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The Way It Was

By
Bob Ball
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After a summer going door-to-door and selling subscriptions to magazines such as Collier’s and the Saturday Evening Post, I finally collected a grand total of $10 (a fortune for a youngster in 1939), which I kept securely hidden in a cigar box in my room.

At Center School, in West Hartford, Conn., most boys were excited about collecting souvenirs from the American Revolution up to the pre-war 1930s. Two of the most popular catalogs were a Practical Jokes catalog — which featured whoopee cushions, exploding cigars and Japanese finger locks — and the most valued: Bannerman’s Antique Gun and Military Collectors Catalog.

The Good ‘Ol Days

What was Francis Bannerman Sons Co.? It was one of the oldest war-surplus houses in the United States, having been established by Bannerman, a Scottish immigrant, at the end of the Civil War, when the government had huge stocks of material to dispose of after hostilities ceased. Because of the company’s long experience, sound business practices and uniformly high-quality goods, Bannerman became the leader in surplus military goods for generations, remaining in business for about 100 years.

For weeks, I pleaded with my dad to take me to New York City so I could see Bannerman’s, the mysterious emporium of my dreams. It was at 501 Broadway. Dad finally relented, and to the envy of my male schoolmates, he and I finally boarded a dirty, cinder–coated coach on the old New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad to make the long-awaited trip to the big city. In those days, a round-trip ticket cost $5. After a subway ride to lower Broadway, we emerged from the bowels of the city and walked a short distance into the front door of Bannerman’s aged and grimy block-wide building.

The entry door was on the right, and a big display window took up the rest of the frontage. My eyes immediately locked on the row of cases that ran from the front of the sales area to the rear of the store, where there was an inviting open display section. It was the mother lode, and I was certain I’d died and gone to collector’s heaven. Then I saw the thing I had read and dreamed about: the famous One-Dollar Table. Tearing my eyes away from the display cases, and hastily deciding I could examine them later, I hurried to the table.

Without hesitation, my hands darted out and grabbed a complete but slightly rusty .50 Springfield trap-door musket. (Incidentally, when I went to Bannerman’s about a year later, I picked up a Siamese-marked Model 1871 single-shot Mauser rifle.) The next three hours were better than any Christmas morning of my life, and I spent it in a frenzy of unabashed greed. I picked up odds and ends, including a bayonet and scabbard for the trap-door rifle for less than $2. I also acquired belts, canteens and ammunition pouches for less than $1 apiece.

All that was lacking was the looks of envy I’d surely see when I told my pals at Center School about my big adventure and then showed them the spoils. If only they could have seen me. Years later, I decided that Ralphie and his BB gun in that now-famous Gene Shepherd holiday classic A Christmas Story had nothing on me.

However, I could sure understand his anticipation and the ensuing excitement when his fondest dream came true.

Bannerman's A Boy's Dream Store

But let’s get back to Bannerman’s. Presiding over the sales area was a crusty fellow named — if memory serves — Butch. If you asked Butch for something but he couldn’t find it after rummaging around for a bit, he proclaimed himself a self-appointed final arbiter and decided what you would get. That was that.

He had a powerful position and seemed to enjoy it to the utmost. I had my heart set on 50 rounds of packaged dummy .30-06 cartridges in clips. Butch searched to no avail, so I ended up with 50 rounds of 6 mm Lee Navy straight-pull cartridges in clips in 15-round boxes, which, had I known it then, were invaluable.

Although disappointed at the time, I can now send a hearty “thank you” to Butch.

Believe it or not, when I returned from overseas in 1946, I stopped at Bannerman’s for old times’ sake. Lo and behold, I saw Butch presiding over his domain, just as he had eight years earlier. Much to my surprise, many of the other faces were also familiar.

Obviously, Bannerman’s employees enjoyed working there as much as I relished participating in it — if only for a few hours. (You might wonder what I was doing returning from overseas in 1946 when I was only 9 in 1939. I was one of those underage guys who managed to enlist in the Army when only 15. But that’s a story for another day.)

In addition to Butch’s one-dollar table, Bannerman’s had an eye-catching panorama surrounded by a barrier of ropes. It featured more than 50 6 mm Lee Navy straight-pull rifles that had been recovered from the Maine. Each was covered with a discolored layer of rust, but because they were from a famous ship, they cost a whopping $40 apiece. Throwing caution to the wind, I wandered behind the rope line — and who could blame me?

I was as wide-eyed as a child with carte blanche in a candy store, and nothing could stop me. Well, that’s not quite true. I was promptly yelled at and sheepishly returned to my place behind those darned ropes.

To the right of the Maine rifles were several beautiful Gatling guns mounted on field carriages and surrounded by some World War I Vickers machine guns on tripods.

Front and center in the dazzling display was the famous old dynamite gun of Teddy Roosevelt fame from the Spanish-American War. Notoriously inaccurate, this gun used a dynamite projectile that was fired by compressed air generated by a blank cartridge. There was also a captured .45-caliber Spanish-Nordenfeldt multi-barreled “machine gun” fed by hopper, which I saw years later in the collection of a fellow Connecticut collector.

As if that wasn’t enough to keep my head reeling, hanging from the ceiling over the entire display was an early 10-foot-long compressed-air Spanish Torpedo from the Spanish-American War, complete with a warhead, air-chamber, engine propellers and rudder.

As I stood there entranced, my eyes open and mouth agape, a simple question ran through my mind: Could there ever be a more glorious display?

The Care-Free Era Ends

However, all great things must eventually end. Dad kept his eye on the time to make sure we got back to Grand Central Station for the train ride home. That had to be a strange sight. Would you believe that we carried all these newfound treasures onto the subway and through Grand Central Station? When we boarded the train, I toted a rifle down the aisle until we found seats. After we arrived at Hartford, I hoisted the treasures onto a bus that took us to the suburb of West Hartford.

When I view that journey through the prism of today’s politically correct mindset, it’s amazing that no one seemed concerned about a child carrying a rifle and bayonet loosely wrapped in paper. When finally seated on the train, I was determined to admire my haul, and Dad cautioned me not to keep taking the bayonet out of the scabbard. Nonetheless, those items didn’t represent a threat to public safety in anyone’s mind. They were simply things boys were enamored of and often collected, which even made them popular objects of show-and-tell in grade school.

Believe it or not, no one flinched later when I dragged a rifle down the sidewalks of West Hartford, flushed with pride at my latest find.
For me, that trip to Bannerman’s marked the beginning of a lifelong avocation, and it was a day I’ll never forget.

What was my tally for all those treasures? $6.55, leaving me with $3.45 to put back in the cigar box until I collected more for my next trip to the big city — and, of course, Bannerman’s.

That special trip came one year later. I was a seasoned Bannerman’s veteran by then, having saved enough for a return visit to collector’s heaven. The maiden aunt of a neighborhood buddy agreed to take two “wild Indians” to New York and Bannerman’s emporium. God bless Aunt Clara for what must have been the most stressful day of her life. I’m sure she regretted the decision before we had stepped off the train. And God bless my dad for helping to make the dreams of a child come true.

Unfortunately, we’ll never see those carefree times again. However, I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been a part of them.

— Bob Ball is a U.S. Army veteran and long-time collector of military weapons, specializing in Mauser military rifles. He is also a lifelong student of military history. His book, Mauser Military Rifles of the World, currently in its fourth edition, is the leading reference on Mauser rifles and their values. He is one of the nation's leading experts on historic military firearms and their use throughout the world.

The Black Sheep of the Family? AR-15s as Collectibles

By
Editor Dan Shideler
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My mother was raised in abject poverty. So, naturally, she was always on the lookout for signs of uppity-ness and pride on my part and eagerly awaited opportunities to put me in my place.

One day when I was about 30, I was having Sunday dinner at Mom’s house. She offered me some peas. “No thanks,” I said. For some reason, Mom took that as a prideful insult and, banging down the wooden serving spoon like a gavel, hurled a stinging accusation at me: “You … pea snob!”

Even today, 15 years later, my wife calls me a pea snob when I put on airs. It’s true, I suppose — or at least it was in the past. For example, for decades I avoided military and paramilitary firearms, believing I was too good for them or that they weren’t good enough for me. Colt 1878 Double Action? Sure. Browning Auto-5? Certainly.

Winchester Model 54? Bring it on. But show me a Mauser 1898 or an M1 carbine or, God forbid, an AR-15 and I’d point my nose in the air, snort contemptuously and say, “Puh-leeeeze!”

Maybe I couldn’t make the leap from blued steel and walnut to parkerized finishes and synthetics. Maybe I didn’t want to be accused of playing G.I. Joe.

But for whatever reason, I avoided “black guns” like the devil would avoid a holy-water spritzer with a lemon twist.

Then one rainy day about 10 years ago, I took in a preban AR-15 clone on trade. Maybe I could trade it for, oh, a Model 12 Duck Gun or something actually worth having. But fate intervened in the form of a box of .223 Remington shells left over from my old Ruger No. 3 carbine.

On a whim, I loaded up the AR-15 and took it out back to the range. As I squeezed off the first round, the rain stopped, the gray clouds parted overhead, a beam of golden sunshine stretched down and kissed my brow, and an unseen angelic host burst forth with a C-major chord.

At last, I had seen the light. The gun wasn’t half-bad!

Is the AR-15 somehow beyond the pale of legitimate, serious gun collecting? I used to think so. Now, obviously, I don’t. Yet I understand — but don’t agree with — the reasons why some otherwise well-balanced gun collectors don’t pursue the AR-15.

It’s Ugly

If you think the AR-15 is ugly now, imagine how it must have looked in 1964, when the U.S. Army officially adopted the AR-15 as the XM16E1.

At the time, the short-lived M14 and the .30 M1 carbine were standard issue — and whatever their faults, at least they had walnut stocks and looked more or less like a rifle was “supposed” to look. But the AR-15! Oh my! It must have had George S. Patton spinning in his grave.

With its plastic stock, carry handle and exaggerated pistol grip, the AR-15 looked like something Flash Gordon would use to mow down Ming the Merciless. To modern eyes, the AR-15 looks, well, different, like ugly but lovable Aunt Edna.

However, in my opinion, the AR-15 looks no odder than one of those ornate mid-’50s “Shah of Iran” Weatherby rifles, which legendary stockmaker Jules LaBantchni described as looking like a Navajo blanket. Nylon 66 rifles, XP-100 pistols and yes, even the 1911 Colt automatic, all looked weird in their day. Now, they’re hot collectibles.

The AR-15 is like a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz: Both were the product of a unique era in American history. For that reason alone, the AR-15 is worth having. And I wouldn’t mind a 1959 Caddy, either!

They’re Not Accurate

When the AR-15 was designed, the concept of “massed fire” still influenced military thinking. Better known as “spray and pray,” this concept emphasized firepower over individual accuracy. Perhaps it’s not surprising that the AR-15 suffers from the general opinion that as a military gun, it can’t be very accurate.

In the words of Pepe LePew, “Au contraire, mon cher!” Several months ago, I watched as a local shooter put his AR-15 through its paces at a local public range. He had a Rock River upper decked out with an ER Shaw bull barrel with a Leopold 12X, and even I, who was raised on checkered walnut and blued steel, had to admit it looked like a formidable outfit.

As I stood there, this fellow put three consecutive shots from sandbags onto the paper with handloaded ammunition. When we arrived at the target, I found I could cover the holes with a dime.

That, friends, is 17.91 millimeters edge to edge.

That’s the best group I’ve ever seen made with an AR-15. I have no illusions that I could shoot such a group myself, but it shows what a good AR-15 can do.

I Don’t Like the 5.56 NATO Round

You don’t? Well, blame Donald Hall of the U.S. Army’s Office of Small Arms Research and Development. He suggested, way back in the mid-’50s, that a high-velocity .22 centerfire would have about the same battlefield lethality as a .30-caliber cartridge in most situations.

For those who say that the 5.56/.223 has no sporting applications, I’d like to introduce them to several groundhogs and a fox or two who would not concur. The .223 is not my first choice for a deer cartridge — although I have no doubt that a Speer 70-grain spirepoint could do the job — but as a varmint or target round, the .223 is a real performer.

Besides, AR-15s are also available in .308 Winchester and 9 mm Parabellum, so take your pick.

They’re Not Collectible

In collecting anything — whether it’s guns, cars, art pottery or guitars — the first rule is the thing must exist in sufficient variation to make collecting challenging and worthwhile. There must also be a continuing demand for the thing collected.

The AR-15 qualifies on both counts. If fact, if you wanted to collect only Colt AR-15s, you’d have your job cut out for you. Colt-produced AR-15s are classified as sporters or nonsporters. Nonsporters generally have bayonet lugs and flash-hiders and generally bear the “AR-15” designation on their upper receivers.

Collectors further distinguish between “preban” and “postban” models, the “ban” referring to the late and generally unlamented “assault weapons” ban of 1994 to 2004. Prebans generally fetch higher values than post-bans, though this isn’t always true since the lapse of the ban. For current AR-15 pricing information, see the chart below.

Take Another Look
To those who collect AR-15s in all their magnificent variation, I applaud you. To those who disdain AR-15s, I understand but respectfully suggest you take another look.

And to Mom, wherever you are, please pass the peas.

Gun Review: 10mm Kimber Stainless II

By
Kevin D. Michalowski
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Sometimes you want a big, solid pistol that's designed to hit hard and get the job done. If that's what you need, get your hands on the Kimber Stainless II in 10mm. 

This would be a fine gun for hunting deer or hogs and could even serve a seasoned shooter as an excellent self-defense sidearm.

The gun is classic Kimber, built on a 1911 frame with outstanding accuracy and the fit and finish you've come to expect from this company.

What can you say? It's a 1911.

All the controls are in the right places, the grip fills the hand nicely and the little touches like an adjustable rear sight, beaver tail grip safety and super-smooth trigger elevate this gun from standard to exquisite.

And then there is the idea of shooting it. Some people don't like the 10mm. I'm not one of them. With the Kimber Stainless Target II and 155-grain loads I was launching double taps (and hitting the targets) without any trouble.

If you've got something that needs a lot of killin', step up to the 10mm and get your hands on a Kimber Stainless Target II. To get a closer look check out www.kimberamerica.com

Shoot Straight With Our 10mm Wisdom

Nobody Wants This Colt

By
Editor Dan Shideler
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Colt_Police_Positive_web.jpgThe Colt Police Positive is the Rodney Dangerfield of revolvers. It don’t get no respect.

Normally, the word “Colt” is pure magic to collectors. Put that name on a gun, and shazam! It’s an instant collectible. This rule applies not only to Pythons and Diamondbacks but to real stinkeroos like the ill-fated Model 2000 All-American 9 mm semiauto, too.

The Police Positive is the one glaring exception. I have seen buyers at gun shows pass over cherry Police Positives to fondle things like H&R Model 929s, Iver Johnson Cadets and High Standard Sentinels. These are all nice guns, but really, now. Let’s be serious.

I once had a 4-inch Police Positive .38 I could not give away. I had taken a nicer one in trade and decided to pass the old one on to someone who would appreciate it. I offered it to my brother, my son, my wife, my neighbor and my neighbor’s grandmother. All of them said thanks but no thanks. It wasn’t a dog, either, but a nice 80 percent specimen from 1923. Once, I left it in my car at a gun show along with half a bag of cold White Castle sliders. When I came out, the burgers had been stolen, but the revolver was still there. Finally, I sold it back to Phillip Peterson, who took pity on me and gave me 30 percent of what I originally paid him for it.

The Police Positive’s virtues are many: It’s rugged, stylish and just about foolproof. Its faults are that it lacks adjustable sights (except for the Target versions), and fires cartridges that are a little on the pricey side and somewhat underpowered (.32 S&W Long/.32 Colt New Police and .38 S&W/.38 Colt New Police). Still, the Police Positive gave rise to a family of collectible Colts, and by garsh, that should count for something!

Turn to the Right

The Police Positive saw the light of day in 1905, when it debuted as an improvement on the old square-butted Colt New Police double-action six-shooter introduced in 1896. The Police Positive’s name sprang from its “positive” — that is, foolproof — internal hammer-block safety, a feature that had been conspicuously absent from its predecessor. Another improvement from the old New Police was the Positive’s .38 S&W chambering, a cartridge Colt cloned under the name of .38 Colt New Police.

Built on the Colt .32 double-action frame introduced in 1893, the classic Police Positive was chambered in .32 or .38 Colt New Police (and their S&W counterparts, of course) and could be had with a 21/2-, 4-, 5- or 6-inch barrel. The finish was nickeled or blued steel, and grips were checkered walnut with a gleaming white-metal rampant colt medallion. Sights were fixed and consisted of a half-moon blade front and a hog-waller groove milled into the topstrap. Early production samples had a plain topstrap, but later ones had a matte topstrap. In all, the Police Positive made a fine-looking package.

Colt liked to talk up the accuracy of the Police Positive and emphasized that its cylinder rotated toward the frame, unlike the revolvers of a certain Springfield, Mass., gunmaker, whose cylinders rotated away from the frame. As one Colt advertisement stated: “All Colt Cylinders TURN TO THE RIGHT.”

The accuracy of any revolver is determined greatly by the method used in lining up the chambers of the cylinder with the barrel. All Colt Cylinders turn to the right — thus binding the crane tight against the frame of the revolver — guaranteeing perfect alignment of chamber and barrel and adding materially to the accuracy of the arm.

The Offspring

Judging from the frequency with which I find Police Positives on the used-gun market, Colt must have made a billion of them. Yet today, the Police Positive isn’t remembered for the gun that it was but rather for the guns it inspired. Most collectible Colt double-action revolvers of the second half of the 20th century are based to one extent or another on the Police Positive.

Here are the collectible offspring of the decidedly noncollected Colt Police Positive.

32ColtPolPos_web.jpg

Police Positive Target: This was a .32- or .22-caliber version of the Police Positive with a 6-inch barrel and adjustable front and rear sights. It was manufactured from 1905 to 1941. In today’s market, the .32 version actually seems more desirable than the .22.

Police Positive Special: This was basically a Police Positive with a 1/4-inch longer frame to accommodate the .38 Special and .32-20 cartridges (in addition to the .32 and .38 New Police and their S&W counterparts). Features include fixed sights, a square butt, and 4-, 5- or 6-inch barrel lengths. It was manufactured from 1908 to 1970 in three issues, and then reintroduced briefly in 1995.

Detective Special: This is Colt’s classic snubbie. It’s basically a round-butted Police Positive Special chambered in .32 Colt or .38 Special with a 2-inch barrel. The first issue was manufactured from 1926 to 1972 and is quite collectible. The second, made in 1993, featured a barrel shroud and neoprene grips. And the third was a stainless-steel variant called the Detective Special II, or D-SII, manufactured from 1997 to about 1999. Yet another stainless variant, the Magnum Carry, was introduced in 1998 and was chambered in .357 Magnum.

.38 SF-VI: This was basically a stainless-steel Detective Special chambered in .38 Special with a modern transfer-bar safety and a 2- or 4-inch barrel. It was manufactured from 1995 to circa 2000.

.38 SF-VI Special Lady: This was similar to the preceding gun, but with a bobbed hammer for double-action-only operation and a bright stainless finish. It was manufactured from 1996 to circa 2000.

Banker’s Special: A short-butted version of the Police Positive, this gun had a 2-inch barrel and was chambered in .22 LR and .38 Special. The gun is highly collectible, with 35,000 manufactured from 1926 to 1943.

Cobra: This was a lightweight, alloy-framed version of the Detective Special chambered in .22 LR, .32 Colt/S&W, .38 Special (first issue) and later .38 Special only (second issue). Second-issue guns had a shrouded extractor rod and ramp front sight. It was manufactured from 1950 to 1973 in both issues.

Agent: Basically a Cobra with a shortened grip frame, this gun was manufactured from 1955 to 1986 in two issues. The first, made from 1955 to 1973, had an unshrouded extractor. The second, made from 1973 to 1986, had a shrouded extractor and ramp front sight.

Courier: This was a 3-inch version of the first-issue Agent chambered in .32 Colt/S&W and .22 LR. The gun is scarce, and it was only made from 1955 to 1956.

Border Patrol: Essentially a Police Positive Special with a 4-inch bull barrel and chambered in .38 Special, this is the rarest of the Police Positive clan. Only 400 were manufactured in 1952. Beware of fakes!

Aircrewman Special: This all-aluminum Detective Special was chambered in .38 Special and made for the U.S. Air Force in 1951. It’s exceedingly rare, as most were thought to have been destroyed. Only 1,200 were produced.

Diamondback: This gun resembles a Python built on the Police Positive Special frame rather than on the big .41 Army frame. Chambered in .38 Special and .22 LR, it was manufactured from 1966 to 1986. It’s a very hot collectible.

Viper: Basically an alloy-framed version of the Police Positive Special chambered in .38 Special, this was made from 1977 to 1984.

Respect, Please

Sometimes the tree falls pretty far from the apple, I guess. The original Police Positive is doomed to languish forever in the shadow of its more desirable offspring, and there’s nothing that can be done about it. The collectibility of the Police Positive’s descendants proves, however, what a sound design the old-timer really was.

So, hey! Show a little respect.

Mauser Q&A with Bob Ball – Part 2

By
Gun Digest Staff
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The Pistols of Mauser

Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a two-part Q&A with Mauser expert Bob Ball.  Click here to read Part 1

Q: Set the scene in history for the development of the automatic pistol.

A: Although the principle of the automatic or self-loading pistol was understood in the 16th century, the first successfully marketed automatic pistol was the Austrian Schonberger, a retarded blowback pistol. The first commercially successful automatic pistol design was the Borchardt, invented by Hugo Borchardt, an immigrant American, and that gun really started the era of military automatic pistols. Unable to finance the pistol in America, Borchardt returned to Germany and was employed by Ludwig Loewe & Co. as an engineer to develop and market the pistol, which was done in 1893. Theodore Bergmann also patented the first of his series of pistols in 1893.

The story of the truly successful automatic pistol begins in 1896, with the introduction of the 7.63 mm military Mauser pistol, which had been patented in 1895. This gun used the cartridge patented by Borchardt, and DWM credits Borchardt with much of the engineering work on the Mauser pistol.

The Mauser pistol was so well designed that only minor details were subsequently changed. In his history of the Sudan campaign of 1898, Winston Churchill wrote how he had purchased one of the first Mauser pistols in England and credited it with saving his life, mentioning its efficiency and magazine capacity when he had to shoot his way out of a crowd after the charge at Omdurman.

Hiram Maxim, John Browning, Andrea Schwarzlos and Mannlicher brought automatic pistol designs to market in the 1890s, and George Luger produced the famous Luger, which was based on the Borchardt, in 1898.

Q: Can you describe the operation of the C96 Mauser pistol?

A: The Mauser pistol is unusual because it has no screws. All parts are coupled or seated by bayonet-joint assembling or mutual interlocking. To load it, you grasp the bolt wings firmly and draw them to the rear as far as possible, letting the magazine follower rise and hold the bolt open. Then, you insert a loaded clip in the clip guide in front of the rear sight. Exerting firm pressure with your thumb will strip the cartridges into the magazine. After the last cartridge is seated, withdraw the clip, which lets the bolt run forward, strip off the top cartridge and seat it in the firing chamber. Unless you’re going to fire the pistol immediately, the thumb safety is rocked forward as far as possible.

Q: Describe the pistol’s demonstration for Kaiser Wilhelm.

A: In August 1896, Paul Mauser demonstrated the Mauser C96 Pistol for the kaiser at Potsdam, and the kaiser apparently fired several shots. The kaiser was very pleased with the performance of the pistol, and it was reported he suggested that Mauser look into developing a rifle along those lines.

Q: What were some of the early Mauser pistol efforts?

A: From 1872, Paul Mauser devoted himself to the production of rifles for the German armies. However, in 1874, he also developed an original concept for a service revolver: the zig-zag revolver, or Model 1878.

This revolver is noteworthy because of its design, even though it was not accepted for service use because of its expense and complication. The cylinder was grooved in a zig-zag manner around its circumference, with the trigger operating in single- or double-action mode, indexing the cylinder for the next shot. When the trigger is cocked, a rod thrusts forward, and a stud on its top engages in the oblique cylinder grooves to rotate the cylinder through one-sixth turn to present a fresh chamber in front of the hammer.

Another unusual feature was the method of loading the pistol. The barrel and cylinder are hinged to the frame above the standing breech, double-locked by a spring catch and a positive catch. Because of ornate decoration on the grips, the pistol was uncomfortable to fire for long periods. Relatively few of these were made.

In 1910, the first pocket model pistols were introduced in 6.35 mm as the Model 1910. These were exceptionally well made, and were somewhat heavier and longer than ordinary 6.35 mm pistols. In 1912, an enlarged model of the 1910 was made, with many internal differences. The Armeepistolet was in 9 mm. It was never accepted in service, and very few were made. In 1914, the design was used to produce a similar weapon in 7.65 mm, and the only differences were in dimension to accept a larger-caliber cartridge. This culminated in the Model 1934 pistol, which saw considerable use during World War II.

As World War I wound down in 1918, Mauser saw the potential in producing a small pistol and developed the Westentaschenpistole, or vest pocket, pistol line, including the WTP1 and WPT2 in 6.35 mm.

In 1937, Mauser developed a double-action pistol called the Mauser HSC in competition with Walther’s PP and PPK models. HSC stands for Hahn Selbstspanne, or hammer-self-cocking,” with the “c” denoting the third model. An advanced design, the pistol was in production well after World War II, it appears that most of the production went to the German Navy and the Luftwaffe.

Q: What were Mauser C96 production figures and use as a substitute weapon in World War I and World War II?

A: I have no firm production numbers. During the world wars, the C96 Mauser Broomhandle Pistol and its later variants were used as substitute standard pistols for German armed forces. In World War II, the pistol was widely used by the Waffen SS. Production of the Luger Pistol ’08 and P-38 pistol was insufficient for the needs of the German armed forces.

Chronology

Paul Mauser was born June 27, 1838. His brother, Wilhelm, was born in 1834.

Paul Mauser was drafted in Spring 1859 and served as artilleryman at Ludwigsberg arsenal. He was released from service in Fall 1859.

He was employed Wurttemberg Royal Arsenal, working on a self-cocking modification of Dreyse needlefire rifles. The modifications were rejected in 1866.

Paul Mauser developed a rifle (the forerunner of the M71) using a self-contained metallic cartridge. It was rejected by Prussia and Wurttemberg. He presented it to the Austrian ambassador, and it was sent to Vienna, where is was well received but not accepted.
1867: The rifle was brought to the attention of Samuel Norris, a Remington representative for Europe. Norris convinced the Mauser brothers to have him finance development while they worked for little compensation. Norris considered the brothers talented but naive country bumpkins.

1867: The brothers moved to Liege, Belgium, while Norris tried to convince the French to convert Chasspot rifles to the metallic cartridge system based on the Mauser design. In the 1860s, Norris failed with the French and broke the contract with the brothers.

1869: Because of financial stress, Paul Mauser returned to Oberndorf, and Wilhelm follows in Spring 1870.
Concurrently, the Prussian Royal Shooting School tested Mauser-Norris rifle, and shooters were thrilled. The school requested improvements, which resulted in the Model 71 Mauser rifle being selected Dec. 2, 1871, as the replacement for the Dreyse. Final improvements led to its adoption Feb. 14, 1872. However, Prussia wanted the Royal Arsenals to produce the rifles and reduced the design-rights payment from 60,000 to 8,000 thalers.

April 1872: The brothers received a contract from Prussia to produce sights for the M71 rifle — the first order for the small firm. That led to the start of a small factory. Later in 1872, the brothers received an order for more sights from the arsenal at Amberg, Bavaria, which required larger facilities. They purchased land on the Neckar River and built a plant (Upper Works).

1874: The brothers were offered a contract to produce 100,000 rifles for the 13th Wuerttemberg Army Corps if they would agree to buy the Wuerttemberg Royal Armory for 200,000 Gulden. They accepted and purchased it in partnership with Wuerttemberg Vereins Bank of Stuttgart. The agreement was signed Feb. 5, 1874.

1878: The order for Wuerttemberg was completed. 26,000 M71 rifles were produced for China, and more M71 sights were made for Bavaria

1878 through 1881: This was a quiet, lean time for the brothers, with production and sale of the zig-zag revolver

1881: The firm signed a large contract (120,000) with Serbia for the Model 78/80 single-shot rifle.

1881 through 1882: Wilhelm Mauser experienced failing health and died Jan. 13, 1882.

April 1, 1884: Mauser became a stock company, with the name Mauser Arms Co. Paul Mauser became the plant manager and technical leader.

1884 through 1887: The company flourished under Paul Mauser, seeing the development and production of the M71/84 tubular magazine rifle.

February 1887: Mauser secured a huge order from the Turkish government for 500,000 Model 1887 rifles and 50,000 carbines in 9.5 mm. 270,000 rifles and 25,000 carbines were to be manufactured by Mauser, with the rest made by Ludwig Loewe & Co. Loewe’s share was diverted to Mauser. Clauses by the Turks included improvements by Mauser had to be incorporated into future weapons, and if Germany adopted a new rifle during the contract, Turkey could compel Mauser to complete the contract with that new rifle. The new order required a plant expansion and construction of the “Turkish building” as headquarters for Turkish officers overseeing the project.

Dec. 28,1887: The bank sold its shares of stock, including those of Paul Mauser, to Ludwig Loewe and Co. It’s not known why. Loewe then handled many contracts for Mauser military rifles and pistols. Loewe also owned more than 50 percent of the stock in Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre at Herstal, Belgium. FN was founded in 1889 to make Mauser military rifles for the Belgians.

Nov. 7, 1896: Deutsche Waffen-und-Munitionsfabriken A-G was founded by the merger of Deutsche Metallpatronenfabrik A-G (German Metallic cartridge Co. Inc.), Ludwig Loewe & Co., the Rheinische-Westfaelischen Powder Co. and the Rottweil-Hamburg Powder Co. Mauser and FN became part of the deal because they were owned by Loewe. After World War II, DWM was renamed Industrie-Werke Karlsruhe A-G. and is still in charge of Mauser.

1896: The Mauser Military Model semiautomatic pistol (C96 broomhandle) was introduced.

1898: On April 5, the GEW98 (Mauser Model 98) was adopted. It was ordered by many other nations, with actions based on the 98 design, in many calibers and model designations. Employment at the firm averaged about 3,000.

May 29, 1914: Paul Mauser died.

World War I: Employment increased to 7,000, and the plant was expanded, with rifles and pistols produced throughout the war. From 1918 through the end of hostilities, the 13 mm Mauser anti-tank rifle was manufactured.

Between the wars: Because of Versailles treaty restrictions, Mauser manufactured calculators, sewing machines, precision measuring equipment and tools, and other peacetime industrial items. It attempted to produce a car but failed.

1922: The company name was changed from Waffenfabrik Mauser A-G to Mauser-Werke, A- G (Mauser Works Inc.). Times were hard for the business. Employment decreased to 750, and the outlook was bleak.

Advent of Hitler and rearmament: With rearmament, orders to Mauser were huge, and the company took over the empty buildings of DWM at Berlin-Wittenau in 1934. This Berlin plant had 4,000 to 5,000 employees and produced 98k carbines, light and heavy machine guns and machine pistols. At Oberndorf, employment increased to 7,000 in 1936, reaching 12,000 (5,000 slave laborers) by 1944. Production included 98k carbines, Lugers, P38s, Hscs, MG 34s, MG81s, 2cm. Flak 38 AA guns and MG151 automatic aircraft cannons.

April 20, 1945: The French army occupied the Mauser plant and continued production of some weapons until 1947, when the firm was liquidated. The order was lifted in 1959, and production of peacetime items resumed.

Mauser affiliated with OTNIMA, a producer of automotive items, and is now known as Mauser-Schaerer. Manufacturing rights were obtained in 1963 for a rifle developed by Walter Gehmann, and the gun is currently marketed as the Mauser Modell 66, or, as it’s known in America, the Model 660. Hsc. Lugers have been made, and sporting rifles made by Heym for Mauser. Other than the Heym rifles, commercial rifles are produced at the Oberndorf plant by the division Mauserr-jagdwaffen, G.m.b.H.

Countries that used the Mauser rifle system include Germany, China, Serbia, Turkey, Belgium, Argentina, Spain, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Sweden, Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, OVS, Transvaal, Luxembourg, Venezuela, Siam, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Austria-Hungary, Congo Free State, Montenegro, Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Japan, the United States, Portugal and Britain.

Bob Ball is a U.S. Army veteran and long-time collector of military weapons, specializing in Mauser military rifles. He is also a lifelong student of military history. His  book, Mauser Military Rifles of the World, currently in its fourth edition, is the leading reference on Mauser rifles and their values. He is one of the nation's leading experts on historic military firearms and their use throughout the world.

Gun Review: Taurus Judge

By
Kevin D. Michalowski
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The Taurus Judge can be both a .410 shotgun or a .45 Colt. Is it a self-defense arm or side-kick for hunting and camping trips? You be the judge.

It's a revolver that's also a shotgun. It can shoot .410 shotshells or .45 Colt cartridges and does so with outstanding accuracy. Do you need it? You be the judge. (I just couldn't resist.)

The Taurus Judge is an interesting gun that's getting lots of attention as both a self-defense arm and an interesting kit gun to carry along on a hunt, hike or camping trip.

It is supremely versatile in that it can serve to provide camp meat and stop predators of either the two-legged or four-legged variety. I mean, you can shoot birdshot at rabbits, squirrels and, depending on your location and the law, birds.

You could also shoot buckshot, shotgun slugs or some nice Silver Tip personal defense rounds.

On the range, I found the judge to be very controllable and the accuracy with Winchester's .45 Colt Silver Tips was outstanding from 15 yards. With bird shot, all I had on hand for the test was #9 shot. That's too small for self-defense, but gave a nice pattern at 15 yards.

The Judge can be a lot of different things and that makes it worth looking at. And it's just plain fun to shoot. Do you need another reason to get your hands on one?

Check out the Judge at www.taurususa.com.

Mauser Q&A with Bob Ball – Part 1

By
Gun Digest Staff
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Q: What’s the importance of the guns of Mauser?

A: They are likely most widely used weapons system the world has seen, affecting almost every warring nation during the past 125 years.

Q: What makes the Mauser bolt-action rifle the quintessential soldier’s weapon?

A: Its design features have not been improved from the time it was developed in its most refined form as the G98 rifle and K98k carbine. The rifle and carbine have features that simplify the job of a soldier — mainly to kill the enemy swiftly and efficiently. The magazine is within the stock of the weapon, providing balance and trim lines. The bolt cocks upon opening, making it easier for a soldier to cycle the action. Because of the undercut extractor, gas-escape ports, shrouded bolt head, gas shield on the bolt sleeve, enlarged-diameter receiver ring, and dual opposing locking lugs and safety lug, this is the safest bolt-action weapon system for the battlefield.

Q: What are the ergonomic advantages of the bolt-action concept?

A: For the aforementioned reasons, people could easily use the Mauser bolt-action system. During the Boer war, Boer farmers used the 1893, 1895 and 1896 rifles, short rifles and carbines with devastating effect on British troops. The Boers were natural shooters, using their skills daily during peace and handily in wartime.

Q: What’s the basic operation of the rifle?

A: Held at the balance by the left hand, grasp the bolt knob with your right hand, lifting the bolt and withdrawing it to the rear until it comes to a full stop. You then insert a clip of cartridges into the charger guides at the receiver bridge (the rear of the action area) and press down on the five cartridges in the clip, seating them in the magazine well. The clip can be withdrawn by hand or dislodged by pushing the bolt handle forward while seating a cartridge in the chamber. Then, the weapon is ready to fire. If you don’t shoot it immediately, the leaf safety at the rear of the bolt can be pushed from left to right, locking the firing pin and preventing the weapon from firing. When you’re ready to fire, you can move the safety from right to left. After firing, operate the bolt to eject the empty cartridge case and allow the next cartridge to be fed into the chamber. Follow this sequence until all five cartridges have been fired.

Q: How many Mauser Model 98 system rifles were made?

A: Estimates exceed 102 million. During World War I and World War II, records were destroyed, so we don’t have accurate figures.

Q: How many countries used the Mauser rifle? How many firms manufactured them?

A: Almost every armed country has included Mauser rifle systems in their armories, including the United States, most European nations, and countries in Africa, the far East and South and Central America Rifles were manufactured by various German state arsenals, the Mauser Arms Co. (Waffenfabrik Mauser), the Austrian Arms Co., Steyr, Ludwig Loewe and Co. of Berlin, Fabrique National d’Armes de Guerrre (FN), Herstal of Belgium, and Deutsches Waffen-und-Munitionsfabriken A.G. (German Arms and Ammunition Co. Inc.), which was formed by the merger of Deutsche Metallpatronenfabrik A.G. (German Metallic Cartridge Co. Inc.), Ludwig Loewe & Co. Inc. of Berlin, Rheinisch-Westfaelischen Powder Co. of Cologne, Rottweil-Hamburg Powder Co. of Rottweil and Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka (CZ).

Q: Why has this design never been improved?

A: Paul Mauser was the research and development genius, and his brother, Wilhelm, was the salesman extraordinaire. Paul Mauser foresaw design problems the brothers would have to overcome, and slowly, trial by trial, they conquered all obstacles, producing a system that fulfilled all requests from governments regarding safety, utility, manufacture and ease of operation. More than 100 years later, aside from cosmetic touches, the basic design cannot be improved.

Q: What about the Mauser sporting rifles?

A: Well known and well liked by sportsmen and hunters throughout the world, the Model 98 action design has proven itself time and again. The popularity of the Mauser Sporter can be attributed to its beautiful appearance, light weight, excellent balance and excellent accuracy. It was made in many calibers to provide the best performance in hunting light, medium and heavy game. Although patterned after the military action design, the Sporter rifles reveal much more care, and nicer fitting and finishing of components. All the fine details — such as headspacing, smooth operation, trigger pull and firing pin adjustment — are treated in loving fashion.

Q: Why did Germany choose the Mauser as its principal rifle in both world wars?

A: Well, that’s no mystery. Germany authorities realized they had the best bolt-action rifle available, and although the G8 had problems in trench warfare, the action was perfect and let them build another generation of rifles, which were shorter and more easily managed afield.

Q: The United States licensed Mauser ideas for use in the Model 1903 Springfield. Why?

A: In 1892, Germany had submitted rifles to the United States weapons trials, where they performed well but were rejected in favor of the Krag Jorgensen rifle system. By the time the G98 Mauser system was developed, the U.S. Weapons Evaluation Board realized the Mauser was far superior to other designs. Paying a relatively modest licensing and manufacturing fee, the United States acquired the rights to use the Mauser system in new weapons, and the Model 1903 Springfield Rifle was the result.

Q: How did the World War I and World War II Mauser rifles differ?

A: The G98 was 49.20 inches long, with a Lange Vizier, or roller coaster-type rear sight. With addition of the issue bayonet, it might stretch nearly another 18 inches. It also had an awkward straight bolt handle, which was often difficult to work during battlefield conditions. After World War I, the Germans revised the rear sight, making it a tangent, or flat rear sight graduated — like the G98 — out to 2,000 meters, making it easier for soldiers to use. The Reichswehr Weapons Evaluation Boards decided that instead of having one rifle for the infantry and a shorter version (the Model 98AZ (98a) Carbine) for specialized troops, one standard-sized short rifle would be produced to arm the entire army, navy and fledgling air force. That culminated in the Kar 98k, which followed in the steps of the Model 98b, Standard Mauser Banner Model 1933 Short Rifle and Mauser Banner Model 1933 Carbine.

Q: Can you describe the history, background and personalities of Paul and Wilhelm Mauser?

A: Paul Mauser, four years younger than his brother, Wilhelm, was the design genius of the family. Wilhelm was more outgoing and sales minded, so he became the salesman par excellence. It was a winning combination, ensuring the company’s success.

Q: Describe the “needle guns” and their limitations.

A: Developed in the early 1820s, the Zundnadelgewehr, or “needle gun,” became the Model 1841 and existed on the rolls of German armies to 1876. It was the first bolt-action rifle accepted for general service. The “needle fire” was a rudimentary bolt-action rifle, with the bolt locking in a forward recess on the receiver bridge. It had a very long firing pin, which detonated the fulminate within a combustible paper cartridge. There was tremendous potential with this Dreyse system, and although it was weak, it filled a place in military history until Mauser improved on it. The Dreyse system had considerable gas leakage, and because the firing pin had to pass through the main charge of powder to ignite the fulminate, the firing pin rapidly corroded and might break at the worst moment.

Q: What’s the historical context of the needle gun? Did it make any difference in war?

A: The needle gun was used to good effect during the brief war with Denmark in 1864 and also worked well in the war against Austria in 1866. Those countries were still using muzzleloading weapons against a true bolt-action rifle. During the Franco-Prussian War, the Dreyse was again used against the French Chassepot bolt-action rifle, which proved to be superior. After the war with the French, the Germans began searching for a new design.

At that time, Paul Mauser was an employee of the Wurttemberg Government Arsenal at Oberdorf, where — among other duties — he developed a self-cocking mechanism for the Dreyse needle-fire rifle. Officials showed little enthusiasm for his efforts, but unfazed, he returned to the drafting table and found the idea for a modified rifle firing a self-contained metallic cartridge. Rejected by Prussia and the Wuerttembergers, Paul showed his invention to the Austrian ambassador, who realized the potential of the weapon and forwarded the plans to Vienna. Unfortunately, Austrian authorities preferred a block-action weapon, though they saw advantages of the Mauser design.

Q: Describe Mauser’s first breakthrough weapon, the Mauser Norris rifle.

A: In 1867, Mauser’s prototype rifle caught the attention of Samuel Norris, the agent in Europe for Remington Co. of New York. The Mauser brothers and Norris reached an agreement in which Norris would finance the design a new weapon, and the brothers would handle the start-up of the business. Moving to Liege, Belgium, the brothers worked on developing the rifle, and Norris attempted to interest the French in converting their weapons to metallic cartridge feed. Norris failed, which led to the breakup of the partnership. The brothers returned to Oberndorf in 1869 and 1870.

Q: How was the relationship between Norris and the Mauser brothers?

A: The Mauser brothers realized they were in partnership with a very successful and high-powered salesman who knew his way around legalities. They also knew he believed he was dealing with peasant artisans who wouldn’t understand legal implications. Although they received an annual pittance, the Mausers watched and waited, and when Norris defaulted on their third annual payment, the brothers decided to go on their own. They proved to be a formidable team, with Wilhelm turning into a master salesman and negotiator.

Q: How were weapons sold in those days?

A: Most major weapons-producing firms retained the services of high-powered salesmen who would deal directly with government weapons trials, where competition was fierce and bribery was not unlikely.

Q: How did Germany come together as a modern nation?

A: Prussia had defeated several other German states, and after the war with France in 1870 and 1871, Prussia established the German Empire under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Germany became a major European power in the late 19th century, featuring a booming industrial economy, flourishing agriculture, small colonial empire and growing military might.

Q: Why was Mauser’s first rifle ignored by the German army?

A: As happened so often with government, the mindset of “it was not developed here” was apparent. Further, efforts were often committed in other directions and could not be shifted.

Q: What’s the story behind the first adoption of a Mauser M71 rifle by Prussia?

A: The Royal Prussian Shooting School had become enraptured with the performance of the prototype Mauser-Norris rifle submitted for trials. The rifle was modified and accepted on Dec. 2, 1871, with further improvements and changes resulting in the acceptance of the Infantry Rifle Model 71 on Feb. 14, 1872.

Q: Describe the evolution of the Mauser rifle.

A: Model 1871 was the first successful single-shot bolt-action metallic-cartridge rifle to be accepted into universal service.
With the Model 71/84, the single-shot rifle was improved by the addition of a tubular magazine beneath the barrel, giving the rifle an eight-round capacity.

With the Model 1889, there was an urgent need to reload the rifles faster, which led to the development of a 7.65 mm clip-loading magazine rifle with a radical departure from previous action designs. This Mauser clip-loading system was one of the most outstanding achievements in military rifle development. Cartridges were issued in a five-round expendable clip made from sheet steel.

It could be loaded rapidly by stripping the rounds from the clip directly into the magazine.

Before 1898, Mauser had experimented with prototype rifles, such as the Model 96 Experimental Rifle, first and second versions, which were in 6 mm. After considerable experimentation, the German Rifle Testing Commission recommended the improved Mauser Model 1898 in 7.92 mm be adopted. On April 5,1898, it became one of the most famous and widely used military rifles in history. It was faster and safer, and its design had no room for improvement.

The 17 years between the advent of the Model 1871 and development of the Model 1898 are minuscule in weapons research. In fact, it’s astounding the design progressed as rapidly as it did, considering the usual stultifying effects of government.

Click here to read Part 2

Bob Ball is a U.S. Army veteran and long-time collector of military weapons, specializing in Mauser military rifles. He is also a lifelong student of military history. His book, Mauser Military Rifles of the World, currently in its fourth edition, is the leading reference on Mauser rifles and their values. He is one of the nation's leading experts on historic military firearms and their use throughout the world.

Original Papoose is One Great Gun

By
Editor Dan Shideler
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Breathes there anyone with soul so dead that he doesn't enjoy a good Marlin .22 semiauto? 

I didn't think so. Twenty years or so ago, Marlin's advertising liked to state that the company's Model 60 .22 was the best-selling .22 autoloader in history. I didn't doubt it for a minute. The Model 60 was such a clean, simple, hot-damn little rifle that it was difficult to imagine that anything could ever displace it.

If you consider the Model 99 of 1961 to be the first Model 60 – even though it wasn't called the Model 60 yet — it's easy to believe that for a good, long while, the Marlin Model 60 outsold every other .22 semiauto.

Then, dagnabbit, Bill Ruger came along in 1964 and upset the apple cart with his 10/22, which went on to become the most popular .22 autoloader of all time. I have nothing but admiration for the 10/22, but I'm sure some of you will understand me when I say that deep down, I'm a Marlin .22 man. And the Marlin .22 that tickles me the most is the original Marlin Model 70P Papoose takedown rifle.

Origins of a Classic
The Papoose has its roots in Marlin's Model 99, a tube-fed autoloader that made its debut in 1961. The Model 99 was an enormous improvement from its immediate predecessor, the Model 89.

The Model 89 featured a machined-steel tubular receiver along the lines of Remington's Model 550, and it weighed in at a relatively hefty 6 pounds. Its successor, the Model 99, used a stylishly streamlined alloy receiver to achieve a weigh of just 5 pounds, a reduction of almost 17 percent from the Model 89. And more than that, the Model 99 just looked modern. What more could a child want?

In no time, Marlin had blown out the Model 99 clan to include a nearly overwhelming variety of tube- and magazine-fed .22 autoloaders: the models 99C, 99DL, 99G, 989, 989M2, 990, 990L, 95, 49, 49DL and on and on — not to mention their counterparts in the economy-grade Glenfield line.

These guns had minor cosmetic and functional differences, but they were built on the durn-near-foolproof Model 99 chassis. I've owned a boatload of these little rifles, and they've all been utterly reliable and more accurate than I can hold. For example, I had a first-year Marlin 989 .22 semiauto — a cute little M-1 Carbine lookalike — that I topped with a cheap 4X scope. I could hit golf balls with it regularly at 100 yards when I got the elevation dialed in. That is no exaggeration.

And as Jim Schlender and a dozen others will be only too happy to tell you, I am a lousy shot.

In 1967, Marlin renamed the Model 99 the Model 60. (The magazine-fed version of the tube-fed Model 60 was named the Model 70. Same gun, different feed system.) Strictly speaking, this is the gun Marlin promoted as the best-selling .22 semiauto of all time.

For the next 19 years, Marlin kept on grinding out the Model 60 to the delight of children and non-children everywhere. Then, in 1986, a wonderful thing happened: Somebody at Marlin looked down and noticed that the Model 60's Spartan simplicity lent itself to a takedown design. Well, why not?

Armalite had introduced its AR-7 takedown semiauto .22 way back in 1964, and maybe it was time for Marlin to offer its own takedown autoloader. All you'd have to do would be to split the Model 60's breech right at the head of the chamber, thread the receiver, and put some sort of retaining gizmo on the barrel assembly. Voila and bingo! The Model 60P Papoose was on its way.

“Papoose?” Yes, Papoose. I suppose the name stems from the fact that you could sling the little Model 60's carrying case over your back and tote it around somewhat in the manner of an American Indian mother carrying her child. Frankly, I'm surprised the PC crowd didn't sue Marlin for using the word in this context. Maybe they did. If so, Marlin stood firm, which gives me just another reason for liking the Model 70P — I mean the Papoose.

Favorable Impressions
The Papoose made quite a splash when it debuted in 1986. Layne Simpson, writing in the 41st edition of Gun Digest, was enamored of the little rifle: “The new Model 70P Papoose,” Simpson said, “is a 7-shot takedown version of Marlin's best selling Model 70 autoloader. Its 161/2-inch barrel is detached by turning a threaded sleeve at the action face. It weighs a mere 31/2 pounds. Standard equipment includes a 4X scope and padded case, the latter with built-in flotation cells in case the gun falls overboard. Considering its low price, I expect this little takedown rifle will sell like syrup at a pancake show.”

Simpson wasn't kidding about the price. In 1987, the Papoose had a suggested retail price of only $135.95, “with 4X scope, mounts and case.” That bit about the scope is a little confusing to me. Of the three new-in-box Papooses I have owned, none came with a scope.

By 1990 or so, Marlin was no longer advertising the scope, but if the 1980s-vintage Papooses came with scopes, I got gypped!

There's something top-secret-sounding about the padded case's “flotation cells.” You and I might call them cellular polymer inserts or, more simply, just sewn-in pieces of foam rubber. They make the bright red nylon case buoyant, but be aware that the case's zipper isn't necessarily watertight.

The Papoose came with the case, the spanner, an owner's manual, a seven-shot blued or nickel (depending on vintage) magazine, and maybe the scope and mounts — although as I've said, I've never seen a new-in-box one with the scope. It was a nice little package, notwithstanding the Papoose's “walnut-finished hardwood stock,” which no one could ever mistake for walnut.

Assembling the Papoose was so simple that even a child could do it. In fact, I've seen a child do it. Just pop the barrel into the receiver (it goes in only one way, guided by the extractor cut in the chamber) and tighten the sleeve. Marlin supplied a spanner wrench for that purpose, but in my experience, if you tighten the sleeve with your hand and stop just short of the white-knuckle point, you'll do fine.

Then pop in the loaded magazine, cycle the bolt handle, and you're in business.

How accurate is the Papoose? With its barrel and chamber supported only by that threaded sleeve, you'd think accuracy would be terrible. You'd be wrong. The Papoose shoots quite well enough for its purposes, being on a par with most other Marlin .22 semiauto plinkers. If you're not getting 2-inch groups with your Papoose at 50 yards with iron sights, you'd better tighten that barrel sleeve some more or consider buying a scope.

In 1993 or so, Marlin morphed the Papoose into the updated Model 70PSS Papoose. The Model 70PSS had a synthetic stock with swivel studs, a manual bolt hold-open, an upgraded rear sight, a hooded front sight, a stainless barrel and nickeled trim. Those last touches no doubt enhanced the Papoose's water resistance, but they detracted from the original Papoose's endearingly dopey appearance. The nylon case was also changed from red to blue as part of the gun's overall facelift.

Still There
I keep my latest Model 70P Papoose cased in the trunk of my car and sprayed liberally with water-displacing aerosol lubricant. So far, it's never let me down. It still has its inspection stickers on the butt, duly signed and executed by a Marlin technician named Eric.

Eric, if you're reading this, congratulations on building a fine rifle. And could you check and see whatever happened to my three scopes?

Camp Perry 2008 Report

By
Ken Cover
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My overall view of the 2008 Camp Perry Matches is that the shooting sports are doing well.

On Aug. 1, I watched the National Trophy Infantry Team Match. This started at 600 yards and ended at 200 yards, with stops at 500 and 300. The teams consisted of a Marine team, with a captain and bird colonel to observe and cheer them on. There were several state teams, including the Wisconsin Rifle & Pistol club.

The thing that struck me was the large number of junior teams, which included young men and many young ladies. The Arizona state team consisted entirely of women. I guess that's the shooting community's definition of diversity.

The Springfield '03, Vintage Military and John C. Garand matches ran Aug. 1 and 2. Again, there were many young competitors and women shooters. Some competitors had all the gear, including shooting jackets, and others were dressed in period military clothing.

Camp Perry offers something for everyone who enjoys shooting.

 

Hands On! Brenneke Tactical Home Defense Slugs Great for CQB

By
Kevin D. Michalowski
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Sometimes you don't need a full-power slug and all the recoil that goes with it. But you still need the stopping power of a shotgun.

The reality is that most gunfights last only a few seconds and take place at ranges inside 20 yards. And the one true thing about any gunfight is that you, the good guy, want it to end quickly. One solid hit from a slug, even a reduced-recoil round usually does the trick.

Brenneke's new reduced-recoil Tactical Home Defense slugs give you incredible short-range stopping power and a level of control and accuracy not common in regular slugs.

In situations with multiple threats requiring rapid fire, the reduced recoil keeps you on target.

While the Home Defense Tactical slugs are designed for ranges from CQB to 35 yards, a 50-yard sight-in will put you on target for a human silhouette out to 100 yards with a drop of only 2.9 inches.

I fired these fine slugs at 25 yards, offhand, through a cylinder-bore barrel using ghost-ring sights. The group was beyond impressive and recoil was noticeably reduced from that of standard slugs.

For the fighting shotgun these slugs have it all: accuracy, power and controllability. To get your hands on Brenneke Tactical Home Defense slugs, check out www.brennekeusa.com

Nighthawk Custom 1911: Global Response Pistol II

By
Rich Grassi
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Don't let anyone tell you a compact 1911 won't compare to a full-sized government model. This gun review of the Nighthawk Global Response Pistol II proves as much.

The full-sized Government Model 1911 pistol is a fine service handgun.

The only problem is it has a little too much length. The longer sight radius is handy when trying to drill the “X” ring in a hotly contested bull’s-eye match. The longer barrel also gives the relatively low pressure .45 ACP just a little more velocity — but not much. The full-size slide and barrel weight, slight though it is over a shorter gun — say 3/4 of an inch shorter — is thought by some to curb recoil or muzzle flip. I’d debate that.

So, what’s the advantage of a shortened slide and barrel than the Government size?

I’ve investigated that question since the late 1970s. I’d been convinced by my betters that the steel-framed, compact service pistol – marked “Combat Commander” — was simply no damn good. It weighed about as much as “a real .45” and it wasn’t as accurate. It kicked harder and hit softer. What good was it?

But after reading an article by Massad Ayoob on the subject, I found a used Combat Commander and it was tricked up a little by the grand gunsmith of Tacoma Washington, John Lawson (The Sight Shop, 253-474-5465 www.thesightshop.org.)

I tried the gun and found that it was slightly quicker to present than the slightly longer gun. Muzzle velocity was cut by very little. The gun just felt “right.” It was so much better balanced than my beloved 1911. Finally, the time between accurate shots was reduced due to the lessened slide mass.

Nighthawk Custom
Nighthawk Custom provides the custom 1911 in a variety of formats. When I found that their Global Response Pistol line included a shorter top unit along with a full-size frame, the GRP II, I had to take a closer look.

Like GRP, the GRP II features Novak Extreme Duty Adjustable Night Sights, a forged slide stop with a barrel link post that is cut flush with the slide, a stainless steel match-grade barrel, and a tough Perma Kote ceramic finish. Plus, the Nighthawk offers a lightweight match trigger fitted to give a 3.5- to 3.75-pound trigger pull, and hex head stock screws.

The GRP II has a 4 1/4-inch “Commander”-length barrel and a standard guide rod and plug. A mainspring housing with integral lanyard loop is standard and the gun is available with Crimson Trace LaserGrips.

The sample GRP II came with the standard gray Gator Back stocks, made of linen micarta by VZ Grips. A pair of eight-round magazines is provided along with an Allen wrench to tighten stock screws. The eight-round magazines are made by ACT-Mag, an Italian concern who provides OEM magazines for many pistol makers.

The magazines have the same length overall as a conventional seven-round magazine with a bumper pad. The floorplate on the ACT/Nighthawk magazine is hollow and the magazine tube is actually longer, allowing enough room for an extra round of .45 ACP.

The Nighthawk slide stop is machined from forged steel. The slide stop stud (axle) is trimmed on the right side. This is to prevent the shooter from pressing in on the slide stop stud while the index finger is (properly) up on the frame and away from the trigger during a stressful event. The slide stop hole on the right side of the frame is chamfered to make it easier to field strip the piece.

The Nighthawk Custom GRP II embodies high quality. Little things are taken care of. The right stock panel is cut for an ambi-safety, for example. The front edge of the trigger is rounded, not sharp and squared.

The slide is tightly fitted to the frame, too. The barrel bushing is closely fitted to barrel and slide, but I turned it without a wrench. This gun is properly put together.

Top Flight Shooter

I used the Bulman Gunleather Quick Forward Drop Scabbard holster in the test. It pulled the guns’ butt in close to my side, while keeping it accessible for a quick draw. The “skin guard” — a high arch of leather on the back of the pouch to keep the gun away from the shooter’s body — worked fine in spite of the thick paddle of the thumb safety. The muzzle is raked to the rear and the mouth band is reinforced, making the re-holstering process easy.

The rear stabilizing belt loop snaps onto the belt some distance back from the holster pouch. This is what pulls the gun in tight. It also helps when putting the holster on.

There is a stitched-in front sight channel too. The sharp front sight never picked up leather shavings to spoil the view after a draw.

This holster is one of my favorite designs from a terrific manufacturer. (Contact Josh at Bulman Gunleather, P.O. Box 361, Newry PA  16665; 814-696-8615 or www.bulmangunleather.com).

I’d fired a number of loads for accuracy with some surprises. I found that this particular sample liked the lighter slugs — Cor-Bon 185-grain DPX and Remington 185-grain JHP, for instance. Hornady TAP-For Personal Defense 230 grain XTP +P and Federal Classic HiShok also shot well.

I was shooting the sample for this article within a week of the passing of the father of the Modern Technique of the Pistol, John Dean (Jeff) Cooper. A number of members of an email list — alums of Gunsite and Jeff Cooper — decided to each fire a tribute to Jeff on a particular day

I took the Nighthawk GRP II and the Bulman holster to the club and set out an IDPA target. From seven yards, I shot seven failure drills — two center and one into the cranial-ocular cavity — for a total of the required 21 rounds of ammo. After a moment of silence, I continued

I did a 50-round workout of “school drills” — singles, pairs, reload drills, distance shooting — from 5 to 25 yards. I was happy to see that all the required head shots were in the right place and that the center shots were all in the “0” zone.

While this gun was in my custody, it was at the range in hot, humid conditions. It came out of a chilled, air-conditioned vehicle and into the wet heat and back into the cool car.

The GRP II went through dozens of presentations from the Bulman holster and others. The finish was unworn as the gun was packed and returned to the manufacturer.

It’d been fired quite a bit. While it’s a high end custom, it’s tough and took a beating — with style. Is it too expensive to be your service handgun?

I don’t know. What’s your life worth?

Contact Nighthawk Custom at 877-268-4867 or online at www.nighthawkcustom.com

Brenneke: Must Be German for ‘Accurate’

By
Kevin D. Michalowski
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3

For those of us who grew up shooting deer with shotgun slugs, especially in the days before rifled barrels, accuracy was measured in “minute of deer hide.” 

Well, those days are long gone. But the odd thing about the change in slug accuracy is that some of the most accurate “new” slugs are built on a design that's been around for a century.

Brenneke slugs are not new. But if you haven't shot them lately, get your hands on some now. Whether you use them for deer hunting or tactical operations, Brenneke KO slugs will do everything you want them to do and at ranges beyond the limits of your skills. Seriously.

We started shooting at 25 yards, offhand, with a cylinder bore combat shotgun and ghost-ring sights.  I could cover every three-shot group with my hand.

I put the bead on a rock resting partway up the 200-yard backstop and squeezed the trigger.

Elevation was perfect and I was 6-inches right. That made the guys at the range stop and look my way.

If you need knock-out power that comes with surgical precision, get your hands on some Brenneke KO slugs and remember to squeeze the trigger.

Check out Brenneke online

The Great Remington Rolling Block Buffalo Gun Project, Part 2

By
Dave Morelli
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1

Inspired by the great Remington Rolling Block design, the author decided to build a buffalo gun for hunting and shooting cowboy action single-shot long-range events. He chose a No. 5 carbine in 7mm and went to work.

After I fitted the barrel, I wanted to shape and taper it for looks and to reduce the weight.

After setting up the mill, I used a facing tool to remove a great deal of material — about 1 pound of metal was shaved off — and to give the barrel a more streamlined shape. I still had to draw-file and sand the barrel, but I liked the resulting look much more than when it had a slight taper from the box. It also took off some of the front weight.

I cut off about 4 inches — giving me a 30-inch barrel — and dialed it up in the lathe to face and crown the muzzle. A flat face was machined and it was crowned with a deep 45-degree taper. Brownell's sells crowning tools that can be used without a lathe, but the lathe was handy, so I used it for the crowning job. Whichever method you use, the crowning job is critical for accuracy. The face of the rifle must be perfectly perpendicular to the bore so the bullet exits the pipe evenly. The crown recesses this edge to protect it from damage.

Proof Testing

With the barrel chambered and installed, I wanted to proof-test my work. Headspace depends on the base of the case sitting against the rolling block and how tight the block fits against the hammer surface. This is the base of the action’s strength. I was happy with the way everything fit, but I still wanted to proof it, so I put the old stock on the rifle.

My proof-tester is simple: I use a spare tire as a base and strap the action to it with ratchet tie-downs. Then, I point the muzzle into a safe backstop and fire the action from a distance with a string. I had to load some new cases because the cartridges I had for my Sharps were not full-sized, and apparently, its chamber is a bit larger than the new chamber in my Rolling Block.

I loaded four of my pet smokeless loads and carefully measured the cases for a comparison after firing. The proof-test went well, and the cases measured out, showing no signs of headspace problems or excessive pressure.

Stock Work

It was time to stock the rifle. TreeBone Carving has some of the prettiest wood I’ve seen for rolling blocks. I told George Peterson, owner of TreeBone, I was trying to duplicate a Rolling Block Sporting Rifle but also wanted to shoot cowboy long-range events and possibly hunt with it. He recommended a walnut stock with a shotgun-shaped butt.

I could inlet the original buttplate or put a plain metal buttplate on the rifle to be historically correct. I ended up putting a rubber recoil pad on the rifle to protect it (and me) and will probably have to make a hard, more authentic buttplate for shooting cowboy events.

Brownell’s carries TreeBone’s walnut version of that stock, so I figured I could always fit a prettier piece of wood on the gun later. I didn’t really want a high-gloss finish.

TreeBone stocks require about 90 percent fitting to the action, and almost anybody with some tools should be able to do the job. Rolling block actions differ a bit in stock fit, and this one was more difficult. I have a Danish action with a flat-angled fit, in which the action meets the gripped part of the stock. The Remington No. 5 has two angles that must be negotiated.

The stock slipped up almost to home position before I did anything. My most important tools were a triangle file, flat file with one blank edge, fordum or dremel tool, and a variety of sandpaper matched to a sanding block. You can’t see some surfaces when fitting the stock, and candle soot helped me find where the high spots had to be relieved. I put soot on the action and filed a bit off where the stock rubbed it. With a lot of fitting and filing, the stock will eventually slide up tight and right. After it’s in place, you can drill the receiver tang-screw hole in the right spot.

The forearm grip comes cut to fit an octagonal barrel. It was very close to the barrel I shaped but needed some minor fitting. The forearm was not drilled for an attaching screw, and I had to position and drill it. A brass escutcheon was then bedded in the stock where I planned to put the screw — and a hole was threaded into the barrel.

It’s critical that you make the threaded hole in the exact spot, or it won’t fit correctly. I used a drill press to create the hole. Be careful not to go too deep; there’s enough meat in the barrel, but it’s very easy to make it too thin. You can set up a drill press or mill to stop at the correct depth.

Find the center of the barrel flat more precisely by using the calibrated table on a mill. After I found the hole and drilled, I used a bottom tap to tap the hole to the correct thread right in the mill vise. The bottom tap allowed me to cut as many threads as possible into the shallow hole.

After the hole was completed and the forearm screwed to the barrel, I wanted to strengthen the stock on both pieces by glass-bedding it where it fit to the metal. The glass fills voids in the wood from carving and provides a stronger, tighter fit. The finished fit of a glass-bedded stock gives a rifle a professional look. Acraglas with a bit of coloring for the finished stock shade was the ticket.

I knew I would shoot the rifle before I did the finish bluing, and I didn’t want to stain the stock with dirt, sweat and cleaning solvents, so I put a couple coats of Tru-Oil on it for protection. That also gave me an idea of what shade to tint the Acraglas. I also fit the stock with the recoil pad so it would protect the butt and my shoulder in pre-finish shooting sessions. The rifle was really starting to take shape, and I liked the look of the stock.

Sighting Up

A set of sights was the only thing I still needed. Most cowboy long-range rifle side matches are 500 yards or closer. Still, I needed some drop compensation for longer work.

I studied sporting rifles in Remington Rolling Block Firearms by Konrad F. Schreier Jr.. This book features vintage Remington rifle ads, including options. The rear sight common to the guns was the Rough and Ready sight on the rear, which was an open-notched sight with a flip-up peep that can be adjusted 1.5 to 2 inches for elevation.

A blade front sight was common in the day, and Remington also made a Beech sight, which was a blade with a flip-up hooded post that could be used with the peep rear.

Montana Vintage Arms makes many quality sights, but its Rough and Ready replica seemed to be the right choice. I complimented it with the company’s version of the Beech front sight.

The front sight comes with a dovetail fit, and the Rough and Ready can be dovetailed or screwed in place. I used the screw-down model for my rifle, but if I had it to do again, I’d go with the dovetail model because it gives you some windage adjustment on the rear sight. The front sight is dovetailed, so I adjusted my windage there. Montana Vintage Arms also makes high-quality long-range Soule sights and old-time scope sights it calls MVA scopes.

You can easily cut dovetails on a mill with a dovetail cutter. I measured the dovetail on the combination Beech front sight, and then took a couple of passes with the mill to cut the slot slightly smaller than the base.

The fit was finished by hand with a file, and it was perfectly tight. I have fitted dovetails without a mill by cutting the slot in the barrel with a hacksaw. Then, I’ve roughed the slot out with a file and finish-fitted it with a triangular file to create the dovetail. It takes longer, but if done carefully, it’s just as precise

With the sights on, it was time to put the gun together and see how it shot. The rifle still needed to be final polished and blued, and the stock had to be sanded and stained, but I figured a range session would tell me if I chambered and muzzled it correctly. If figured it would be better to redo metal work before the final finish.

The first session was a rough sight-in affair using a proven smokeless load. I discovered that the bullet I had cast was long enough to touch the rifling, as evidenced by marks on the lead when I took a live round out of the chamber. At 100 yards, the gun required just a small sight adjustment to make fist-sized rocks disappear. It was time to develop a pet load for the rifle and put it on paper. It had a good start.

For the second session, I loaded some of the LaserCast 500-grain bullets with a semi-wadcutter nose. I loaded them to the same length as the cast round-nose bullet, but the taper nose of the wadcutter was narrower and did not quite touch the rifling. The bullets showed promise in the rifle. The combo was tried on the 200-yard gong after a cowboy practice match.

After figuring the adjustment for the drop, hitting the gong consistently was just a matter of pulling the trigger. I’m really looking forward to developing a load, because the gun is accurate enough to make it work.

Finishing Touches

I planned on finishing the rifle so it looked like something from the rolling block’s heyday. I went with a plain walnut stock, which would have been standard on hunting guns. Some engraved custom guns had nice wood on them, but those were more common at uppity gun clubs or target matches. The original stock on my gun had a very dark stain, which seems common for firearms from that time.

I sanded the Tru-Oil off of the stock and darkened the wood with Mini Wax Dark Walnut Stain. Tru-Oil is a great finish, and I use it often. However, it would not darken the wood as much as I wanted. After the first coat of Mini Wax, I saw many scratches and tool marks I couldn’t see when the wood was plain sanded. It took several coats and some sanding to get all the scratches out, and the multiple coatings filled the wood grain with the stain and protectants.

The Mini Wax retained the dull look I was seeking, and some light work with steel wool gave me the finish I wanted. Taking the time to apply several coats alternated with fine sanding did the job.

I really had a dilemma with finishing the metal. Many of the original rolling blocks came with a case-colored hardening on the receiver. I could send the action to a shop for that finish. However, I had recently seen a rifle with a shiny blue receiver and a less shiny finish on the barrel, and I liked how that looked. A dull blue finish and glare-free barrel would be practical for hunting and sighting, but the shiny finish really stuck in my mind.

Finishing metal is easy and can be done with emery cloth and steel wool. I view polishing as gradually putting finer scratches in the metal until they have a mirror finish. I started with 80-grit sandpaper to remove tool marks on the barrel and some bad pits on the receiver.

Actually, I removed three really bad pits with a file and then formed the metal back with sandpaper. I was careful not to change the lines of the receiver or wear any writing. The only factory writing on this action was on the tang, which had no huge pits, so I got away with some minor polishing there. It’s easy to round off corners that should remain sharp to keep the original look of the receiver. I then went to 120- , 220- and 320-grit paper.

I took the flats of the barrel down to a 400-grit polish so it blued out shiny, but less so than the receiver. It also will produce less glare on the top flat when sighting. I used a polishing wheel and compound on the receiver to get a very shiny finish that will blue out like a deluxe finish on a custom gun. It’s easy to vaporize a number, letter or lines on the gun with even the finest polishing compounds, so take care.

Polishing is the most important part of the finishing process. Pits left in the metal will appear as white dots, and scratches will make you wish you had taken more time.

The screws on my gun were boogered up a bit, so I carefully filed and sanded the damaged areas and polished them to the same gloss finish as the receiver. I also sanded and blued the rolling block and hammer.

I use hot blue for everything but touch-up efforts. Brownell’s and DuLite Corp. salts provide good results. Hot bluing is a book in itself, but it’s the most durable bluing finish I’ve used.

Worth the Effort

When building your own firearm from an antique — whether sporterizing an old military Mauser or rebuilding a buffalo gun — you take pride in shooting an animal or winning a competition with the finished product.

With the availability of tools and products to make the job easier, anyone can complete a project like this. Even if you farm out some of the work to a pro, there will still be part of you in every hunting trip or shooting expedition with your project gun.

Click here to read Part 1

Is That a Colt in Your Pocket?

By
Editor Dan Shideler
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1

I like snubnose revolvers. I mean I really like snubnose revolvers.

To my admittedly antiquated way of thinking, the snubbie is the perfect self-defense gun. Semiautos get all the press nowadays, but I keep coming back to the fact that in three decades of shooting all types of guns, I’ve never had a snubbie jam, lock up or otherwise put me in a pickle. How I wish I could say the same of semiautos!

But I try not to be dogmatic about such things. If you’re carrying a semiauto right now, you doubtless have good reasons for doing so, and I would be the last person to argue with you. Really, I was only kidding, anyway — sir.

But insofar as I’ve expressed my opinion on snubbies, I might as well go whole-hog and admit that I believe the Smith & Wesson Model 36 Chiefs Special is the greatest self-defense gun of all time. It’s tiny. It’s reasonably powerful. It’s controllable. It’s utterly reliable and totally foolproof. A Model 36 in the pocket beats a 1911 left in the nightstand any day of the week.

Yet the Model 36 isn’t my favorite snubbie. That distinction would have to go to the old Colt Pocket Positive, manufactured from 1905 to 1940. The Pocket Positive has the one critical attribute that characterizes so many Colt revolvers: style. And if you can forgive me for using such a word, I might even say that the Pocket Positive is cute. Not merely cute, mind you, but cute as Brittany Spears’ … nose.

A Different Bird

The Pocket Positive was an outgrowth of Colt’s New Pocket Revolver, introduced in 1893. In addition to being Colt’s first swingout cylinder pocket revolver, this was a handy little gun, the name of which distinguished it from the “old” Colt Open Top Pocket Model manufactured from 1871 to 1877.

The Open-Top Pocket Model was a different bird from the New Pocket Revolver: a tiny little spur-trigger, single-action .22 that didn’t even have a topstrap. In comparison, the New Pocket Revolver of 1893 really was new, and with its “modern” solid-frame, double-action design, it made arch-rival Smith & Wesson’s top-break revolvers look like yesterday’s news.

The New Pocket Revolver came in blued or nickel finish with hard rubber stocks and a 2 1/2-, 3 1/2-, 5- or 6-inch barrel. It was Colt’s smallest revolver but not its only concealable snubbie, if you wanted to stretch the term a bit.

The Colt Model 1877 in .38 and .41 Colt (the so-called Lightning and Thunderer, respectively) was available in a “Storekeeper’s” version with 2 1/2-inch barrel and no ejector rod assembly until 1909.

The Model 1877 Storekeeper could conceivably be called a snubnose pocket revolver if you had pockets big enough to conceal its sizeable frame. But however you sliced it, the New Pocket outclassed every other deep-cover revolver of its day.

The original Colt New Pocket .32 had a compact, round-butt grip frame that made it especially well-suited for concealed carry. In 1896, Colt developed a variation of the New Pocket with a square-butt grip frame and released it as the New Police.

That year, the New Police was adopted as the issue sidearm of the New York City Police Department, the nation’s largest metropolitan law-enforcement agency, by virtue of the recommendation of the police commissioner, an energetic up-and-comer named Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt’s endorsement went a long way toward establishing the credibility of Colt’s new line of .32s.

Yet neat as the New Pocket and New Police were, they shared two flaws: They had no provision for a passive safety and were chambered for a truly rotten little cartridge.

Unique Features

Like all of Colt’s double-action revolvers of the day, the New Pocket and New Police had no safety; neither active (manually-operated) nor passive (automatic). Thus, if you dropped a loaded New Pocket or New Police .32 — cocked or not — in such a way that it landed on its hammer, the chances were fairly good that you’d go home that night with an extra bellybutton.

Then there was the guns’ chambering: .32 Short and Long Colt. These cartridges were scaled-down versions of Colt’s proprietary .38 and .41 Long Colt loads, and they shared a common shortcoming: an outside-lubricated, heel-based bullet similar to today’s .22 Long Rifle round.

The .32 Colt cartridges provided poor accuracy because they didn’t fit the bore especially well, and their exposed lube rubbed off rather easily and collected all manner of dirt and grit. (On special order, Colt would chamber the New Pocket and New Police in the much-superior, inside-lubricated .32 S&W Long cartridge, but it wasn’t eager to recognize a S&W product or stamp the hated “S&W” on its guns.)

Despite its lack of a safety and the limitations of the .32 Colt rounds, the New Pocket wasn’t a bad little gun. It was extremely small and was a much better design than its closest competitor, the Smith & Wesson First Model .32 Hand Ejector of 1896.

For one thing, you could open its cylinder with one hand, a feat that was almost impossible with the Hand Ejector. For another, you could order it with a 2 1/2-inch barrel vs. the Hand Ejector’s shortest barrel length of 3 1/2 inches.

Colt also made hay of the fact that the New Pocket’s cylinder rotated toward the frame, but those of “other” double-action revolvers (nudge, nudge) rotated away from the frame. The implication was that the other revolvers (nudge, nudge) wouldn’t stay as tight as a Colt. True? Perhaps not, but it made for a good talking point.

The New Pocket was America’s first truly modern, solid-frame snubbie. All it needed was a few tweaks, which were to come in 1905.

In that year Colt improved the New Pocket — and the New Police, too — by giving it an internal, passive-hammer block safety that prevented the hammer-mounted firing pin from falling on a live cartridge unless the trigger was held all the way back. This safety was held to be utterly foolproof or, in other words, “positive.” Thus were born the Pocket Positive and the Police Positive.

The revolvers’ chambering received an upgrade, too. Colt had realized that inside-lubricated cartridges were the wave of the future, so — no doubt holding its corporate nose — it relented and chambered the Pocket Positive and Police Positive in .32 S&W Long. But not without a fight, by gum! There was no way in heaven or earth that Colt was going to put “S&W” anywhere on its guns, so it did the next best thing: It invented a .32 S&W Long cartridge of its own.

The resulting cartridge, the .32 Colt New Police, was identical to and interchangeable with the .32 S&W Long — except for one thing. The S&W cartridge had a round-nose lead bullet, but the Colt number had a bullet with a minuscule flat on its nose. That was the entire difference.

In retrospect, it’s amusing to see how Colt avoided using the phrase “.32 S&W” in its advertising of the day. A Colt catalog from the 1920s danced around the issue on a page describing the Pocket Positive’s chambering:

“Caliber: .32 Colt Police Positive (New Police). (Using .32 Colt Police Positive (New Police); also .32 S&W Short and Long Cartridges, when the barrel is stamped ‘.32 Police Ctg.’).”

I’ve read that paragraph five times, and I’m still confused.

A Little Beauty

The Pocket Positive is simply a beautiful little revolver. Its main frame, grip frame and barrel harmonize in perfect proportions. Its barrel and extractor rod are unencumbered by a shroud, which has always seemed to me to give a snubbie an off-balance, muzzle-heavy appearance.

Finally, there’s the wonderfully sculpted cylinder latch. This latch, introduced in the 1920s, forms part of the recoil shield and was a big improvement from the angular, stamped latch that characterized Colt’s earlier double actions.

Every Pocket Positive I’ve fired has had a slick, smooth double-action trigger pull. That smoothness comes at a cost, however. The Colt’s lockwork gives great leverage but puts a lot of pressure on your hand, which sooner or later results in that characteristic last-second cylinder hitch that afflicts most heavily-used Colt double actions. Though not quite as slick as the Colt’s, the S&W Hand Ejector lockwork is much more durable.

The Pocket Positive disappeared from the Colt lineup in 1940, and its place was taken by the Detective Special and Police Positive Special. I doubt we’ll ever see the likes of the Pocket Positive again. In this day of magnumitis, the .32 S&W Long and .32 Colt New Police seem laughably underpowered. Still, whether I choose to carry one — and sometimes I do — the Colt Pocket Positive has my vote as the classiest snubbie of them all.

Hands On! Wiley X Gives Eyes Fashion, Function

By
Kevin D. Michalowski
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0

Glasses and shooting go together like Pamela Anderson and a video camera. You just need something covering your eyeballs. And when you reach for good glasses, you should get your hands on a pair from Wiley X.

The Climate Control Series from Wiley X Eyewear takes state-of-the-art eye protection to new extremes. The glasses include a foam “gasket,” for lack of a better term, that blocks dust and even stray light from the edges of the frame. It felt odd at first, but I quickly learned to ignore the foam and enjoy the fact there was no dust in my eyes. And as you can see from the photo, the glasses looked good, too.

The series includes six lightweight frames that trace their high-function, high-fashion styling to Wiley X’s heritage of providing advanced vision protection for the world’s most challenging environments. The JP-2, AirRage, Blink, Ink, Top Jimmie and Brick ANSI-certified frames accommodate various face shapes and sizes for the best combination of looks and protective performance.

Each model accepts prescription lenses and features an exclusive durable, removable foam gasket that’s symmetrically vented and locks into the ANSI-certified frame. The unique design stops the stuff that always seems to get through traditional sunglasses, particularly in windy or dusty outdoor conditions.

Climate Control Series frames are offered in several stylish finishes, including Matte Black, Metallic Black, Gloss Black, Aluminum Gloss, Crystal Metallic and Crystal Bronze. Each pair comes with a durable case and microfiber cleaning cloth.

Check out www.wileyx.com.

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Gun Review: FN PS90 Carbine

By
Scott Wagner
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2

Let's look at a new weapons system from Fabrique Nationale: The PS90 carbine.

American shooters and law enforcement officers have a history of being a very conventional, traditional, and at times, stodgy lot.  History is replete with examples.

How History Bucks Innovation

Famous gunfighter and lawman Wild Bill Hickock continued to use a brace of .36 caliber Colt Navy cap-and-ball revolvers as his primary armament until his untimely death in 1883, long after cartridge revolvers were in widespread use.

Colt introduced the double-action revolver, in a form that has remained nearly unchanged, in 1892.  Yet lawmen in Western states still continued the use of single-action Colt revolvers until WWII, and probably, even today, you can find a local lawman somewhere in a remote corner of the west (or Alaska) still packing a single-action revolver as primary armament.

And speaking of double-action revolvers, the NYPD, the largest police agency in the world, didn’t drop its double-action .38 revolvers as the primary duty weapon until the 1990s. The 1911 single-action pistol has been around since well, 1911.

Yet it is only in the last 15 years or so, and particularly in the last five that we have seen a veritable explosion in its popularity and the number of manufacturers making and modifying and providing accessories for this previously “specialist only” pistol-putting this pistol in the hand of seemingly every serious/semi-serious pistol shooter. But it took almost 100 years to get to this point!

Another example is stainless steel and synthetic stocks.  These have been available since the 1960s for hunting rifles, but they had been ignored in favor of traditional walnut and blued steel for 30 years or so until the majority of shooters figured out the advantages of these materials in bad weather situations.

Lets give some credit where credit is due.  We aren’t always THIS stodgy.  For example the Glock pistol took off like a rocket after initial (and fraudulent) media reports provoked concerns about its polymer construction slowed its acceptance.

After the truth came out, the rise to prominence was nearly meteoric and Glock now holds the majority share of the law enforcement market– a remarkable and unparalleled achievement.

In doing my review of the FiveseveN pistol and the PS90 carbine, I wanted to keep this history in mind.  As this duo is still relatively new to the civilian shooter (or privately purchased LE market) I felt that the guns should be viewed in terms of three factors, or portions of these factors, in order to determine shooter acceptability.

These factors all directly affect the end user, the shooter.  Are these guns, or parts of them innovative, unconventional or odd?  Why?  If the guns are innovative, they will be accepted in rather short order. Glock’s design is innovative.

The polymer frames, high reliability and user-friendly simplicity made them a market success.  If guns are unconventional, there will be some acceptance issues.  While an entire weapon may be innovative overall, parts of it may be unconventional.  Glock’s Safe-Action™ trigger system, was at the time of introduction, unconventional — there was no other manual safety on the weapon that had to be engaged or disengaged for use.  There wasn’t even a de-cocker.

While today this system is mostly viewed as innovative (and actually normal), there are still a number of police administrators that view Glocks as unsafe and unconventional and will not permit their issue or use.

Finally, if a gun or parts of it are viewed as odd, then we have a serious acceptance problem.  There are two examples that come to mind, both developed in the 1960s, of odd guns that never made it.  The first was the Gyrojet pistol.  This odd weapon fired rocket-powered cartridges in both pistol and rifle form.  It was neither accurate nor particularly powerful.

Its rocket projectiles could be stopped by the human hand at the end of the barrel without damage since they hadn’t gained sufficient velocity.  It took several feet of travel to gain appropriate speed. The second was the Dardick pistol, a very strange pistol that was a combination of revolver and semi-automatic pistol that fired a .38 caliber plastic cased “tround” cartridge that contained bullet and powder.  Both guns looked toy-like and are now collector’s items.

So with these parameters in mind let’s look at a pair of new weapons systems, and the cartridge they fire.  From Fabrique Nationale come the FiveseveN pistol and the PS90 carbine. First lets examine the PS90 carbine.

Fabrique Nationale PS90 Carbine

The PS90 is the civilian-legal version of the original P90, which was designed as a “personal defense weapon” for specialized military personnel whose main duties do not revolve around the military rifle. These troops are normally issued a pistol as a personal defense weapon. For U.S. forces that pistol is the Beretta M-9.  These soldiers include tank or artillery crews, pilots and air crewmen, and troops operating to the rear of forward areas.

However, it has long been felt that the pistol, in the hands of the average soldier is not up to the task.  I have to agree to a large extent.  If our military pistol shooters had trained up to a reasonable level in IPSC or IDPA-style shooting for example, I might feel differently.  But such is not the case and military training with the pistol for non-spec ops personnel is very basic.

Further, not everyone has the same abilities. What those in the research areas felt was needed to compensate for lack of proficiency with a pistol was a handy, shoulder-fired weapon of high magazine capacity and adequate power. The goal was to have a firearm that could be carried conveniently for extended periods of time in place of the pistol, and that would allow hits out to 100 yards or so.

The PS90 Carbine As a Defensive Weapon

This new weapon design was not to be an assault (taking the initiative) weapon, but rather a defensive (holding the position or covering the retreat) weapon.

Does the M-1 Carbine of WWII fame come to mind here?  Same problem, different time.  In fact, wasn’t switching to an easier-shooting 9mm from the .45 supposed to solve most of these “problems”?  Guess it didn’t.

However, one new wrinkle to the M-1 Carbine twist was that the weapon needed to penetrate the body armor worn by Soviet (Russian) or Chi-com/North Korean forces.

Like the original M-1, the new PD weapon needed to be light-recoiling and easy to fire.  Unlike the M-1, it was to be full-auto capable with a large magazine capacity and as a part of FN’s design plan, totally ambidextrous in operation.

What FN ended up with was, well, a very cool weapon, futuristic in appearance and totally unique, the P90.  While the P90 is already in use by a number of agencies such as the Secret Service, and is also the signature weapon of the science fiction television show Stargate, it has not been adopted, at least by the U.S., in its intended military role.

The civilian-legal counterpart, the PS90, retains most of the characteristics of the original P90 plus all of the overwhelming “cool factor”.

Lightweight, Compact Close-Quarter

According to the manual the PS90 is a blowback-operated bullpup carbine firing from a closed breach.  It weighs 6.61 lbs. (which is really deceiving, since it seems much lighter, undoubtedly due to its small size), has a maximum width of 2.3 inches and an overall length of only 26.3 inches and has a fixed optical sight.

It is truly ambidextrous in operation, with the disk-shaped safety capable of being operated by the trigger finger of either hand, pulling it toward you to fire if you are right-handed, and pushing it away from you if you are left handed.

Cartridges are fed through a translucent amber-colored polymer magazine that sits flush on top of the stock, but underneath the sighting module, parallel with the bore and chamber. Release the magazine by operating either of the two magazine releases on either side of the magazine at the chamber.

Ejection is downward through the large ejection port, located aft of pistol grip portion of the weapon. No empty casings will hit your face, no matter which way you hold the weapon on while firing.

The weapon is charged by grasping one of the ambidextrous cocking handles located on either side of the barrel assembly, and pulling directly backwards.  The trigger, which has been complained about by some, is to me, ok.

I originally agreed with the opinions of the trigger, but I went back to the original concept that this is an emergency defensive weapon, and that the trigger is the essentially set up the same as the full-auto version, to allow for controlled fire bursts, not long-range sniping.

What's Different from the P90?

With that being said, there are only three things that differentiate it from the P90.  The first is the civilian legal 16-inch barrel (which still puts the OAL about the same as the excellent M-16 Clinic Viper™ with its 7.25 inch barrel) and gives improved ballistic performance to the 5.7 x 28 cartridge over the much shorter P90 barrel.

The second is that the PS90 fires in semi-automatic mode only.

The third is that it is shipped with a single 30-round magazine that is marked as a 50-rounder. The magazine spring is modified to allow for loading of only 30 rounds. Fifty-round magazines are available from internet suppliers.

The overall assembly is modular in format, and breaks down easily for cleaning.  There is a single sling attachment slot in the toe of the buttstock.   Up to this point, everything I have described falls under the classification of being innovative.

First Impressions: Cool, But…

Now lets look at the PS90 in subjective detail.  When I first got my sample of the PS90, I kind of shook my head.

Ok, it appeared, like I said, cool, but there were a number of things that bothered me about it.  First was the price. Innovation comes with a price.  The retail price is $1,500.

I imagine that the price will come down somewhat as more of PS90’s become available, but heck, I could have a really sweet AR for that kind of money, and the PS90 didn’t even come with a sling (really, for $1,500 can we get a sling shipped with it, please?).

Also, I was troubled at first by the fixed Optical Ring Sights™ sighting system.  They are not adjustable; at least there is no adjustment method described in the manual or visible on the sight. There are only two mounting screws.  Chalk that up as odd.

I liked the small ring within the large ring for the reticle concept, but the field of view is very small, and under poor lighting the ghostly white (apparently a black ring is also available) reticle disappears until a parallel and perpendicular set of tritium bars that intersect the center circle appear to enhance the sight picture.

When I got home and tried the sights in a darkened room, I could see the tritium appear, but it is not what you would expect from tritium sighting.  It is vaguely orange and not bright.  That seemed unconventional, and borderline odd. It was not what I was used to.

But, I thought again, the PS90 is derived directly from an emergency combat weapon and is supposed to be durable and require no maintenance, and should be as idiot-proof as possible.

Innovative Sighting Solution

I guess the sights work, so they moved up to the unconventional level as I figured that what I would really like on the PS90 was a good red dot sight of some sort.  But after working with it some more during live fire, and making another discovery about the sighting system, I moved the Ring Sight™ all the way up to innovative.

What was the discovery?  Not mentioned in the manual is that the PS90 as well as the P90 have a set of AMBIDEXTROUS backup open iron sights built right into the barrel support and optical sight group assembly.

I only discovered this after dropping (sorry FN) the PS90 onto the carpeted floor (unloaded) and checking the optical sight.  Suddenly there they were, one set on either side of the optical sight.

They were part of the construction, regulated on either side to the point of aim of the optical sight, in the same black coating that the rest of the assembly is covered in.  If the Ring Sight™ is damaged in a mishap, you have the open sights to use in their place!

I have never seen anything like this before. They work just as well for the right- or left-handed shooter!  This really ought to get a mention in the manual.  Chalk up another one for being innovative.

Another issue for me that I was aware of from reading other reviews was that the PS90 had no last shot bolt hold-open feature.  My disgruntlement was quickly dismissed during loading and firing.

Once the weapon has been shot empty, and you get the empty trigger “click,” you cannot easily see the chamber anyway with the magazine in place.

You have to check through the bottom ejection port to see the chamber with the magazine in place.  In order to check and clear if you don’t want to remove the visibly empty magazine, you turn the weapon over and pull back on the charging handle and check.  In the big scheme of things how big a problem is this really?  Not having the hold-open also eliminates the need for an additional ambidextrous control built into the weapon, which reduces consumer cost.

As you can see, one must not be too quick to judge an entirely new design right away.  It really takes time to develop an opinion, good or bad, when faced with evaluating a product with this much innovation, and this many unconventional features.

PS90: Ultra-Reliable, No Recoil

As I continued to work with the PS90, my opinion began to change even more.  After several sessions at the Union County Sheriff’s Office range in Marysville, Ohio during both department M-16 qualifications and Columbus State Community College Police Academy firearms training, I not only changed my opinion on the points of contention outlined above (except the lack of a sling, and for that matter a spare magazine) I have grown to really love this little weapon.

Firing really drove home three positive (and innovative) aspects, even though I already knew of two.  The first was that the system is totally, and I mean totally, reliable.  The second is that there is no recoil, and very little muzzle blast, which was mitigated to some degree by the integral flash hider.  The third, be careful when firing the PS90 either from a kneeling or sitting position.  You start to accumulate a pile of warm empty casings on your leg since the ejection is straight down, right over the thigh.

Also be forewarned that if you are equipped with body armor by “second helping” rather than by Second Chance™, you will find your shirt streaked with small black casing sized marks from the downward ejection against your protuberance.

The gun and cartridge make for easy “minute of felon” hits at 100 yards, and some very nice groups at 25 yards and in, the range really intended for this gun.  I know you are asking about cartridge performance, and I will get to that in future articles, but suffice it to say for now that this thing is loads of fun to shoot, and anyone that handled it had a big smile on before, during and after firing.

That was followed by the exclamation, “I have got to have one of these!”  And those words from shooters who due to their, shall we say, lifetime of experience, have become a bit jaded.

For more information, www.fnhusa.com

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