Now a few decades ago God am I getting old! The Brits put out a series of Book about the wars of the 20th Century. They were at the time very cheap and some of them were absolute gems. Who were just packed with lots of great photos, diagrams and some way above writing in them.
So on that note here we go.
Infantry Weapons by John Weeks
If you want some very good book about what all the Grunts of WWII had to carry. Then here is what you might like to consider getting. Usually Ebay has some for sale at a reasonable price
The Author Ian Hoggs was a very interesting Man indeed. He was with the Royal Artillery during WWII in the E.T.O. and then did Active service in the Korean war. He also rose to the Highest Enlisted Rank in his Regiment before Retirement.
“The American Civil War was a boon to firearms manufacturers such as Colt’s, and the company thrived during the conflict.
Sam Colt had carefully developed contacts within the ordnance department signing the very first government contract for 25,000 rifles.
Colt’s Factory was described as “an industrial palace topped by a blue dome” and powered by a 250-horsepower steam engine.
During the American Civil War Colt had 1,500 employees who produced 150,000 muskets and pistols a year. In 1861 and 1863 the company sold 107,000 of the Colt Army Model 1860, alone, with production reaching 200,500 by the end of the war in 1865.”
This is a 100th year anniversary of the American Civil War, made by Colt, in the form a miniaturized 1860 Army revolver. The pistol is single shot and chambered for .22 Short, sporting black and gold plated finish.
Palm Beach Post: Selling Guns at Shopping Malls is No Bueno
byS.H. BLANNELBERRY
Dick’s Sporting Goods is not a magnet for carnage, despite what the author of the op-ed posits. (Photo: Wikipedia)
Selling firearms at shopping malls is a horrible idea, argues Rick Christie, a staff writer from the Palm Beach Post.
“You can purchase a lot of things at the mall nowadays, from candles to cars,” he opines in a recent op-ed. “But a hunting rifle? No. Too many targets. Too little security. And too much individual instability.”
What led him to sound off on the subject is news that Dick’s Sporting Goods might move into The Gardens Mall, in Palm Beach. Dick’s, as we all know, sells firearms and ammunition.
Christie’s argument hinges on various tired anti-gun arguments. To give you the rundown: There is “just something wrong about this,” it has a “disregard for public safety,” makes it “easier” for bad guys or careless gun owners to hurt people, “a criminal could smash the window and grab it,” it’s harder on security officers, and concealed carriers might get confused and shoot a gun purchaser.
My favorite is the last one because it takes the absurdity to a whole new level. Christie actually quoted local Police Chief Stephen Stepp to make that point.
“You go with an expectation at the mall that you’re not going to see somebody walking through the mall or walking through the parking lot with firearms,” said Stepp.
Stepp went on to explain the mindset of concealed carriers who see folks purchasing or returning long guns at Dick’s. “They may say, ‘Hey, I’m going to be the hero’ and take out this guy they perceived as a threat.”
That is so detached from reality it is laughable. Pretend a father is walking into Dick’s to return a Ruger 10/22, accompanied by his young son. Now, I’m just going to go up and shoot them both in the face because they are a “threat” and I want to be a hero. Give me a break!
For the vast majority of concealed carriers, a gun is a defensive weapon. Not an offensive one. Something to deploy only when things go (to use Clay’s phrase) pear-shaped. If there’s even the slightest bit of unease about a potential individual, or situation, the goal is to get outta dodge ASAP. Call the cops. Be a good witness, as they say. The notion that every gun owner wants to be Wyatt Earp is part of the pathology of anti-gunners.
Most people, regardless of there experience carrying, understand the basics of threat assessment. Intuitively, they know the difference between a casual shopper and “Hey, there’s something off about that guy.” They also know the difference between a guy carrying a newly purchased rifle in a box and a crazed psycho loading, pointing, aiming and shooting one in public. The latter situation requires some sort of intervention, the former does not.
The only people that are going to have trouble with guns being sold at Dick’s are the hoplophobes. Those with an irrational fear of guns. Those who see a gun, any gun, and think, Oh my god! This father and his ten-year-old boy are dangerous. But thankfully, they’re so afraid of guns that we don’t have to worry about them shooting anyone or trying to take matters into their own hands.
With over 600 Dick’s stores nationwide, many of which presumably sell guns and are close to malls and shopping centers, there is no evidence to suggest that these retail outlets are magnets for carnage or reckless vigilantism. None whatsoever. Like every other anti-gunner out there, Christie’s fears are widely overblown.
Guns.com sat down and worked through the California Department of Justice’s assault weapon list of some registered 145,253 firearms, as well as the politics of the ban. The full report is here, but keep scrolling through a list of images supplied by DOJ of some of the weapons that are banned in the state. Enjoy!
There are 77 homely Weaver Arms Nighthawks on the California DOJ list
The Finnish Valmet, based on the AK47, is banned in California
Valmet M78
Ever seen a Valmet M71? In California they have 49 registered
The UZI, in its pistol and carbine versions, account for about 3 percent of the registered “assault weapons” in California
Mini Uzi
The unloved TEC-9
Although vilified, the Striker 12 shotgun takes up very few spaces on the DOJ list
Like the Striker, Streetsweeper shotguns are few and far between in California
The Sterling MK6 carbine
And the Mk7 pistol
The SIG SG 510/550 series joins older Swiss guns on the list…
Such as the SIG PE57
And SIG AMT
The Franchi Spas 12
When an SKS gets a detachable magazine in California, its illegal, such as this D-series spiker that accepts AK mags. There are 3,000 such guns on the DOJ registry
An even 12 Sites Spectres are on the list
Springfield Armory SAR48
Springfield Armory Italian-imported BM59
HK PSG-1. There are but 7 of these registered in California
The Norinco Model 86 bullpup.
The MAS223, a semi auto FAMAS rifle. 11 Are on the DOJ list
MAC type carbines
MAC type pistols
Two J&R M-68 9mm carbines are on the list, Noah’s Ark style
The Franchi LAW12
The HK94 was a semi-auto carbine version of the MP5 and is banned in California
The HK91 and HK93 make up most of the German 7.62mm guns on the DOJ list
The Galil
The FN FNC
The FN FAL, big brother of the FNC in 7.62mm
There is just one Encom MP9 (in 9mm) and one Encom MP45 (guess what caliber that is in) on the DOJ registry. We are betting the same guy has both.
Over 1,300 Daewoos are on the DOJ list
Colt AR series
CETME sporter (AKA the Spanish wooden stocked HK91)
The Daewoo K2
The Calico M950 pistol with its distinctive 50-round helical magazine. Can you say non-California legal?
The M900 rifle
This is the illustration the California DOJ has for Bushmaster rifles
And Bushmaster pistols
AR series pistols
Some 1,00 Steyr rifles, mostly AUGs such as the above, are on the list
The AR-180
The rare (in California) Beretta AR-70
AR series rifles
AR series rifles
AR series rifles. Some 50,000~ of these are on the DOJ registry
In my humble opinion this is some just fantastic work here. That & this outfit is located here in the High Deserts of California! I gotta get up there one day.
Although the Ruby pistol became a procurement nightmare, it nevertheless armed French troops and scores of others throughout World War I and beyond.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY ROB REED
The “Ruby” pistol is the result of France’s desperate need for arms in the early days of the Great War. By 1915, much of the French industrial heartland was under German control, and what remained under allied control was producing critically needed material such as rifles, machine guns, and artillery.
As the conflict grew beyond even the most pessimistic expectations, the sheer volume of troops sent into battle literally exhausted the meager stores of small arms.
To meet this rising demand for pistols for the trenches, the French contracted with the Spanish firm of Gabilondo y Urresti-Eibar for their Ruby semiauto pistol.
The Ruby made use of a prewar design largely copied (without license) from the Browning Model 1903. Among the changes are the deletion of the grip safety and a relocation of the manual safety closer to the trigger guard.
The resulting Ruby is a direct blowback pistol chambered in 7.65 (.32 ACP). The pistol features an internal hammer and a frame-mounted safety that goes down for “FIRE.” The original magazine capacity was nine rounds.
The original contract called for the firm to produce 10,000 pistols a month, but the insatiable French demand for handguns saw the production numbers increased in stages until the incredible target of 50,000 pistols a month was set. THIS IS WHERE THE STORY of the Ruby gets messy. Since Gabilondo y Urresti-Eibar could not hope to meet that production quota, they licensed out manufacture of the pistol to other companies.
Although only four other manufacturers were originally contracted to produce the pistol, the firm eventually partnered with seven companies to meet French demand.
At the same time, French purchasing agents were individually contracting with other Spanish firearms makers to also produce the guns.
By the time all the contracts were signed, roughly 50 companies were producing the pistol, either for Gabilondo y Urresti-Eibar or directly for the French. Soon, multiple companies (both legally and otherwise) were producing the pistol across the continent, making it a truly European weapon.
The result was chaos. The quality of the pistols produced varied widely from manufacturer to manufacturer. Some were good, others substandard, while others yet were simply unsafe to fire.
At first the French tested every pistol, but soon went to batch lot testing instead. Even among the pistols deemed acceptable to issue, problems would arise after the guns broke in with use. Some references list the expected service life of the Ruby at only 500 rounds.
A left-side view reveals the manufacturer’s barrel markings (including the “GU” for “Gabilondo y UrrestiEibar” beside the grip) and the occasionally problematic safety lever.
As you can imagine, parts interchangeability – so vital for a service weapon – was lost as the number of manufacturers involved grew.
Parts and magazines from one manufacturer would not work in another manufacturer’s pistol, and often parts would not interchange even within pistols made by the same manufacturer.
Features such as barrel length and magazine capacity also varied from source to source as different manufacturers put their own spin on the design.
All in all, the Ruby became a textbook example of what not to do for small arms weapon procurement.
Still, the pistols were desperately needed, and almost as fast as they were produced they were sent to the front to be engulfed in the horrors of trench warfare.
Records show that the French military had accepted an estimated 700,000 to 900,000 pistols by war’s end.
The large number of pistols produced has made the Ruby available in the U.S. collector’s market for decades. Some came home as souvenirs after WWI or WWII, while others found their way across the ocean in various import lots over time.
The modern U.S. collector is unlikely to know the exact origin of his pistol, as many were imported prior to import marks became mandatory in 1968. ALTHOUGH I’VE NEVER OWNED a Ruby pistol, I’ve had several opportunities to fire them. Their best attribute is their simplicity. Unlike other pistols from the same time frame they are a “modern” design with a one-piece slide and breech block and what we would consider conventional controls.
The safety lever is relatively easy to use, as is the European-style heel mag release. The pistol does not have a slide stop/slide release. On some examples I have seen, a rivet was installed to keep the safety from moving to the “safe” position. My understanding is that this is a post WWI French military modification.
The gun in the accompanying photos is an actual Gabilondo y Urresti-Eibar-produced pistol and owned by a friend. Recently, I was able to fire several magazines of modern-production .32 ACP FMJ through this particular pistol. Surprisingly (based on reputation alone), the pistol fired 100 percent of the time, with no misfires, failures to feed, or failures to eject.
This is not always the case with these little pistols as, in addition to their hurried manufacture, they have by now seen an additional 100 years of often hard use.
Obviously, it is important to have a qualified gunsmith check out any Ruby-type pistol before attempting to fire it. Besides the original manufacturing issues listed above, other problems may have arisen in the decades since these pistols were produced.
The condition of the original magazine is especially important, as a bad feed lip or worn-out springs will cause problems. Since most pistols only come with one mag, and magazine interchangeability is spotty at best, a bad mag can deadline an otherwise functional pistol.
The tiny sights make the pistols better suited for point shooting than precise aimed fire. The combination of the steel frame and low-powered .32 ACP cartridge reduces the felt recoil considerably.
I was not able to bench test this particular pistol, but we were able to keep a full magazine inside a paper plate out to 10 yards. Accuracy began to drop considerably at 25 yards, and the best either of us could do was to keep about half the shots on a plate at that distance. The tiny sights and gritty trigger on this particular pistol made us work for even those results.
Although not rare by any means, except in certain variants, the Ruby pistol remains an interesting historical artifact. And even though it was hurried into production to meet insatiable wartime needs, the gun I tested still functioned as intended a century after it was produced.
If nothing else, shooting a Ruby pistol is a way to make a tangible connection to the time when the French struggled to survive during “the war to end all wars.” ASJ
Here’s a review from Youtuber MilSupPros.
Now a couple of divorces ago, I got my grubby little hands on one of these fine pistols for a song. I think it was about $175 or so. If not then I am going to blame my CRS. (Can’t Remember Shit disease)
Which I then took the new toy very promptly. (As I could in The People’s Republic of California that would “allowed” me.) off to the pistol range.
Now it did not shoot as well as some of my other handguns. But all things considered. (My so-so skills with a pistol, cheap ammo and any other excuse that I can think of.) It did a really good job at the range.
In that it went thru about 200 plus rounds on the time that I took it out. With no short recoils, failure to load, biting my fingers, stove piping etc etc. Nope not with this Polish / Nazi hand cannon!
It also gave for me a decent pattern of about 4 square inches of hits in the black area. Which is not bad for a WWII survivor with fixed sights.
Another good point about this gun is the ease of cleaning it. I found it a lot easier to clean than say the 1911 and it’s slide pin & shifting barrel hinge.
My only minor complaint was that it only came with one magazine. Which being in the time before Ebay or the internet made it hard for a man to find such rare gun parts.
Oh well! As usual the Germans put serial numbers everywhere on it
I am just sorry that I had to sacrifice this solid gun to the Gods of Divorce in order to gain my FREEDOM! But it was worth it! I just hope that it got a good home.
Here is 2 of the whole issue kit with cleaning rod, some ammo and the clamshell holster.
Bottom line – If you see one for sale & if you are in the market for a solid 9mm pistol. Then you just might want to think about this gun.
Grumpy
Here is some more technical information about this pistol:
———————————————
Vis (Polish designation pistolet wz. 35 Vis, German designation 9 mm Pistole 35(p), or simply the Radom in English sources) is a 9×19mmcaliber, single-action, semi-automatic pistol.
Inspired by American firearms inventor John Browning‘s 9mm “Browning GP” pistol design which was completed after Browning’s death by designers at Fabrique Nationale in Herstal Belgium.
This Polish gun began production at the Fabryka Broni (Arms Factory) in Radom in 1935, and was adopted as the standard handgun of the Polish Armythe following year.
The pistol was valued by the Germans, and towards the end of the war issued to the German paratroopers. As a pistol largely based on the Colt 1911 and using 9 mm rounds, it is highly prized among collectors of firearms.
History
VIS Pistol construction
The design was generally based on American firearms inventor John Browning‘s Browning Hi-Power, as adapted by Piotr Wilniewczyc and Jan Skrzypiński in 1930 at the Fabryka Broni (Arms Factory) in Radom under Director Kazimierz Ołdakowski.
It operated on the short-recoil principle, with the barrel being cammed down and away from the locking lugs in the slide.
This later John Moses Browning design, unlike the M1911, was not cammed by a link, but by a ledge of sorts, which contacts a portion of the barrel and forces it down as it is moved rearward with the slide by the recoil force.
It shares some similarities to the Spanish Ruby .45 ACP.[2] Like the 9mm Browning GP, a characteristic feature was a triangular grip shape, wider at the bottom, offering good ergonomics and firm grip.[1]
On the right side grip cover, the Polish copy pistol had letters VIS in a triangle, on the left side—FB (for Fabryka Broni—”Arms Factory”).
The handgun was prepared in late 1930, and at the beginning of 1931 the first pistols were ready for testing. Initially it was named WiS (an acronym of the Polish designers’ names), later the name was changed to Vis, meaning “force” in Latin, with the wz.abbreviation for wzór (“model”).[3]
The tests proved that the handgun was very accurate and stable (due to its size and mass, most stresses are absorbed and not passed on the shooter).
While at the same time remaining reliable after firing more than 6,000 rounds.[1] The Vis was generally regarded as one of the best military pistols of that period.
Production started in the state armory Fabryka Broni in Radom in late 1935, and the following year it was introduced as the standard weapon of Polish infantry and cavalry officers.
Successively, other units were to be equipped, and by 1932 all other handguns were scheduled to be withdrawn from service. By mid-1938, it was introduced to the armored and air forces.
Before the Invasion of Poland, approximately 49,400 (out of 90,000 ordered) were delivered to the army.[4]
In addition to the 9mm, there was also a small information series of .45 ACP version, with 7-round magazine, but they were not produced in greater series.[4]
Most probably only for the Argentinian competition the wooden stock-shoulder was issued but it has not survived.[2] A .22 LR variant also existed, but no details are known, and its series was not produced in great numbers.[4]
After the Polish defeat in 1939, the Germans took over the Radom Armory and continued production of the Vis under the new name of 9 mm Pistole 645(p), which was for some reason often rendered as P 35(p) (the suffix “p” means “polnische”)[3] (the German pistols of the first series had inscriptions VIS Mod.35 and P.35(p) on the left side[4]).
Up to 1945, between 312,000 and 380,000 were produced and used by the German paratroopers and police.
Fearing that Polish technicians working in the armory might supply the Home Army with the weapons, the Germans moved production of barrels and final assemble to Steyr-Daimler-Puch in the “Ostmark” (Austria).
However, underground production of Vis barrels was started in Warsaw and Kielce-based Huta Ludwików, and several hundred Vis pistols were assembled of parts smuggled from the factory, delivered to the Home Army and used extensively during the Warsaw Uprising, among others.
Vis pistols made after 1939 were issued in four different series, each with small modifications to simplify production.
In late 1944, all production was moved to the Steyr works in Austria, where the last simplified model of the fourth series was produced (with no inscriptions at all, apart from bnz signature).
The Vis remained in production until April 1945. Generally, the wartime Vis were of much lower quality than the original, and further degrading towards the end of the war.
After the war, production of the pistol was not continued, as the Army of the People’s Republic of Poland used the SovietTT-33 pistol, produced in the former Fabryka Broni in Radom due to Warsaw Pact regulations.
It was considered much inferior to the Vis, especially in ergonomics and reliability,[1] but political considerations and Soviet influence were decisive.
In August 1997, the Łucznik Arms Factory in Radom reintroduced the Vis pistol and produced a small series of some 27 pistols[1] on the basis of the original plans and specifications, mainly for the US collectors’ market.
But it differed from the original pre-war pistols with the shape of the rear sight notch and the Eagle on the slide.[2]
In 2010 another short series was manufactured.[5] In 2012 IWA Radom Factory has presented the piece dated 2010 that was chromium coated instead of proper bluing.
Overview
The Vis pistol is a single-action, hammer-fired, locked-breech design. The control on the slide is a decocking mechanism that releases the hammer while camming the firing pin up into the slide.
There is a grip safety blocking the sear unless fully compressed, but the control in the same position as a thumb safety on a Browning Hi-Power or M1911-style pistol is not a safety.
The take-down lever is used to lock the slide back (as the Browning Hi-Power safety is used) during disassembly to allow removal of the slide release lever.
In later variants, this lever is omitted and the slide must be manually aligned to remove the slide release lever. Once the slide and frame are aligned (by the disassembly lever or manually), the recoil guide is pulled forward to release the slide release lever and allow it to drop free. The slide will then be free to run forward and be removed from the frame.
The magazine catch is to the rear of the trigger guard and not at the heel of the grip in the typical European fashion of the time. A pistol lanyard is installed in the heel position for pistol retention. There is no magazine safety.
The .35 Smith & Wesson (S&W) is a centerfire pistol cartridge developed in 1912 for the newly designed Model 1913 self-loading pocket pistol intended to compete with the Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless.32 ACP and Model 1908 .380 ACP pistols.
The .35 caliber name implied a cartridge of diameter directly between those two popular calibers. Actual bullet diameters were .312 for the .32 ACP and the .35 S&W,[3] and .355 for the .380 ACP.
Despite possible reliability problems, .35 S&W pistols can fire .32 ACP ammunition.[3]The advanced features of the Model 1913 failed to compensate for the earlier availability of the Colt pistols.
Gun purchasers were skeptical about a non-standard cartridge when .32 ACP ammunition was widely available.[2] Approximately 8350 Model 1913 had been made when production stopped about 1921.
Smith & Wesson shifted production to their Model 32 self-loading pistol chambered for the .32 ACP from 1924 to 1937. No other firearms were chambered for the .35 S&W, and the cartridge is considered obsolete.
The bullets are rather unusual with a full diameter un-jacketed lead-alloy surface enclosed within the case, and a sub-caliber jacket encasing the exposed nose with a rounded form for reliable loading
Nope not with this Polish / Nazi hand cannon!
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