This Week in Firearms History:

April 2: In 1792 The Coinage Act is passed establishing the U.S. Mint; In 1865, Battle of Fort Blakely, the last major battle of the Civil War; in 1917 President Wilson asks Congress for a Declaration of War against Germany; In 1970 the movie Patton is released in theaters.

April 3: In 1855, patent issued to Rollin White for cartridge revolver; In 1860 In St. Joseph, Missouri the 1st Pony Express rider heads west; In 1882, also in St. Joseph Missouri, Jeese James is killed by Bob Ford; In 1952 H&R is given contract to make M-1 Garand Rifles

April 4: In 1869 Rollin White's patent expires; In 1913 John Nosler is born; In 1939 Winchester is awarded contract to build M-1 Garand rifles; In 1988 Roy Weatherby dies.

April 5: In 1951 Julius & Ethel Rosenberg are sentenced to death for treason; In 1964 Gen Douglas MacArthur passes away.

April 6: In 1862, US Civil War, Battle of Shiloh; In 1917 The U.S. declares war on Germany, entering WWI.

April 7: In 1926 attempted murder of Mussolini fails; In 1945 The Battle of Okinawa, the Yamoto is sunk; In 1969 the Internet is born, on the same day the US Supreme Court legalizes the possession of "obscene material".

April 8: In 1232 The Siege of Kaifeng in China by the Mongols, this is the first recorded use of gun powder in battle. In 1913 the 17th Amendment is ratified by Congress;

Gun of the Week: SKS Rifle

The SKS rifle is a gas operated semi-automatic battle rifle designed in the 1930s and 40's, a series of improvements over previous designs.

The name is an acronym for the Russian "Samozaryadny Karabin Sistemy Simonova" which translates to Self-loading Carbine of the Simonova Design. Sergei Simonov was the designer and if it weren't for the Germans, this might have been the most popular rifle in history. The reason I say that is because the AK-47, which displaced the SKS, was inspired by the German STG44.

The rifle was still used by the Russians and the satellite states. Then in 1956 the design was sold or granted to the Chinese. In the late 1980s/early 1990s the Chinese SKS began to be imported into the U.S. at a very affordable price. This led to the "Bubbafication" of the SKS, which has come to a halt now that the SKS has a cult like following and the value of the rifle has increased dramatically. I purchased my 1st SKS at wholesale for $59, today the gun is worth north of $400. Read more about the SKS here

Cartridge of the Week: 357 Remington Magnum

The 357 Magnum was once considered the most potent handgun cartridge in existence.

That claim was boosted by the 357's "one shot stop" performance of the Remington 125 grain Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point seen above.

The 357 Magnum was developed in the 1930s as a more powerful replacement for the 38 Special. The 38 case was extended 0.14", mostly to prevent the more powerful 357 from being loaded into the .38 Special guns.

The 357 is mostly known as a revolver round but several semi-auto pistols have also been chambered in .357. In addition, several lever action and bolt action rifles have been chambered in .357, where slower burning powder increases the energy of the handgun round.

Gun Quote of the Week:

"In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." - Mark Twain

Bubba Gun of the Week:

Tucker Butkis out of Bitter End, Tennessee submitted his Mossberg 500 shotgun which he dedicated to the deceased artist formerly known as Prince now known as Prince again.