The Guns We Own

[mikewint]

You can't beat the Hi-point. It shoots 9mm x 19 ammo which is standard Luger ammo and it will take +P. I paid $299 at a gun show and Hi-point warants the gun for life. I had no problems holding four-inch groups, shooting offhand at 25 yards, using the factory sights. From a padded rest, groups averaged around two inches at 25 yards with factory iron sights. The addition of a Holo sight didn't tighten the groups appreciably, but did make it much easier for me to get on target quickly. Shooting at across-the living-room distances (21 feet), groups of 1.5 inches are easily attainable, and even my rapid fire groups were under four inches. It ain't pretty but it's fun to shoot

 

[Elmas]

Many years ago I had one like this
F.a.s 22 L.R.

and one like this

Anschutz 22 L.R.

Both sold when my work was beginning to take me too much of my spare time.....

 

[Torch]

Now that's a real sad story...........

 

[bobbysocks]

I had a little problem with the squirrels around the house awhile back dug a hole through the roof literally it looked like Godzilla hit it with a can opener.So I did the repair but decided it was time to update the air rifle situation to a break away setup with a higher velocty so I P/U this: Gamo Whisper .177 Caliber Air Rifle Combo - Dick's Sporting Goods mine was advertised @1300 fps w/PBA and 1100 fps with lead.But I started taking these little fellas out with 25yd shots standing freehand through the ribcage with a single expanding pellet much better than the old 22 pump.

ok i just glanced at this before i was called away from my desk. i got to read part of the first line about problems with grinnies ( squirrels for all you non-western pa folks )...anyways i though you had an OOOOPS and blasted a hole in your roof! was glad when i read that wasnt the case.....

 

[Torch]

Between squirrels and red headed woodpeckers they can cause alot of damage to your house. When I lived in Aspen Park(7400') the woodpeckers would make mince meat out of my cedar siding,no bugs either...

 

[yulzari]

Martini Henry MkIV I ordered from IMA arrived today. Perfect! 90 years in storage yet just needs to be cleaned then ready to fire. Exceedingly happy with it. Now to order some cases and a bullet mould.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Martini Henry MkIV I ordered from IMA arrived today. Perfect! 90 years in storage yet just needs to be cleaned then ready to fire. Exceedingly happy with it. Now to order some cases and a bullet mould.

Awesome!

 

[GrauGeist]

Martini Henry MkIV I ordered from IMA arrived today. Perfect! 90 years in storage yet just needs to be cleaned then ready to fire. Exceedingly happy with it. Now to order some cases and a bullet mould.

Nice!

 

[Torch]

Congrats...

 

[javlin]

Nice throw some pics when when you can

 

[yulzari]

I spoke with those who know more than I on Martinis. This one was made as an Enfield-Martini in .402" bore. By this time the .303" Lee-Metford was arriving and most units had .450" Martini-Henrys so the War Office decided 3 types of rifle ammunition was too silly and the new Enfield Martinis were rebuilt as MkIV Martini-Henrys with new 1887 receivers and reverting to .450" so that only 2 types of rifle ammunition were needed.

This one retains all the original parts from it's new persona as a MkIV Martini-Henry Pattern A. As British units were now getting Lee-Metfords it probably was sent to the Indian Army and looks as if it was rarely used until it was refurbished in September 1908 in the Firozpur Arsenal and sent to the Nepal Army who left it in store for 90 years unused.

As a young recruit my grandfather was issued one of these initially before taking a Lee-Metford to the South African War and a Lee-Enfield to France in 1914. So it is nice to have the same myself and probably in better condition than his. More than forty years after his Martini-Henry he finished his service in the Home Guard on the East coast with a P14 Enfield when they were stood down in late 1944.

My Snider-Enfield looks a battered old nail compared to the newcomer Martini Henry.

 

[mikewint]

As I recall the jamming of the breech block due to the thin brass foil cartriges and use of black powder was one of the main causes of the British defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana

 

[yulzari]

As I recall the jamming of the breech block due to the thin brass foil cartriges and use of black powder was one of the main causes of the British defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana

By the MkIV drawn cartridges and the long lever got around the problem but all black powder breechloaders are vulnerable to fouling in the breech whatever their design with French and German soldiers being reduced to weeing down their Chassepots and Dreyse in the 1870 war. The Martini Henry extractor is a less than impressive design though. I shall be using smokeless Tu2000 when my Alsatian supplier gets some in stock so all should be well.

There were many factors in play at Isandlwana but, myself, I put the root cause down to poor tactical decisions based upon over confidence in firepower and ignoring intelligence on the enemy. Rourkes Drift showed that close massed defence made the best use of the firepower and allowed the trained soldiers to deal with stoppages whilst being supported by their neighbours. There was a drill to deal with stuck cases by hammering them out with the cleaning rod down the barrel. Takes about 20 seconds to draw the rod, poke it down the barrel and drive the gun down onto the rod onto the ground with full body weight. Replace rod and carry on. When there is a lull standard practice was to clean the guns by alternate sections. This I had from my grandfather from 'old sweats' when he was a young recruit.

This was nothing new of course. Flintlock muskets had a misfire rate on around 1 in 6 in battle and flints needed to be replaced. The close order musket tactics also allowed soldiers to deal with stoppages whilst being supported by their colleagues. You can't do that when you are in one line spaced out at 2 metres apart. In close order you bayonet the man trying to stab your neighbour and rely on your neighbour to do the same for you.

Essentially the Zulus out generalled their enemy.

However, lecture over and we can return to normal programming..........

 

[bobbysocks]

a little tongue in cheek...guns (well sort of ) i had. i was never at a loss for the finest of arms growing up. believe or not it was my mother who was the main purchaser of my birthday/christmas toys and she picked some good ones. i am sure my dad had a hand in there with some of them but shopping was more my mom's gig. the first one i remember was a black thompson with a drum mag. it was kind of like the picture but wasnt a cap gun...pulled the charging handle back and the machinegun like sounds came from a resonator in the drum. from there in the early 60s i had a battery powered 50 cal on a tripod...much like the one in the pic but mine was green and black camo. this gun came in particularly handy during episodes of 12 o'clock high when the lw was making a run on my b17...of course i wasnt allowed to have the batteries in it as it made too much noise. 2 others i distinctly remember were heavier ordnanace. later in the 60s i had a 60mm mortar like the one pictured and a bazooka of the same configuration. i had many more after those...but later in the 60s tv went more from war shows like combat, 12 oclock high, garrison's gorillas, the rat patrol....to more spy vs spy stuff like man from uncle, secret agent...etc. while i did enjoy those it was the early toy guns that remain my fondest. guess this kind of explains my affection for the real ones....a quality fostered by my dear old mom....

here's a site with tons of pictures of antique toys from the 50s and 60s...kinda fun just to look through

Vintage Toys Photo Gallery of Sold Items - 1950's, 1960's, 1970's

 

[javlin]

Something to move the guns out to my friends range/house about 10 days of work while working 100 hrs over those ten days

 

[mikewint]

Javlin, First the transport box? Very nicely done wood working and layout. The guns would appear to be very secure. Second, do you really move that many guns? I might take 2 or 3 and a pistol or two but that would be about it. Then there's the ammo to haul...2 - 3,000 rounds or more. I use soft, padded Cordura gun bags which will also hold 6 - 8 loaded magazines as well.

 

[javlin]

Thanks Mike.I don't usually move that many about six is the what I take with 100-200rds per gun.I made the extra storage in the event another hurricane comes along and I need to bug out I would still have a couple in the front seat.One of the reasons I stayed after Katrina was because I had 15K in the house of rifles once the PD told me how the looters were operating.I have an old chevy truck with the wood bed outback and I wood screw the box to the floor of the bed.I had abit of a problem getting the lid to line up properly tonight so instead of four individual hinges might go the long hinges if available.

 

[Torch]

Very nice Javelin

 

[vikingBerserker]

Great case!

 

[javlin]

Latest addition to the arsenal ATI Stg 44 the price was right.The guns is 9.5lbs and the original was 11-11.5lbs.She shoots 22LR I would of preferred 22 mag but they did not make one but thought's are going through the mind can it be done the case on the mag is a few thousands bigger and longer so it's the breach and headspace.