Category: All About Guns
Sturm, Ruger & Co. introduced its first center-fire revolver in a full-page advertisement in these pages back in August 1955. The new six-shot revolver was the Ruger Blackhawk, catalog number BKH-3, chambered in .357 Magnum. The gun was named after one of William B. Ruger’s favorite automobiles; the Stutz Blackhawk, and its design was reminiscent of the then-discontinued Colt Single Action Army.
But that was about as far as the similarity went, Ruger’s new handgun was as modern as tomorrow. Its flattop frame was investment cast of chrome-molybdenum steel. The one-piece grip frame was lightweight cast aluminum alloy, and virtually unbreakable coil springs were employed throughout the gun. The Blackhawk came standard with a 4 5⁄8″ barrel, a steel micro rear sight with adjustments for windage and elevation, and a ramp-type front sight. Grips were checkered hard rubber with the Ruger logo medallion set in both panels.
All the steel parts were polished and blued, while the grip frame was anodized black. The gun became affectionately known as the “Flattop,” and the 1955 Ruger catalog stated that “Presentation cases and engraved guns will be available.” Production of the then-new gun couldn’t keep up with demand, and these advertised options never really materialized.
During the first year of production—only six years after Sturm, Ruger & Co. was founded—approximately 1,750 Ruger Flattops were produced. The suggested retail price? A mere $87.50. Sounds great today, but when you account for inflation, that’s just over $900 in 2022.
Changes were coming to Bill Ruger’s first single-action. In 1962, Ruger introduced the new “protected sight” cylinder frame at around serial No. 42,700 and incorporated this feature into subsequent Blackhawks. The grip frame was also redesigned, and it was slightly larger than the original. This change marked the end of the “Flattop.”
The Blackhawk went through another major change in 1972 when a “transfer bar” was designed into all of Ruger’s single-action revolvers. This safety feature prevented an accidental discharge resulting from a fixed firing pin resting against the primer of a chambered cartridge. The transfer bar allowed the revolver to be safely carried with all six chambers loaded. This revolutionized the modern single-action revolver and resulted in a new name for the gun: the New Model Blackhawk.
In the early days of the Blackhawk, Bill Ruger Sr. presented his friend John T. Amber, editor of Gun Digest, with a consecutively numbered pair of .357 Mag. Flattops, serial Nos. 9 and 10. Before the presentation, the two Flattops were sent to Master Engraver E.C. Prudhomme, who performed the engraving and gold inlay. The initials “JTA” were inlaid in gold on each, just over the cylinder. Number 9 displays a silver mountain goat overlay on the recoil shield, and a silver lion is featured on No. 10. Gold bands were inlaid at the back of both cylinders and at the front and rear of each barrel. Before his death in 1986, Amber sold the guns to a collector, and the pair has since been separated and sold to two different collectors.
The initials JTA (John T. Amber) are inlaid in gold in the topstaps of both the Number 9 and 10 original Blackhawks. The engraving also cut through the anodozing of the aluminum grip frame.
To celebrate 50 years of the .357 Mag. “Flattop” Blackhawk, Sturm, Ruger & Co. produced the 50th Anniversary New Model Blackhawk, NVB34-50. Serial numbers start at 520-00001, and those Blackhawks are close replicas of the original 1955 models. The smaller grip frame is back, although in steel rather than aluminum. The grip panels are checkered hard rubber with old-style black logo medallions, and the all-steel micro sight is again set flush in the back of the flattop frame. This gun has the transfer bar, so there are two pins in the frame instead of the three screws as in the original. Another new feature is a reverse-indexing cylinder pawl, which aligns the cylinder with the loading-gate cut-out for easier loading and unloading. To make cocking easier, a new improved hammer spring is incorporated as well.
Another added safety feature is the hammer-strut action lock on the grip frame at the base of the mainspring, but it is unobtrusive, being mostly hidden by the stocks. The front edge of the cylinder has a slight bevel, which is a very nice feature (especially for holstering) not present on the earlier Blackhawks.
A commemorative gold roll mark is on the top of the barrel: “50TH YEAR BLACKHAWK 1955 TO 2005.” Each gun is packaged in a special red plastic case with the 50th Anniversary logo on top, and a Blackhawk history booklet is furnished. At a suggested retail price of $583 and only offered through the end of this year, you’d better buy two—one to shoot and one to put in the safe as an investment. Original 1955 models are sought after by collectors. Some go for $500, but others fetch sums well into the thousands (if you can even find one).
The initials JTA (John T. Amber) are inlaid in gold in the topstaps of both the Number 9 and 10 original Blackhawks. The engraving also cut through the anodizing of the aluminum grip frame.
New Serial Nos. 9&10
The release of the 50th Anniversary New Model Blackhawks sparked interest in the original John T. Amber guns. It’s only fitting that the 9th and 10th revolvers in the new series be engraved to celebrate the original. Since Master Engraver E. C. Prudhomme is no longer with us, I contacted Ruger to see if factory engraving was available. In the early days, factory engraving was not done in-house but contracted out. But now there’s The Ruger Studio of Art and Decoration under the leadership of Master Engraver Paul Lantuch. Based on the customer’s wishes, custom grips, about any style and degree of engraving, inlay, and “full-custom” treatments are available.
Ruger 50th Anniversary New Model Blackhawks numbered 520-00009 and 520-00010 were lavishly engraved at The Ruger Studio of Art and Decoration.
The degree of embellishment offered by The Ruger Studio of Art and Decoration was limited only by the customer’s imagination and the amount he wanted to spend. A level III coverage in Western scroll was chosen for the two Anniversary Blackhawks. As the decision was made to have the guns engraved, production had just begun. The pair was pulled from the production line and transferred to The Ruger Studio of Art and Decoration in Southport, Conn.
The matched pair of 50th Year Blackhawks was shipped from the studio on March 16. They are truly magnificent, and the engraving truly represents the gunmaker’s art at its best. The blued finish is superb, the grips and all metal parts fit like one might expect on a custom-made $10,000 trap gun.
My father, Danny Joe Williams, owned The Armory, Inc. for 30 years before finishing the last 12 years of his career as head gunsmith at Umarex USA (Walther). In 1983, he took delivery of a new Bren Ten, complete with .45 ACP conversion kit and two magazines in each chambering. The magazines were perhaps more valuable than the pistol itself.
In retrospect, the Bren was a clunker, with a finish reminiscent of the auto-wax option at your local Suds and Go. The first real box of ammunition (Norma) was so hot, the frame cracked; at dad’s insistence, Dornaus & Dixon replaced it with another receiver. The Bren was an oversize, over-sculpted CZ 75 with tall sights and a falcon engraved into the side of the frame. It also barked like an actual magnum when you pulled the trigger. What was there for a 6-year-old boy not to love?
When I was in the fifth grade, he traded it without warning, and I was left heartbroken. In a moment of unjustified sympathy that surely only a father can understand, dad laid every pistol he owned out on a blanket in our living room and said, “Choose what you will.”
In the end, my choice was the 6.5″ Smith & Wesson Model 624 in .44 Spl.—one of the best decisions I ever made. It’s a throwback, for sure, to back when Smith & Wesson still made revolvers with forged internals and not a sleeved barrel in sight. Of course, dad did the trigger job, 2 lbs., and it breaks like an icicle.
I’ve since shot a bathtub full of Unique powder through it, logged tens of thousands of rounds and harvested multiple whitetail deer at ranges that would make some uncomfortable. The 624 has never once failed me. After all these years, many “more desirable” pistols have come and gone, but the 624 will always be the last one I ever part ways with. Thanks, dad.
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Damascus Barrel Restoration
The Lee-Enfield Bolt action .303 in a a well trained Commonwealth infrantry was an exceptional weapon.
Besides The “Mad Minute” which enabled the Lee-Enfield to be almost on par with a semi-auto in rate of fire. A bolt action is actually a better rifle in many aspects in warfare.
Anyone who has used a full auto knows that in reality your only accurate round is the first one down the barrel after that the recoil pretty much ensures that the rounds after that are like a anti-aircraft battery…rounds all over the place…a semi-auto isn’t that much better in the heat of battle and adrenaline you are hitting the trigger as fast as you can… inaccurate fire. You will also need to carry much more ammunition and have the logistics to get all that ammunition to your troops.
Care and maintenance of a semi-auto is much more complicated than a bolt action, semi-autos are much more prone to jamming as well.
Close quarter or urban combat a Semi-auto is would be preferred .However in a 100–200 yard firefight a Lee-Enfield in the hands of a well trained Commonwealth Infantry soldier is a deadly and fantastic weapon.
in the 1980′s we had a few old guys in our hunting party who were Canadian WW2 Vets… those guys used old beat up Lee-Enfields with iron sights… those old guys were deadly with those things…drop a running White-Tail at 300 yards with one shot… no scope… iron sights… those guys were probably 70 years old in 1988… what they could have done in their 20′s in prime shape and fully trained… scares me.
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii Gov. Josh Green on Friday signed legislation that will allow more people to carry concealed firearms but at the same time prohibit people from taking guns to a wide range of places, including beaches, hospitals, stadiums, bars that serve alcohol and movie theaters. Private businesses allowing guns will have to post a sign to that effect.
The legal overhaul comes in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from last year that expanded gun rights by saying Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense.
New York and New Jersey adopted similar laws last year that quickly met legalchallenges which are making their way through federal courts.
Green, who is a physician by training and has been an emergency room doctor in Hawaii for decades, said gun violence is a public health crisis and action needs to be taken to address it.
“On many occasions in my training back on the mainland, I was one of the physicians that took care of individuals who were victims of gun violence. Not only that, I lost a loved one to a suicide with a gun,” Green said before signing the measure. “And so anything that we can do, we should.”
Rep. David Tarnas, chair of the House judiciary committee, said lawmakers carefully crafted the measure to be consistent with the high court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment right to bear arms and also establish what he called a “fair system” for regulating concealed carry permits.
“We aim to create a balanced approach that respects the rights of gun owners and the need to maintain a safe and protected space in Hawaii,” Tarnas said.
Hawaii has long had some of the strictest gun laws in the nation.
Before the Supreme Court ruling, Hawaii law gave county police chiefs the discretion to determine whether to issue gun owners a permit to carry. Police chiefs rarely did. They issued just six such permits in 21 years, making it virtually impossible for civilians to carry guns in Hawaii. Otherwise state law only allowed people to keep firearms in their homes and to transport them – unloaded and locked up – to shooting ranges, hunting areas and other limited places like repair shops.
In 2022, Hawaii had the second-lowest gun death rate among the 50 states, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only Massachusetts had a lower figure.
Andrew Namiki Roberts, the director of the Hawaii Firearms Coalition, said Hawaii lawmakers wanted the law to be a “workaround” of the high court’s decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen. He said the new law effectively makes it so people can’t carry firearms in public for self-defense and is a “gross infringement” on the Second Amendment.
“It limits carrying a firearm to public sidewalks and private businesses — if you can get permission. All other places in the state, it’s going to be illegal to carry a firearm,” he said.
Kainoa Kaku, president of the Hawaii Rifle Association, said it showed the state’s leaders viewed “law-abiding, gun-owning citizenry of Hawaii as criminals.”
“They are so stupid they cannot tell the difference between someone who doesn’t follow the law and commits crimes with firearms and someone that just wants to protect themselves and their family with a gun,” he said.
Both gun rights groups plan to challenge the new law in court.
Attorney General Anne Lopez said her office was prepared to fight these lawsuits.
Kaku also objected to the anticipated expenses of the new law, estimating it will cost gun owners $1,000 to take all the classes and proficiency tests required to obtain a concealed carry permit that will only be valid for four years.
The governor also signed another bill requiring the state Department of Education to develop a training program to help public and charter schools respond to school shootings.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s administration accused the National Rifle Association of wanting to use involuntary commitment laws “to round up mentally ill people and deprive them of other liberties,” according to documents drafted by the Republican’s staffers as part of their initial attempt to pass a gun control proposal earlier this year.
The memos, provided by Lee’s office as part of a public records request, reveal a rare criticism of the powerful gun lobby made by the Republican governor. Lee has previously praised the NRA’s efforts to protect the Second Amendment but has since faced opposition from the group as he works to pass gun control legislation in response to a deadly Nashville school shooting that took place in late March.
So far, Lee has proposed keeping firearms away from people who could harm themselves or others. He’s currently facing pushback from both the GOP-dominant General Assembly and firearms rights advocacy groups, including the NRA, that are wary of loosening gun laws in ruby red Tennessee. The NRA’s opposition is particularly notable because the group was a crucial player in Lee’s successful push in 2021 to pass a law that allows people 21 and older to carry handguns without a permit in Tennessee.
That means Lee has been forced to go on the defensive, arguing that what he has proposed is not, in fact, a so-called red flag law like those adopted by other states in the wake of tragedies. Instead, the talking points show he is attempting to sell his proposal as “the most conservative in the nation” and the best plan for “Second Amendment advocates.” He also is taking aim at advocates who want to focus on Tennessee laws that allow committing people without their permission if they pose “a substantial likelihood of serious harm” due to a “mental illness or serious emotional disturbance.”
“Not only is the NRA’s proposal impractical — it would drastically expand the scope of government,” one of the memos reads.
In announcing his plan publicly in April, Lee acknowledged the proponents of involuntary commitment, but did not name the NRA.
“Some advocates of the Second Amendment say something called ‘involuntary commitment’ is the answer, but that would restrict all kinds of constitutional rights, including the Second Amendment,” Lee said at the time. “It’s not the best way.”
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, House Speaker Cameron Sexton further lowered expectations that Lee’s proposal has a chance to pass, saying he doesn’t think he and fellow Republican lawmakers support red-flag-esque laws. He said some other areas of policy could be considered: involuntary commitment, more mental health in-patient beds, better database updating for background checks, a new state-level offense beyond the federal law prohibiting felons from having a certain amount of ammunition, and broadening state law so more types of violent threats could be considered a crime.
“When you look at what the NRA is saying, is you currently have laws on the books — emergency, involuntary commitment,” Sexton told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “And so, use what you have.”
The governor initially unveiled his legislation just weeks after six people — including three young children — were killed in a Nashville school shooting. Lee’s wife, Maria, was friends with the head of the school and a substitute teacher who were among those killed.
Despite Lee’s urging for lawmakers to pass his proposal, GOP leaders have resisted. The Legislature adjourned without taking up the issue in April, but Lee has since called them to come back to address the matter in late August.
The documents reviewed by AP show that Lee’s administration drafted the talking points in April. They tout the governor’s proposal as “more targeted and more limited” than what the NRA currently supports. It’s unclear where the memos were circulated or how many people outside Lee’s office received them.
In the memo, Lee’s office wrote that the NRA’s plan “does not get at the heart of the problem, as it fails to address unstable individuals who suffer from mental health issues but do not qualify for involuntary commitment to a facility.”
“Gov. Lee believes the best path forward is practical, thoughtful solutions to keep communities safe and protect constitutional rights,” his spokesperson, Jade Byers, said in an emailed statement. “He looks forward to speaking with key stakeholders, including the NRA, and working with legislators on proposals in the months ahead.”
In an April memo, the NRA’s lobbying arm urged its supporters to oppose Lee’s plan. The group noted that “Tennessee already has broad civil commitment laws” and added that the state could improve access to emergency mental health services.
Asked about the governor’s office talking points about their group, NRA spokesperson Amy Hunter didn’t address the claims, saying in a statement that the group is focused on “preserving and advancing the rights of law-abiding gun owners in Tennessee.”
————————————————————————————–Yet Billy Lee thinks it’s okay to deprive his constituents of other civil liberties such as the Right to Bear Arms and the Right to Due Process