll never wear out a Blackhawk that is for sure.

 

[mikewint]

Thanks Matt, but you'd be surprised, that Bisley grip puts the recoil straight into the palm it's about the same as my .45 SSA and like the .357/.38 Special combo you can always shoot .44 S&W which give the same energy as a .45 ACP so much less recoil. Also the super Blackhawk is all steel so it's heavy, 52 oz.(1.5 kg) Strangely the .44 S&W loads are more expensive.

 

[Readie]

Can you literally just buy any gun you want too in the USA?