Guns & Gun Related Stuff

[Camillus]

That looks sweet OH,
I'll have to check them out at Dunhams.

I have another basket weave stock on my Winchester model 100 in 243 cal.

Camillus

[coffeecup]

Playing with the camera today. First up is a 1917 Savage in .32 acp, a neat little 10-shot pistol.


Then we have the first pistol carried by James Bond, the Beretta 418 in 25 acp. This one is from 1956.


I guess I've stalled as long as I can, time to go work on the truck.

[Camillus]

You are correct coffeecup,

Ian Fleming carried one when he was in Naval Intelligence
First used in Casino Royal

[philco]

I just thought I'd give you guys a heads up that Walmart is going to have all their firearms on sale for 20% off this coming Friday,Saturday, and Sunday. Below is a link.

I went today and put a Remington 700 BDL into layaway and will go back next Friday to pay it off at the reduced price. I'll have it out the door for $477.60 plus tax. Where ya gonna beat that deal ?


http://www.slickguns.com/product/20-all ... day-sunday

If they have a gun you're interested in, you won't likely find it any cheaper than it will be next week.

[Miller Bro's]

Those are beautiful guns Jim, thanks for showing them!

[jerryd6818]

Playing with the camera today. First up is a 1917 Savage in .32 acp, a neat little 10-shot pistol.


Then we have the first pistol carried by James Bond, the Beretta 418 in 25 acp. This one is from 1956.


I guess I've stalled as long as I can, time to go work on the truck.

Beretta 418 - 1953 (aka Bantam or Panther) 25acp (Thanks Scott)

Bond. James Bond. Shaken, not stirred. (bad choice. Shaken makes the Martini bitter.)

[coffeecup]

That's just funny! I sort of figured the Savage was a Dimitri-sorta-pistol: collectible, with an unusual mechanism and rather art-deco appearance to go with some of the knives of the same era. I thought of the Beretta as a pistol Jerry might have, for occasions when it might be difficult to carry a "real" pistol!

That looks like a good one Jerry, how does it shoot?

Knowing they will probably move down the line soon, I test-fired both of these yesterday, and shot the pics today to show them off while still here. The Beretta gave me a nice 5-yard group of about an inch; if I find any more ammo around the house I will try for a 25 yard group. The Savage gave me a 25 yard group of 10 shots that I could cover with my hand, which quite surprised the local gendarme who'd stopped to watch.

[FRJ]

Here's my 1903 Colt Pocket Pistol in 32 cal. It's a very nice companion.
That Beretta and Savage are nice guns.
That Savage is nice with the 10 round capacity. I only get nine out of my Colt.

[coffeecup]

Joe, that Colt is a nice piece of kit! They point-shoot well, and have a design that let's you take them down quickly and in a logical fashion--I think that has contributed to the survival of so many of them. Well, that, and that they make a nice pocket piece/bunny gun.

The design approaches shown in these early pocket autos fascinate me. The "hammerless" 1903 has an internal hammer, while the Savage has an external "hammer" that is nothing more than a cocking indicator--it is actually striker-fired and has no hammer. The 1903 has what was then the normal magazine arrangement of a single column, while Savage went with a then-revolutionary double-stack magazine (and increased complexity) in order to increase magazine capacity.

Post 1900 or so--as soon as they were available--these little automatics were very popular in the west; by 1920 they have been more popular in farming and ranching country than in the cities. Many folks went from Civil War surplus cap-and-ball revolvers to the little pocket autos.

A ranch owner could carry one in a vest pocket, cowboys carried them in a pocket on their chaps, women carried them in little embroidered purses in their handbags, store owners and clerks kept them under the counter and dropped them in a pocket when leaving the store for business. I even know of a couple of preachers who carried them, and of judges who had them under their robes.

One published ranch history mentions the owner using a 32 auto to shoot a coyote; a visitor wanted the hide as a souvenir. There was a night-time gunfight on horseback where one man was armed with a Savage while the other had some sort of early automatic rifle (probably a .22), and another daylight gunfight in town where the assailant opened fire on a wagondriver at a distance of about a block. (The wagon driver returned fire with a rifle; the funeral was held the next day.)

Neat little guns, with a lot of history behind them.

[royal0014]

I need to take a couple pics of my AMT Backup 45ACP and post 'em.
Hell, I need to get it out and burn some powder

[Colonel26]

Joe, that Colt is a nice piece of kit! They point-shoot well, and have a design that let's you take them down quickly and in a logical fashion--I think that has contributed to the survival of so many of them. Well, that, and that they make a nice pocket piece/bunny gun.

The design approaches shown in these early pocket autos fascinate me. The "hammerless" 1903 has an internal hammer, while the Savage has an external "hammer" that is nothing more than a cocking indicator--it is actually striker-fired and has no hammer. The 1903 has what was then the normal magazine arrangement of a single column, while Savage went with a then-revolutionary double-stack magazine (and increased complexity) in order to increase magazine capacity.

Post 1900 or so--as soon as they were available--these little automatics were very popular in the west; by 1920 they have been more popular in farming and ranching country than in the cities. Many folks went from Civil War surplus cap-and-ball revolvers to the little pocket autos.

A ranch owner could carry one in a vest pocket, cowboys carried them in a pocket on their chaps, women carried them in little embroidered purses in their handbags, store owners and clerks kept them under the counter and dropped them in a pocket when leaving the store for business. I even know of a couple of preachers who carried them, and of judges who had them under their robes.

One published ranch history mentions the owner using a 32 auto to shoot a coyote; a visitor wanted the hide as a souvenir. There was a night-time gunfight on horseback where one man was armed with a Savage while the other had some sort of early automatic rifle (probably a .22), and another daylight gunfight in town where the assailant opened fire on a wagondriver at a distance of about a block. (The wagon driver returned fire with a rifle; the funeral was held the next day.)

Neat little guns, with a lot of history behind them.

Thanks for sharing those, and that history. I think those pocket pistols of the early 20th century are pretty interesting. And that savage is plumb neat. I don't think Savage gets the credit today they deserve. They were pretty innovative and ahead of their time in many respects.

Here the pocket pistol if choice was a snub nosed .32 revolver. The old men carried them in the chest pocket of their overalls.

[RobesonsRme.com]

Boy, do I ever like that old Savage.
When my Dad was dealing guns, we had several of those pass through our hands.
I loved the action on those and the way the frame stepped down to the round barrel.
Seems like they made one in .380 or a similar calibre.
A really nice one in crisp condition was really something with those embossed gutta percha grips.
Savage was a great old company. They would have been forced to change their logo in the PC world we live in today.
Charlie Noyes

[FRJ]

Jim, I really liked you insight into the early auto pistols. That not too many years after the War of the Rebellion these semi autos were available. And although the year 1875 brought us a big upgrade in center fire cartridges and fine guns as well how could any one ignore such a gun as these. Concealment wasn't a legal issue at the time, all you had to do was have it with you. Button back pockets were in vogue early on and some one designed a leather sheath for the Pocket Pistol which buttoned in the pocket. It isn't a big round, but it will change a bad guys attitude.
Thanks Jim.

[royal0014]

Out in the limited sun today and pulled these out for glamour shots
My two CCW workhorses.

Colt Model 80 Combat Commander, with a few Wilson Combat mods.
8-round Meggar magazine and Bianchi leather. My buddy still regrets selling this one

And a AMT Backup 45acp. 5 round mag, double-action only. It can use mags from a 1911 in a pinch, if needed.
And yes, it's a handful! Over the years I've seen dozens of .380 versions, but only one or two other .45's
Thanks for looking....

[jerryd6818]

Jim, that little Berretta came to me (from Scott [TripleF]) in non-working condition. It wouldn't fire. Turns out the firing pin spring had compressed so after my cousin stretched it out (I was too stubborn to believe that would work) I've only fired one magazine into a couple of phone books. I also have a little Astra Hope in .25 but right now, I'm a little short on ammo for all of my firearms.

[RobesonsRme.com]

Just me, but I would think that stretching out a compressed activating spring would just further compromise the temper.
I'd be concerned about that piece ceasing to fire at the absolute wrong moment.
Can you not locate a replacement part?
Charlie Noyes

[jerryd6818]

Can you not locate a replacement part?
Charlie Noyes

Yes, now that I know what's wrong with it. In the beginning, I was stuck on the firing pin assy and those are not available. Spring is ten bucks.

I'm not in a hurry. This pistol will never be in a life threatening situation (and I hope I won't be either).

[RobesonsRme.com]

The only life threatening situation I've ever been in was my own doing. I volunteered for it.
Take care out there, Jerry. Carry safely.
Charlie

[philco]

Chris I like the Colt.

Can't say I'm a fan of AMT. I had one in .380 years ago and it was a total jam-o-matic for me. One of my best trades ever involved getting shed of that one. Hopefully yours is a far better gun than the one I had.

[jerryd6818]

Carry safely.
Charlie

Charlie, didja forget I live in Illinois.

[coffeecup]

Phil, around home I think "by the numbers" the little revolvers in 32/38S&W were more common than the autos, but they didn't get out as much. The revolvers were commonly called "nightstand guns" because that is where they were usually found. The autos seem to have been carried more--or perhaps been carried more by folks who used them.

Post WWI, the market was flooded with cheap autos that were "souvenirs" of the war. Reading old court transcripts, you find all kinds of stuff. The same thing happened after WWII: small autos became even more common. In both wars, many European armies issued small handguns--"pocket pistols"--as holstered sidearms for officers.

Meanwhile, some folks continued to use and even occasionally carry leftovers from the Civil War. My great-uncle only went to a cartridge pistol after emptying his Colt navy, and finding, as he put it, "there were still people I wanted to shoot". That was in the late 1920s; he retired the Colt in favor of a .25 auto Colt Vest pocket. The man who later became his (last) father-in-law (a Spanish-American war vet of sorts) stuck to his Colt Dragoon and 1860 Army up to his death in 1979.

Charlie, the Savages were (and are) cool little pistols. The .380 was the 1917 version (same as in the pic). Here's a closeup of the grip logo:

The Savages really point well, and recoil is so light that with a little practice you can come pretty close to your point of aim. And they have an undeniable "coolness" factor to them . . .

[royal0014]

Chris I like the Colt.

Can't say I'm a fan of AMT. I had one in .380 years ago and it was a total jam-o-matic for me. One of my best trades ever involved getting shed of that one. Hopefully yours is a far better gun than the one I had.

Thanks Phil Have never had an issue with the AMT jamming. Sure you weren't limp-wristing your .380? That and ammunition choice are >generally< the culprits with small, blow-back operated pistols.....

[philco]

Chris I like the Colt.

Can't say I'm a fan of AMT. I had one in .380 years ago and it was a total jam-o-matic for me. One of my best trades ever involved getting shed of that one. Hopefully yours is a far better gun than the one I had.

Thanks Phil Have never had an issue with the AMT jamming. Sure you weren't limp-wristing your .380? That and ammunition choice are >generally< the culprits with small, blow-back operated pistols.....

I had several others fire the gun and no one was able to put a full magazine through it without it jamming up. I tried several types of ammo without any improvement. I even sent it back to the maker but they returned it saying there was nothing wrong with it.

[philco]

Here's a bargain I picked up yesterday; Remington 700 BDL in .270 Win.

Wallmart had their guns on sale at 20% off and this gun had already been marked down to $597 so I was able to grab it for $477.60 plus tax. Guntrader's Guide shows them NIB for $775. I needed this gun like a hog needs a side saddle, but for that money I just couldn't talk myself out of buying it.

Sale is on thru tomorrow so if they have something that floats your boat.........

[Camillus]

I know the feeling Phil,
Great choice of gun and caliber

When I see a great deal it is so hard to say no.....
I'm saving for my next rille purchase!

Camillus