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COLT’S 1851 NAVY: THE GUNFIGHTER’S CHOICE WRITTEN BY JOHN TAFFIN

Slim Jim holsters never go out of style. These are by San Pedro Saddlery.

Kirkpatrick Leather produced this pair of SlimJims,
which hang straight on the belt.

 

Power notwithstanding, Colt Walkers and Dragoons were much too large, heavy and cumbersome to be carried in a holster on the belt, so eventually, Colt went the complete opposite direction and brought out a series of Pocket Pistols, which were five-shot .31 caliber and easily carried concealed on the person. Today these are known mainly as the Baby Dragoon, the Wells Fargo, and the most popular and the highest-selling Colt firearm during the percussion era, the 1849 Pocket Pistol.

With both ends of the spectrum covered, Colt now looked at what would turn out to be the first sixgun, which combined both power and portability, and would usher in the age of the gunfighter. That sixgun was the 1851 Navy .36. No, it was not as powerful as the Dragoons.

However, it was adequately so, and with its 7½” octagon barrel was about half of the weight of the Walkers and Dragoons. The basic platform of the 1851 Navy would be used to build the 1860 Army, which featured the streamlined barrel and loading lever. Then, this was used to develop the 1861 Navy .36, which featured the same style barrel and loading lever.

In the first issue of GUNS Magazine in January 1955, Robert Rozeboom wrote an article, “Hickok — Hell’s Own Marshall.” What follows is a quote from that article:

“Wild Bill Hickok! They told stories about those silver-plated six-shooters on his hips. He could plug an edgewise dime at 20 paces — drawing and firing without seeming to aim. Or he could chase a tin can through the air, alternating his shots with the rapid precision of a Gatling gun.

But when it was man-against-man, they said a single bullet was generally enough. It wasn’t hard to see why they called him Wild Bill; you could see it in the way he carried himself — 200 lbs., six-foot-three in his boots, bent forward as if his high heels were tipping him. You could see it in the tapering lengths of his hands as he nursed a drink, and the bland gray eyes that stirred restlessly, in the thin tight line of his mouth, centered beneath the drooping mustache.

You are aware of it even in the calm, precise diction of his conversation as he said, ‘I suppose I’m called a red-handed murderer — which I deny. That I’ve killed men, I admit, but never unless an absolute self-defense or performance of an official duty.’ Were Hickok’s feats with the percussion revolver real or something more akin to the Hollywood legend? You can decide on your own whether or not you want to believe these marksmanship feats using a percussion revolver.”

Hickok carried his ivory-gripped .36 Navy Colts butt to the
front in a belt or sash around his waist.

Aces and Eights — The Dead Man’s Hand.

The lengthy article provides much information about Wild Bill’s life, including the famous shootout between him and Dave Tutt. The story goes that Tutt had grabbed Bill’s watch during a poker game for nonpayment of his debts. Hickok warned him not to wear that watch, which is exactly what Tutt did, stepping out on Main Street the next day and taunting Hickok.

This was a real gunfight, not the Hollywood style. They did not meet on Main Street at 12 paces, with both going for their sixguns. They did not wear metal-lined low-slung holsters such as those used by Matt Dillon and Paladin, which allowed amazing speed but only in the movies. The story is that Tutt started firing from 75 yards away, and Hickok calmly raised his pistol and shot Tutt through the heart.

The prevailing wisdom is that Hickok used one of his .36 Navy Colts. However, the article in that January 1955 issue of GUNS gives a different story. The author claims Tutt was carrying a brand-new .36 Navy while Hickok used a .44 Dragoon. There may be other references to this, but this is the only one I have ever encountered.

Consider this. Hickok was a town-dweller to the point it was said he never owned a horse. He spent his time sitting at the poker tables or walking around town, which tells me he would much rather have a .36 Navy than the 4-lb. .44 Dragoon. We do know Hickok and the .36 Navy Colts are matched together by history. Was James Butler Hickok, who early on took the name of Bill and then Wild Bill, the nice guy portrayed by Guy Madison or a bloodthirsty killer? The truth is probably somewhere in between.

Colt Belt Pistol Evolution — the Paterson, square back trigger guard 1851 Navy,
round trigger guard 1851 Navy, streamlined 1861 Navy.

Typical groups fired with the .36 Navy Colt.

Modern Day Navy’s

Thanks to Italian manufacturers, all of the original Colt Percussion Pistols are now available in replica form. I have examples of the .36 Navy from both Pietta and Uberti. My “Hickok” .36 Navy Colts are a pair of engraved Pietta blued finish with brass grip frames. The grip frames have been fitted with Buffalo Brothers’ version of the antique ivory carved Hickok Eagle.

Today’s modern replicas are a far cry from those that first started appearing in the 1950s. Whichever the manufacturer, Pietta or Uberti, one can expect a quality piece with excellent fit and finish. Just like any production sixguns this side of Freedom Arms, they are not perfect. Perfection requires a much more significant expenditure of funds than these replicas. A few minor things need to be done to any Italian replica, all of which I can handle myself.

Pietta offers these engraved .36 Navy Colts; Hickok grips are by Buffalo Brothers.

Replica Tweaks

I routinely replace the factory cones/nipples with stainless steel Slix-Shot nipples from Slix-Springs. These high-quality nipples are shaped to accept Remington #10 or Speer #11 caps, and they also are vented on the side, which helps prevent hammer blowback — a significant cause of cap jams.

Any replica I acquire is completely disassembled, all parts are totally cleaned of factory oil, and I then use hones, stones and small files to remove any burrs that may have been left behind. Production has come to the point where burrs are not all that prevalent. I especially check out the slot in the frame, which accepts the hand to ensure smoothness. I also hone the sides of the hammer, hand, bolt and trigger to ensure smoothness.

I do two things to the hammer. The tiny slot on the top of the hammer, which serves as a rear sight, is opened with a cut-off wheel on a Dremel to give a better sight picture. Then I smooth off the face of the hammer where it hits the cap and remove any sharp edges in the slot on the hammer face, which fits over the safety pin on the back of the cylinder.

This also serves to prevent cap jams as it reduces the tendency of the hammer to grab a fired cap. Once all of this has been accomplished, I lubricate moving parts with a quality gun grease, not oil, and coat the arbor, which accepts the cylinder also with grease. This helps to keep the revolver functioning and resists the fouling afforded by black powder or black powder substitutes.

 

Unlike cartridge-firing sixguns which came later, the .36 Navy Colt was loaded with powder, ball and cap.

My Navy Loads

 

Most of my loads for the .36 Navy are assembled with the 0.375″ swaged round ball, whether from Hornady or Speer, which weigh approximately 90 grains. I measure all loads using a black powder volume measure. The measured amount of powder desired is placed in the cylinder chamber, a felt wad is placed over the powder, and then the round ball is seated using the loading lever on the Navy. To help keep things clean, I fill out the cylinder in front of the ball with a lube such as 50:50 beeswax and mutton tallow. This is especially important to minimize fouling with top loads, as there is no room for a wad between powder and bullet.

Typical results using FFFg black powder with a felt wad between powder and ball are 15 grains for 725 fps, 20 grains for 855 fps, and 25 grains tops out just over 900 fps. Switching to Hodgdon’s black powder substitute, Pyrodex, results in just over 800 fps with 20 grains, while 25 grains gets us very close to 1,000 fps. By today’s standards, these would not be considered very powerful loads; however, they seemed to work very well in the 19th century.

 

The Hickok .36 Navy rests on the cover of the first issue of GUNS January 1955.
One of the feature articles in that first issue was on Wild Bill Hickok.

Size comparison — the small and fragile Paterson compared to the large and heavy Walker.

Maintenance And Carry

 

One of the drawbacks of shooting percussion pistols is that they must be thoroughly cleaned after shooting. It is said Hickok emptied both of his sixguns by firing them every morning and then putting in fresh loads. He would also have had to clean the cylinder and barrel daily to keep them from rusting or pitting.

Apparently, Hickok never even bothered with holsters, preferring to carry his pair of ivory-gripped Colts butt to the front first in a belt and then later in a sash around his waist. In all probability, he did not use the sixguns in cross-draw fashion, but rather with a twist or cavalry draw, grabbing the butt of the sixgun with a hand on the same side. Historically correct holsters, which are still a grand choice today, are known as the Slim Jim design. These typically carried the sixgun butt to the front, high on the belt, and out-of-the-way. They are both secure and easily assessable. Unlike the modern Hollywood Fast Draw Holster with metal lining in the shank and body and mounted on a heavy belt, the Slim Jim can be carried in comfort all day.

Even after the advent of the cartridge-firing S&W .44 and the Colt Single Action Army .45, Hickok stayed with his old cap-and-ball sixguns. He was still using his .36-caliber Colts when he was shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall. Hickok was playing poker at the time and died with two pairs in his hands. There is not a lot of agreement on what his fifth card was. I have seen Museum displays with black aces and eights and both the Jack of diamonds and the Queen of hearts as the fifth card. The cards have come to be known as the Dead Man’s Hand.

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Leave No Man Behind- Implications, Criticisms, and Rationale by Charles Bausman

“Leave No Man Behind” is a creed and ethos often repeated and adhered to by various units and soldiers. The interpretation of the phrase is applied to the treatment and extraction of the seriously wounded, the recovery of the body of military members killed in action, and the attempts to rescue or trade for prisoners of war.

Despite being widely known and repeated in the U.S. Military, “leave no man behind” is not represented in any official military doctrine or publication. It is a culture of the armed services, which carries significant risk.

A recent article reported the Air Force’s recommended upgrade of Tech. Sergeant John Chapman’s Air Force Cross to the Medal of Honor for his actions during Operation Anaconda, an attempt to rescue Neil Roberts, a SEAL who had fallen from a helicopter after being struck by enemy fire.

The article highlights the decision of a Navy SEAL Chief, serving as the leader of the team that Sergeant Chapman was supporting, to withdraw from the mountain top position while under heavy enemy fire. The Chief believed that Sergeant Chapman had been killed, and made the decision to withdraw his team, which already had multiple wounded members.

The basis for this upgrade is drone imagery, improved by new technology to show a clearer feed of the actions occurring on the ground. The Air Force reports that Sergeant Chapman, despite being left behind and seriously wounded, can be seen continuing to provide suppressive fires for a helicopter attempting to insert a quick reaction force of Rangers, as well as engaging in close quarters combat with Al Qaeda fighters before ultimately being killed in action.

In total, seven troops were killed in this engagement, now referred to as the Battle of Roberts Ridge. Much of the criticism of this decision revolves around the principle of “leave no man behind.” Should troops go to such lengths to rescue fallen comrades, pulling additional resources and risking additional casualties?

The X’s and O’s Perspective – Rescue Mission with Strategic Implications

“Leave No Man Behind” is not based on the tactical necessity to recover the wounded or missing. It is a dangerous task to those troops undertaking it, potentially exposing themselves to ambush from an enemy who understands our cultural necessity to recover a comrade.

Once that soldier is wounded or missing, he is no longer an asset to accomplishing a mission. In fact, he or she is a significant hindrance that takes combat power away from mission. Even more so, the decision to conduct a rescue or recovery mission can change policy and the face of a conflict.

There are numerous examples of the dangers associated in following “Leave No Man Behind.”

The Battle of Mogadishu is a well-known engagement, in which a Task Force was directed to capture an associate of the warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The shoot down of a task force helicopter and ensuing recovery efforts led to the death of eighteen U.S. soldiers, seventy-three wounded, and the capture of Warrant Officer Michael Durant following the crash landing of his helicopter.  The loss of life led to a policy change by the Clinton administration and the ultimate withdrawal of U.S. forces in Somalia.

In 1972, Captain Roger Locher was shot down over North Vietnamese territory during a major aerial operation to slow the transport of North Vietnamese Army troops and supplies into the south. Captain Locher was able to escape and evade capture for twenty-three days despite being far behind enemy lines.

All units under the command of General John Vogt were ordered to stop operations (to include major bombing campaigns of Hanoi,) and focus on the rescue effort. Captain Locher was successfully recovered, after approximately 150 U.S. aircraft were redirected to find and rescue him

From a foreign military perspective, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) once utilized the “Hannibal Directive” as a policy for units and commanders when IDF soldiers have been captured or abducted.  It consisted of a massive procedure to bomb all possible escape routes, assuming the risk of killing the abducted soldier. Reports of the use of “Hannibal Directive” are controversial due to the high probability of collateral damage and IDF assumption that a soldier should rather be killed than captured.

The last use of the directive is reported during the 2014 Israeli-Gaza incursion, when Lieutenant Hadar Goldin was believed to be captured, pulled into a Hamas tunnel system in the Gaza Strip. The use of the directive was criticized by the Israeli public and international community, and was heavily publicized by media outlets.

The implications of these examples have been significant in foreign policy (Somalia), operational objectives (aborted Hanoi bombing strike), and media coverage (Hannibal Directive) leading to public criticism.  They all stem from the reallocation of combat forces to aid in the rescue or recovery of personnel, despite the costs, under the culture of no man left behind.

Why It Matters

It is important to note what “Leave No Man Behind” means to those in uniform.

While not captured in doctrine, there are few things more reassuring to a soldier about to enter combat that his brothers and sisters in arms would spare nothing in attempts to get him back. To the families of those fallen, the catharsis of being able to bury their own cannot be overstated or even understood by those who have not been in that sad and unfortunate position.

As found by a study by the U.S. Army War College,  “Combat Motivation in Today’s Soldiers,” the motivations have not changed in war over time. They fight for one another, built through the bond of shared misery, loyalty, and love. It is not surprising then that soldiers would go to such lengths to never leave a man behind, despite the risks and possible failure.

In the case of the Navy SEAL Chief who made the decision to withdraw after believing Sergeant Chapman had succumbed to his wounds, his decision should not be controversial or criticized. He made a decision in the heat of intense enemy fire, with the knowledge at hand.  Gaining a birds eye view from a drone feed can be a significant asset, but it is a shameful prospect to criticize when enabled through replayed footage taken from thousands of feet overhead, many years after.

Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the commander on what he is willing to risk to ensure no man is left behind. It is a heavy burden, and may not be worth the loss of others in terms of mission accomplishment. These are decisions made in seconds, and will not be perfect.  It is an unenviable position, and one he or she will undoubtedly debate for a lifetime. 

Sources:
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/pub179.pdf
http://archive.palmcenter.org/files/active/0/2006_0925-Wong_critique.pdf
www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA622819
http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/hadar-goldin-hannibal-directive
http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.608693
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1173/MR1173.chap2.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/28/world/asia/seal-team-6-afghanistan-man-left-for-dead.html?emc=edit_th_20160828&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=50217936&_r=0

 

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White paper about white papers printed on white paper Seriously. And someone actually thinks you’ll read it.

Staff Officer: “See this? No? Perfect! Learn from it!”

ARLINGTON, Va. — In a stunning display of military efficiency, the Department of Defense has released a white paper about white papers, printed on white paper.

“We felt it was important to clarify the role of white papers in military policy and strategy,” said Air Force Brig. Gen. Dick Ryder, a veteran spokesman for the Department of Defense. “And what better way to do that than with a white paper?”

The white paper, which is printed on several hundred pages of white paper, outlines the history and importance of white papers in the military. “They’re essential for documenting our thoughts and strategies,” Ryder said. “Without them, we’d be lost. I use white papers to better understand how to think about world events, how to better understand technological advances and even the fundamentals of communicating with my wife and children.”

The white papers white paper also includes best practices for writing and distributing white papers, as well as tips for creating visually appealing white paper presentations.

“Best practices range from sharing the white papers on Mil Twitter, printing the mean Tweets responding to said white paper and crying in a bathtub while reading those responses,” said white paper white paper author, Army Maj. Brighton Fatsnacks. “Other options include email, forcing hard copies upon subordinates and stashing them in the magazine racks inside toilet stalls. Staff meetings also receive lengthy treatment within my opus as a means of propagating white papers.”

“We know that some people may find white papers to be dry and boring,” Brig. Gen. Ryder continued. “But we firmly believe white papers can be an effective tool for communicating complex ideas and strategies to other boring bureaucrats with nothing else to do with their days. Or at least justifying the salaries of the field grade action officers who churn them out over weeks and weeks of pointless revisions.”

The white paper has been met with mixed reactions from the military community. Some have praised the document for its thorough and informative approach, while others have criticized it for being too long and unnecessarily complicated.

“I don’t know why we needed a white paper about white papers,” said one disgruntled servicemember. “Couldn’t they just send out an email or something?”

Other critics have been skeptical for other reasons. “I tried to read it, but I couldn’t even see the text,” said one frustrated reader. “It was just a big white blob on a white background. How are we supposed to learn anything from a white paper about white papers, printed on white paper, when it’s also printed in white ink?” The Department of Defense stands by its decision to print the white paper about white papers on white paper with white ink.

“We believe that it’s the best way to keep the information secure,” said Brig. Gen. Ryder. “After all, if you can’t see it, you can’t read it.”

At press time, an Air Force airman was puzzling over how to transcribe a white paper about white papers on white paper with white ink to share on Discord. Other gamers and anime weirdos are already puzzled over why he thinks they will give a shit when no one else does.

As For Class is a boy named Sue, named Ashley. When he isn’t writing for Duffel Blog he also writes fiction.