This Week in Firearms History:

March 26: In 1199, King Richard I (Lionheart) is mortally wounded at Chalus; in 1958 Nikita Khrushchev becomes premier of the Soviet Union

March 27: In 1713 Spain loses Menorca and Gibraltar to Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht; in 1794 The US Navy is created; in 1945, WWII, Operation Starvation begins

March 28: In 845 Paris is sacked by Viking raiders; in 1930 Constantinople (named in 300AD) is renamed Istanbul; in 1969 President Eisenhower dies at 78

March 29: Vietnam Veteran Recognition Day; in 1911, the U.S. Army formally adopted the Colt M1911 pistol; in 1973 the last US troops leave Vietnam; in 2007 Lloyd Brown, the last Navy veteran of WWI passes away at 109

March 30: In 1909 Hiram Percy Maxim is awarded patent for a silenced firearm; in 1981 President Ronald Reagan is wounded in an assassination attempt.

March 31: In 1850 gunmaker L.C. Smith is born; in 2006 after 140 years Winchester plant closes in New Haven; in 2011 Marlin closes its plant in North Haven.

April 1: In 1920 Savage purchases J. Stevens Arms Co; in 1924 Hitler is sentenced to 5 years for the Beer Hall Putsch; in 1934 Bonnie and Clyde kill two Texas Highway Patrolmen; in 1945, WWII, 60,000 US troops land on Okinawa

Gun of the Week: Colt Lightning Rifle

The Colt Lightning Rifle was a pump action rifle made from 1884 to 1904. They were designed to specifically fire revolver cartridges so that this rifle could be a companion to Colt revolvers.

The rifle came in three frame sizes and seemed to be well designed and fast to shoot.

In 1898 the San Francisco PD ordered 401 of the rifles in 44-40, a sure collector's item today.

All production ended in 1904, rumor has it Winchester was planning on producing a revolver to compete with Colt, but agreed to not make the revolver if Colt would end production of the Lightning and a planned lever action rifle. Read more here

Cartridge of the Week: 30 Super Carry

The Federal .30 Super Carry is a semi-auto handgun cartridge that was designed with self-defense in mind.

The 30 Super Carry is indeed a 30 caliber, sharing the bullet diameter of the .32 ACP, but the bullets are heavier, 100-115 grain, compared to the 60-75 grain of the 32 ACP.

The designers hoped that with bullet and powder technology advanced as much as it has would allow them to get 9mm performance out of a smaller cartridge. This would allow for high capacities on smaller carry guns.

By a pretty large consensus the .30 Super Carry outclasses the .380 ACP and is comparable, if not better than the 9mm Luger.

Gun Quote of the Week:

"I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.” – Thomas Jefferson

Bubba Gun of the Week:

Nicknamed Frankenstein's 10-22 this gun was modified by Victor Adolph Frankenstein (pronounced frawn ken steen), this rifle, err handgun? features parts from no less than 12 guns. They gun may look like a violation of the United States National Firearms Act, but Victor lives in Point Roberts WA, in fact the gun is kept on the side of the house that is in Canada, so no foul here.