As you can see also that the Current Queen and her family know their away around a guns. (She was in the British Army during WWII)
That and like the rest of the British Aristicracy / Rich Folks. They are really into hunting and not just with Cameras.
It must of been nice to have your own hunting lodge I mean Empire!
I just could not resist it, But I do not think that this one is real by the way!
Thanks for spending your time on this!
The Grumpy Old Teacher (Ret)
Category: All About Guns
All I can say is “That sure is a Nice Gift from the Old Girl!”
For sale, gun Queen Victoria gave her servant rumoured to be her lover: A Double-barrelled rifle given to John Brown as a Christmas gift in 1873 set to fetch £40,000
- The monarch gave the deer-stalking rifle to Brown at Christmas 1873
- Queen turned to the attendant for counsel after husband’s death in 1861
- Gun was kept in late American industrialist Clay Bedford’s collection
- Rifle will be sold in London and auctioneers call the item ‘very desirable’
An antique rifle that was a gift from Queen Victoria to a manservant who was rumoured to have been her lover is to be sold at auction
The relationship infuriated the Queen’s eldest son, Edward VII, who was said to have once arranged for a boxer to give him a thrashing.
The affair was also the subject of the 1997 Judi Dench film Mrs Brown, which focused on their controversial relationship.
According to experts the weapon was the best that money could buy at the time and was engraved with his name at her behest.
The gift came 18 months after Brown had saved the Queen from a potential assassination attempt when the nephew of an Irish MP rushed her open carriage with an unloaded pistol prompting Brown to grab hold of him.Share
After Brown’s death in 1883 the gun was acquired by the late American industrialist Clay Bedford and it has been in his collection ever since.
The deer-stalking rifle was displayed at the London Metropolitan Museum of Art for a firearms exhibition in 1971. It is now being sold at auction in London.
Patrick Hawes, a rifle specialist at auctioneers Bonhams, said: ‘The rifle is unique in many ways and has a direct association with Queen Victoria which makes it a very desirable item.
‘There is no doubt that it was the best quality and the best rifle that money could buy at the time.
‘We believe this is the first time it is being sold at auction. It is in a very good condition and is usable. It doesn’t appear to have had a lot of use.’
The monarch (right) had turned to trusted attendant Brown (left) for counsel after the death of her husband, Prince Albert in 1861, and it was suggested they were romantically involved
Brown, from Aberdeenshire, worked as an outdoor servant at Balmoral Castle in the mid 18th century.
He became the pastoral aide to Victoria and Albert, and in 1854 Victoria wrote that Brown ‘takes the most wonderful care of me… and it is quite a sorrow to leave him behind’.
The rifle, made by royal gunmaker Alexander Henry of Edinburgh, comes in its original pig-skinned lined brass-mounted oak and leather case with nearly all the accessories.
The exterior of the lid is stamped in gilt letters ‘J. Brown Esq. H.M.P. Attendant, Balmoral’. It is being sold on May 12.
Auctioneers at Bonhams say that it is the best quality and the best rifle that money could buy at the time
The exterior of the lid is stamped in gilt letters ‘J. Brown Esq. H.M.P. Attendant, Balmoral’. It is being sold on May 12
Now I have a couple of thoughts on this grisley issue. It seems to me from what that I have see and read from a lot of folks. There seems to be a lot of folks who actually seem to want to shoot somebody. You know who I am talking about right?
Like at the Gunshows or on TV that keep stressing on how to use tactical methods and combat situations. Or some of those very scary looking and talking dudes at the local Gun Show.
I just do not get it myself. But if the fantasy helps you sleep well at night. Then so be it.
Me? I am one of those folks. Who has seen enough real violence at first hand. That if I never have to do it or see again. That would be just fine by me.
Now let us move one to the real world. Here are a few ideas on how to avoid this problem.
1. Do not go down to the bad part of town. Especially at night!
2. Avoid certain types of folks. Like Bikers, Drug Dealers, Cops, Fighting Drunks and stupid, lazy & crazy folks. This seems to me at least to be a good idea.
3. Avoid the Bar scene especially the rougher ones. We all know where those are right? I mean hey! Get with the here & now. Computer dating is the way to go!
4. Going to the ATM in the middle of the night. Or flashing a lot of cash!
Are you crazy! Most folks are either getting ready to go to bed or a sleep.
(“Hey Old Buddy! I will be there in the first thing in the AM to bail you
out okay? Good Night!”)
5. Going to the Liquor Store or 7-11 during the night.
“Honey you need diapers? Okay here use this old T Shirt of mine. I will
go get some more in the AM.”
6. Avoid Riots! If you get caught up in one. Then get the hell out of there.
As there are very few causes worth dying for. That and 5 years from
now. That & NO BODY WILL REMEMBER YOU OR CARE EITHER !
Now let us go to some of the favorite scenerios of the Gun Advertisers
Its late at night! You hear a noise and you go check it out with your gun in your hand to save & protect your family.
Sorry Rambo! But its either your kid trying to sneak out or in. Or it is the cat.
So I am willing to bet a lot of cash. That I think your spouse and or the Cops are not going to be too thrilled about that either. Jail by the way is not fun!
Here is a little something else that my Students / Thugs taught me. When I was teaching in Juvenile Hall.
***Most criminals break into your house during day time. When everyone is at work or school. Best thing to do is get a dog instead. My Former Students also really do not want to get shot either!****
Or how about the other one that has been around since the Back Yard Bomb Shelter Scare / Scam of the 1950’s. (Which you have turned into a wine cellar years ago.)
Something Bad / Horrible has happened!!! (Pick your choice of Nuclear War / Winter, Aliens from Space or Mecca, Terrorist Attack, Climate Change, EMP, Plague or what have you.) What ever, it is going to be Bloody Awful!
ARE YOU READY!?!
Me? Nah!
If things are going to get that bad. Hey I would of left here a long time ago with my family. Why are you still here?
Because if the Big one is going off. Then I am going be to run right toward the cloud. Because I am sure as Hell is not fun. Do not want to live in another Dark Age.
Bottom Line – Fear is almost as good as sex when it comes to selling stuff. Me? I am going to spend my cash on other things, That and have as much fun as I still can.
Maybe you might think about that also!
PS This does not mean that I will have no problem with introducing you to my “little friend of mine”.
What so ever though if someone messes with me, my family, friends or my stuff.
Then its “Gee Officer! I just do not know what happened! Better talk to my Lawyer and we will figure this one out Okay?”
That and this other nugget of advice, “Hey Officer, can you double lock the handcuffs pretty please? That & can I be put in solitary when we get to the Station? “
After the Spanish War of 1898. America found itself in control of most of Spain’s former Empire. (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippine Islands) For which we / They paid Spain a nice chunk of change for.
Now we almost immediately gave Cuba its freedom. (Just do not mention the United Fruit Company or the Sugar Trusts to any Cubans by the way)
But we decided to keep the rest of them for various reasons.
So as you can guess. The Filipinos were not very happy about this. Especially since they had been fighting the Spanish for a very long time. Plus they had helped us a lot in boxing in the Spanish Army in Manila during the war.
But that is the way it was during the height of Imperialism. So the Filipinos turned there guns toward the American Army / Marines. It then turned into a very nasty little war. Which did not bring much credit to the US.*
Anyways after a couple of years of some very hard fighting & soldiering on both sides. The Major Islands of the P.I. were under US control.
The US then moved south to the island of Mindanao & the Muslim Moros. Some very tough, hardy & hard nosed Muslim tribes. That were not going to just bow down and be happy new members of the Americas overseas empire.
Now these folks were the Arch Enemy of the Catholic Northern part of the Islands. They lived a very primitive and war like life of raids, slavery and Piracy.
So when the Us Army showed up. They just considered them to be just a another group of Christian folks to fight.
Okay now here is where the story of the 45 A.C.P. comes in. The Army having just basically having finished the fight with the American Indians. Had finally got Congress to pay for new guns. Like the Krag-Jorgensen & the new Colt Army Double Action Revolver to be the standard guns of the Regular Army.
Now considering all things. These were good, well built & solid guns of the period. If they had gone up against a European Power like it had against Spain.
They had done all right but it was not spectacularly either. Especially the Krag when it went up against the quick loading Spanish Mauser at San Juan Hill.
The problem was that they were under powered for the job at hand. The 1892 Colt being chambered in 38 Long Colt. Which was not a real power house of a round to start with.
Colt M1892
or the
Krag–Jørgensen in 30-40 Krag
Now from what I have read about this war. The Moros did either of these things.
In that they had their genitals bound down tightly. Which caused extreme pain, then they were blessed by the local Holy Man. Then they went out and attacked any non Moro they ran into.
That or they got really drugged out of their minds & then went out to slaughter folks with their fearsome Kris swords.
But the bottom line was that American Soldiers and later on the Philippine Scouts were seriously under gunned for the job at hand.
So the Army quickly re issued their old 1873 Colt Single Actions in 45 Long Colt which is a fine man stopper. That and also began issuing Riot Shotguns.
Otherwise the Army could not function properly in the field.
I am willing to bet they used the 1897 Winchester Shotgun with a sawn off barrel. I know Thats What I would of used.
They also got Colt to make some Colt New Service Pistol in 45 Long colt as a stop gap until some thing better came down the pike.
That and the powers to be. Also launched an effort to up grade the Army’s
small arms. Which in turn brought about the 1911A1 in the excellent caliber of 45 ACP. Thanks to the Genius of John Browning.
This fight also helped bring about one of the finest rifles that the US ever had. The 1903 Springfield in 30-06.
Since either one of these guns, With the proper placement of the bullet. Would be able to stop any body for the most part. Then the Army got itself some new Commanders and in a few years time kicked the Moros butt.**
So in closing this is how the 45 Automatic Colt Pistol round was born. Its long service with American Armed Forces. Having come about from a long forgotten war. It that went on to serve for almost 75 years in all of Americas Major Wars of the 20th Century.
Here is also some other sources that you might want to read about this period of time.
* This is where we learned about water boarding & other dirty tricks.
As there was also a lot of massacres on both sides, treachery and other not so nice stuff. Like the phrases that the US Soldiers used at the time. “civilize ’em with a Krag” Basically it was hell on earth for all involved.
** By the By The Moors as still there and they are still are a pain in the Ass for the National Philippine Government. That and US Army still have Advisers down there in the War against Terrorism.
I guess some Folks just do not get the message!
A Small Primer on Ammo to begin with.
Ammo can & is very confusing to a lot of folks. Even some of the REAL OLD TIMERS have been known to make a mistake or two. So if in doubt ask somebody else!
Also if you are not sure even then. DO NOT USE IT IF YOU ARE NOT SURE! Since basically this is an explosive device. That can & will mess with folks and their stuff. (It’s mission in life)
By the By. A really great book is out there that is worth looking at. It is entitled (See Below) I think that its money well spent!
Now again I am no expert but I have been using firearms now for over 40 plus years. I also have shot all of the rounds below at one point or another.
So just maybe I might know what I am talking about. But none the less, take this with a grain of salt.
The 22 Long Rifle – This round has been around now for over a century. Which should tell you some thing. As it has generally been the round to go to. When none wants to trin on thei first real weapon.
Bottom Line – Its cheap , very accurate at short range & has no real recoil. It can also be used in pistols and rifle.
The 9mm Luger – A classic pistol round from Germany. It s one of the most popular rounds used by Police and the Military.
Bottom Line – It used to be a very cheap round when an ocean of it was imported into this country years ago. It is also very accurete at short distances with less recoil. That and is a so-so self defense round in my humble opinion.
It also spawned the 380 round and a few others.
The 38 Special – This use to be the caliber for most Police Departments before the Cops started carrying high capacity automatics.
It has a relatively light recoil and is very accurate in a good pistol. If and when one moves up to the center fire cartridges, This would make for a good choice.
The 357 Magnum – This round was developed because of folks like Bonnie & Clyde back n the 1930’s. When the cops had to start shooting thru cars.
It is a very brutal round with a lot of recoil and penetration power. It isn’t not the round to start off with a rookie as recoil and report are pretty hefty
The 44 Special & 44 Magnum – Now we are talking about some seroius fire power. These mighty rounds pack a lot of punch and recoil.
But if you are going up against something big & nasty. That and if you only have a pistol. This is a very good choice. I myself prefer the 44 Special as it has a bit less recoil and is very accurate to boot.
The one bad thing about it is that Ammo in this caliber can be costly.
The 45 ACP – The Combat round as far as I am concerned.
This Brusier of a round has been around since before WWI.
It also has a proven track record of being a serious man stopper. Now it takes a while to get up to the proper level of skill to use this thing. As its recoil is not unnoticable. But it is time well spent in my opinion.
Ammo for it is also easy to find and will not brak the bank
The 45 Long Colt- Another star of the Silver screen. I doubt that there are many men of my gneration. That did not own a cap gun that looked like a Colt SAA.
It too also has a proven track record of stopping a fight. But finding ammo for it can be both expensive and harf to find.
Rifle Rounds
The 223 Remington – The Army made this round popular. It is a first rate varmit round and a good, accurate target round.
Unless there is a panic or something. Ammo is usuallu plentiful and not too expensive. That and there is a wide variety of it too.
The 22-250 – if want a little more power or want tohit the critters / varmits farther out. Then this is a good choice.
This & the 243 are great starter rounds for the young shooter. Who wants to move up the ladder to centerfire.
The 243 – The best deer round for the ladies and our smaller folks who want a great all round medium caliber round. I love it for the light recoil and its accuracy at medium range.
The 257 Roberts – Now this round is an oldie but a goodie. That the pundits are always saying its obsolete.
But for some reason. They are a hard rifle to find to buy . That and they keep making ammo for it. You do the math and see what you think.
The 6.5 Creedmoor – I finally jumped on the Bandwagon & I am glad that I did. If you want a really great long range rifle round that will perform. Then this is the place!
The 30-30 – The Star of many a Western Movie. This round has probably killed more Deer than any other round. It is a great bush gun round for close range shooting.
The 308 – One of the best rounds that I have used now that my back started acting up. It is an all around medium caliber round. That a lot of Snipers use in their deadly work. Also as a added plus. The recoil is not too bad all things considered.
The 30-06 – What can I say about this round. But that the US Army had used it to settle arguements for almost 60 years.
That & a lot of Germans, Japanese, Koreans and Chinese could testify to its effectiveness if they were alive that is.
The 300’s – there are really only two of these that I have shot myself. The 300 Win Mag and the 300 H&H.
Both are really a souped up 30-06 in disguise. They are both very accurate at long range and pack a mighty punch on both ends of the gun.
The 375 H&H – If I was going back to Alaska. Then this round would come with me.
It has a great reputation there & in Africa. It is also the minium caliber to hunt dangerous game lawfully in most of Africa. It also packed a mighty good punch at both ends.
The 458 Win Mag – The big gun. If you are planning on Jurassic Park coming true soon in your neighborhood. Then you might want to consider this monster. As it will basically kill anything alive out there.
All things considered. It has a huge recoil and is fairly accurate at close range. Just make sur that the gun is heavy enough and has a good recoil
pad.
Categories
Gun Porn
Now here are what I think are some of the Better Looking Rifles.
I hope that you like them !
Categories
Advice on how on Buying a Pistol
So you think that you found a pistol that you would like to add as a new member to the family? Well Done!
Okay here is a few hopefully helpful hints. On what to look for before you slam down some of your hard earned money on the counter.
Now pistols come in basically three flavors
Revolvers Single Action or Double Action*
Single action – You have to cock the Hammer every time to shoot
or Double action. When you can just pull the trigger and the gun will go off!
Single Shots** The name is kind of self explaining
Semi Automatic*
What to look for when thinking of seriously buying the pistol
Is the price realistic?
Look it up on the computer at some of the gun auction sites. This will give you a good sense of what it is really worth
How expensive and available is the ammo?
A 41 Colt ammo cost a lot more and is harder to find than say a 22 Long Rifle
This some of the more popular calibers out there that are fairly easy to find.
How do the grips look like? But do not freak out about this. Since Today you can easily get a replacement grip at a fairly reasonable price for most pistols.
Unless you want to go whole hog and then the sky is the limit.
I myself like Pachmyr grips. Yeah they are ugly and plastic.
But they really help my score at the range.
What kind of overall shape is the gun in?
DittoNote any Rust, holster wear, marks, dings, scars, no serial numbers etc.
This is very important! As it will tell you if the gun is safe / legal to shoot and its value down the road.
What does the barrel look like?
Hopefully not like this!The lands and grooves should be clear and sharp. (These are cuts in the barrel which help the bullet go straighter)
If you see bulges, cracks or gaps either in or out of the barrel.
****Do yourself a favor and pass on the deal. Its a turkey and may be dangerous to the user & folks near when it goes off!***
Now a lot of crafty gun seller will put a nice coat of oil on the gun for sale.
Since Oil can & will cover a lot of sins and problems. So get a rag and wipe it as dry as you can get it.
Who is this guy selling this gun to you?
They are a lot of stories about cops doing stings on selling guns illegally.
Also remember the Courts for the most part allow Cops to lie to folks.
So only buy from Reputable folks. It will pay off in the long run.
Old Joke – Two guys are sitting in their cell, One say say to the other. “She sure didn’t look like no cop to me!”
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* I stole this from another site since it is better than I can explain it
Revolvers come in many flavors, many shapes and sizes, and many different configurations. The two main platforms are the single action and the double action. Which one is best for you is ultimately a matter of preference. Which is most comfortable in your hand, and more importantly the revolver you can shoot most accurately, is the one you should choose.
Single and Double Action Differences
Single actions derive their name from the fact that they can only be fired by cocking the hammer and squeezing the trigger one shot at a time, whereas the double action can be fired in the same manner as the single action or simply by squeezing the trigger to fire – hence “double action.”
All modern day single-action revolvers are based, however loosely, on the Colt Single Action Army (SAA). So timeless was the design that it is still in wide use today. There are a number of manufacturers of single-action revolvers, including Ruger, Freedom Arms, Magnum Research, Uberti and Colt.
Double-action revolvers are available from Smith & Wesson, Colt, Ruger and Taurus on the new and used markets. Colt’s excellent Anaconda is no longer in production, but it can be found used and makes for an excellent choice for hunting or as a back-up weapon.
Both types of revolvers can be chambered in calibers adequate for big-game hunting and protective back-up duty, but they handle recoil differently. Double actions tend to transfer all of their recoil straight back into the web of your hand, while single actions have a propensity to exhibit barrel rise and are designed to roll upward (particularly in the case of single actions equipped with “plow handle”-type grips).
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** As the name implies, single shot refers to any firearm–which may be a pistol, rifle or shotgun–that has no magazine and holds a maximum of one cartridge at any given time
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***
A semi–automatic pistol is a type of pistol that issemiautomatic, meaning it uses the energy of the fired cartridge to cycle the action of the firearm and advance the next available cartridge into position for firing. … A semi–automatic pistol harnesses the energy of one shot to reload the chamber for the next.
Categories
Buying a Rifle Part 3
Now moving right along, Sorry that this is a very long diatribe!
Let us move along to the action of the rifle.
Does it operate smoothly?
This video will give an idea as to how it should go as concerning smoothness. The first 30 seconds is all you need to see.
If yes then you are good to go!
How does the metal of the gun look like?
Does it look uniformly clean w/o any rust, pits, stains, scars, bulges, cracks or stuff like that?
How does the inside of the barrel look like?
It should look like this
How does the trigger feel?
Ask if you can dry fire it.
If the trigger have a reasonable resistance to pressure and then breaks clean. (You will feel it when you do it.)
If not – You can still think about getting it. Since you can usually replace the trigger with an aftermarket one. Which will cost around another $100.
Move on the next section
Categories
Buying a Rifle Part 2
********Trigger Warning – Adult Profanity coming up!**********
Yeah I am a real windy Bastard at times. So thank you for bearing with me so far!
Now where was I? Oh yeah buying a Rifle! As you can see my my C.R.S.* is acting up!
Let us say that you have found a worthy candidate of a Rifle to add to you group of foster guns. As President Teddy Roosevelt (The Good Roosevelt*) would say “Bully!”.
Right! Now is the time to turn on your cold hard eyes and do a serious inventory on the condition of this Long Arm.
Now I generally start from the Butt or bottom of a rifle and move my way up.
Does this rifle have a but plate or a recoil pad on it. If so what shape is it in?
If it has a recoil pad. How hard is it. I have bought some rifles that the pad could break concrete.
If you have to replace the pad. Then it will probably cost you a C Note or $100 dollars to those Yankees out there.
Are there any cracks, scars, scratches,blemishes on or near the toe & heel of the butt? If yes then pass on it. Unless you get a big discount.
Yes! You can replace a stock. But that is very expensive. With either your choice of wood or a good plastic one. (I hate most plastic gun parts by the way)
So when I say expensive think at least $200 and up. IF you can find a good Gun Smith & if he has time for it. So add another couple of hundred to the tally.
NO I AM NOT TRY TO SCARE YOU! But I do want you to go in with your eyes open Okay?
Unless you can get a good deal on E bay. But that can be a gamble at times with E bay.
More later
* Theodore was a great sportsman and had a great collection of guns. Hopefully one day. I can go to Oyster Bay, NY and see his home. Which has been turned into a Museum. Serious Hint – By the by. Did I mention that I take gifts on Paypal by the way?
Categories
Buying a Rifle- Part 1
Now I have written before about buying a pistol and later on I will post something about Shot guns.
If you have the burden of living in the Peoples Republic of California and some other states*. You are going to have to buy a gun safe. But I will write about these at a later date. But it is a good idea anyways.
Now again Rifles come in these basic formats
or the Fully automatic mode like the AK-47**
Assault Rifles like the AK-47** – Which contrary to Media BS is basically illegal to have in Most Places in the USA.
** There are versions of the AK-47 out there. But they are only Semi Automatic. They can be converted to full Auto. But if you do & when you get caught. Your new Room mate is called Bubba and he thinks that you have a pretty face.
So unless you do not want to get in touch with your other sexual self. I highly recommend not doing this foolish thing!