Theme Guns 'Merica 2023

 

Week 26 2023

 This Week in Firearms History:

June 25: In 1876 the Battle of the Little Big Horn takes place; in 1950 North Korean Communists invade South Korea, starting the Korean War.

June 26: In 1934, the National Firearms Act becomes law, in 1987 Full Metal Jacket is released in theaters; in 2008 SCOTUS D.C. v Heller decision reaffirms the right to bear arms.

June 27: In 1838 gun maker Paul Mauser is born; in 1874 Billy Dixon makes the "Shot of the Century" at the Second Battle of Adobe Walls.

June 28: In 1914 Franz Ferdinand is assassinated in Sarajevo starting WWI; in 1919 WWI officially ends with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. 

June 29: In 1891 the US Forest Service is established; in 1964 the Civil Right Act passes the Senate after an 83-day Filibuster by Democrats.

June 30: In 1815, US Naval hero Stephan Decatur ends attacks by Algerian pirates; in 1882 Charles J. Guiteau is hanged in Washington, D.C. for the assassination of U.S. President James Garfield.

July 1: In 1863 the Battle of Gettysburg begins; in 1867 Canada is confederated; in 1901 John Marlin dies, in 1970 the Royal British Navy suspends the ration of rum, ending a 315 year tradition.

Gun of the Week: Glock 17 pistol

The Glock pistol is one of those guns whose time had come. Had Gaston Glock not invented it, someone else probably would have.

Not to take anything away from the inventor of the gun, but plastic polymers had come to a point where they could be used in firearms. Note that the Glock was not the first plastic framed gun, but it did have a huge impact.

In 1980 Gaston Glock was a supplier of knife handle and sheaths for the Austrian Military when he heard about a competition for a new service sidearm. Glock put together a team of firearms experts to get advice on what design elements should be included (beyond what the military specifications were). In order to lighten the pistol and decrease production time and costs he decided to use the strong and flexible polymer he had experience with. After 1 year, 17 patents (which is where the Glock 17 got its name) and many prototypes the Glock 17 was ready for trials.

The Glock outperformed every other pistol and was adopted by the Austrian Military in 1982 as the P80. Since then the Glock has been adopted by dozens of militaries and hundreds of police departments. 

Many other pistols have been designed by Glock sharing the same operation, materials and silhouette. 

Cartridge of the Week: 7mm Remington Magnum

The 7mm Remington Magnum was designed to take larger game (Elk sized and larger) at longer distances.

The cartridge was introduced in 1962 and uses a .284" diameter bullet. The parent case is the .375 H&H Magnum, which is a belted case, offering precise head spacing. Bullet weights range from 110 grain to 195 grain. While Remington was the first to chamber a rifle in the cartridge, many other companies have chambered their rifles in 7mm Mag.

Gun Quote of the Week:

"Timid men prefer the calm of despotism over the tempestuous sea of liberty" - Thomas Jefferson

Bubba Gun of the Week:

This week's Bubba Gun comes to us from Greenhatchet, Canada. The builder, Tommy Thunderwind wanted a 20 gauge pocket pistol for scaring away musk ox. He handmade the pistol grip from petrified Mastodon penis wrapped in genuine Saskatchewan salmon skin.

Gun Sticker of the Week:

Dirty Harry will live forever, get these stickers here

Gun T-Shirt of the Week:

Another shirt that makes fun of woke culture and promotes gun ownership at the same time, get them from this Etsy seller

Interesting Gun Mods III

See our first two posts here and here.

These are modifications someone has performed, accessories you can buy or proposed gun designs. 



This is an interesting take on the grip storage idea. this AR grip from Magnetospeed has options for a mini-flashlight a dry box or a mini AR mag that holds 3 rounds. The prices are extremely reasonable (is that an oxymoron?). The basic grip with dry storage box sells for $31.99, the mini0mag sells for $10.99 and the torch goes for $84.99. They also have a mono-pod that slides in the grip for an additional $89.99. See more here

  

Here are three interesting rifle stocks..... 

How about a vertical forward grip that conceals a backup weapon, a dagger? Introducing the Grip Knife, see more here

The Devil Dog Concepts Hard Charger side charging handle, see it here

 

Week 25 2023

 This Week in Firearms History:

June 18: In 1812 The U.S. declares war on England; in 1815 Napolean is defeated at the Battle of Waterloo; in 1969 The Wild Bunch is released in theaters; in 1977 Larry Potterfield starts Midway USA.

June 19: In 1829 Robert Peel introduces The Metropolitan Police Act; in 1865 Juneteenth, Texas Slaves are freed; 

June 20: In 1833 Gun maker Christopher Spencer is born; in 1924 Audie Murphy is born; in 1935 Neal Knox is born; in 1947 gangster Bugsy Seagal is assassinated in Beverly Hills.

June 21: In 1788 the U.S. Constitution becomes law; in 1914 Col. Rex Applegate is born; in 1916 Bill Ruger is born; in 1940 General John T. Thompson (of the Tommy Gun) dies at the age of 79.

June 22: In 1865 the last shot was fired in the US Civil War; in 1940 France surrenders to Germany; in 1945 the Battle of Okinawa ends.

June 23: In 1776 the final draft of the Declaration of Independece is submitted to Congress; in 1939 the US Coast Guard is created.

June 24: In 1853 President Franklin Pierce signs the Gadsden Purchase; in 1948 the Soviets begin the blockade of West Berlin; in 1949 Hopalong Cassidy airs for the 1st time; in 1994 Wyatt Earp is released in theaters. 

Gun of the Week: U.S. Rifle M1903A3

The M1903A3 was the "improved" version of the Springfield model of 1903 Rifle.

I put improved in quotes because, not everyone saw the changes as improvements.

The 1903 Springfield was a copy of the German Mauser K98 and was the standard rifle issued to US troops from 1903 to 1936 when the M1 Garand was adopted. The M1903 originally fired the 30-03 cartridge which was improved in 1906 and became the 30-06 Springfield.

During WWII it became apparent that the Springfield Armory and Winchester could not produce enough M1 rifles, so a contract was given to both Remington and Smith Corona (a typewriter company with roots in firearms manufacturing). Remington was using old WWI tooling from the Rock Island Arsenal, as the tooling became worn out Remington decided to propose the use of stamped steel in non-essential parts.

Another improvement was replacing the rear leaf sight that sat ahead of the action with a peep sight that sat at the rear of the action. This was to match the sight on the M1 which decreased training time.

The end of the war brought an end to production, but the rifle remained in service for many years after and can still be found in service with drill teams & ceremonial events.

Cartridge of the Week: 7.62 x 39mm

The story of the Russian 7.62 x 39mm doesn't start in Russia, but then few stories about Russian armament do.

 
Our story begins in WWII, by the time the German Army invaded Poland in 1939 the German war machine was already in high gear. 

One of the developments being worked on by the Nazi regime was a Sturmgewehr or "Storm Rifle". Developed in 1943 and adopted in 1944 as the STG-44 it used an intermediate cartridge. The idea was that the rifle was light, cheap to manufacture, had both a high capacity and a high rate of fire. This required a new cartridge, one that was a potent killer, but without the recoil of a high-powered rifle cartridge. What they came up with was the 7.92 x 33mm Kurz. 

After the war the Russians simply copied the design of both the rifle and the cartridge and thus the AK-47 and the 7.62 x 39mm were born.

Gun Quote of the Week:

"The World is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing" - Albert Einstein

Bubba Gun of the Week:

A most tenacious competitor, Otis Pyle, has submitted his creation a number of times. It was included in our 1st Annual Golden Poop Awards but did not win. 

I must comment on his presentation skills, the use of cardboard is inspiring, reminds one of a garbage pile or homeless camp.

Gun Sticker of the Week:

Join or Die, a comical but still serious take on the Revolutionary flag. Buy them here

Gun T-shirt of the Week:

Our t-shirt this week is from the Pew Pew Jew, "People with ARs don't get in Cattle Cars", buy them here

Featured Gun: Remington 11-48

 

The story of the Remington 11-48 begins with (as do so many) John Moses Browning.

Browning developed a recoil operated semi-automatic shotgun in 1898.

A few years later Browning licensed the design to FN as the Browning Auto-5, then later to Savage as the model 720 and to Remington as the model 11.

Remington model 11

The model 11 was redesigned into the model 11-48, the model number pays homage to the earlier model and the date which it was redesigned (1948). 

After WWII the task of redesigning the model 11 was given to a group of Remington engineers L. Ray Crittendon, Ellis Hailston and C.R. Johnson. 

To get the streamlined look they wanted, they hired a famous industrial designer named John Vassos. 

John Vassos, was a decorated veteran of WWII, he ran a spy school in Egypt. He was also known for his Avant-garde industrial designs which influenced many other designs. His story is very fascinating, I may have to tell it someday.

The new receiver design was used on all subsequent Remington shotguns, including the 870 Wingmaster, introduced the year after the introduction of the 11-48.

The model 11-48 was unique in that it made use of many stamped steel parts. Remington learned of the economy of making parts from stamped steel during WWII when they redesigned parts of the M1903 rifle to make the gun cheaper and faster to produce. Their design was designated the M1903A3 and was produced by both  Remington and Smith-Corona during the war.

In addition to stamped steel parts (which also aided in interchangeability) the 11-48 offered easily replaceable barrels. A boon for sportsmen as they now could buy one shotgun and extra barrels for hunting land fowl, waterfowl or deer, just by changing barrels.

The action of the 11-48 uses the same long recoil action of the model 11, in this case the barrel and the bolt move reward to extract the spent shell and absorb some of the recoil. Recoil springs were located in the buttstock (for the bolt) and around the magazine tube (for the barrel).

The magazine held 4 rounds without the plug. 

Another new feature was a consolidated trigger assembly, housed in an aluminum fixture which is easily removed for cleaning by pushing out two pins. This feature was carried over to all subsequent Remington shotguns.

The 11-48 came in several grades designated by a letter following the model #

The 11-48A is the standard grade, early standard grade guns had no letter A, simply marked 11-48

The 11-48B was the Special grade.

The 11-48D was the Tournament grade.

The 11-48F was the Premier grade, the best wood, best fit and finish.

The 11-48RSS was the Rifled Slug Special

The 11-48R was the police "Riot" grade gun.

There was also a Sportsman 48 made, this gun came with a crimped magazine tube which would not allow more than two shells in the magazine. This was to comply with some draconian state game laws that would not permit a removeable plug to be used to limit capacity.

In 1956 Remington redesigned the 11-48 into the model 58, which was a gas operated design. The model 58 was more expensive to produce and was found to be less reliable. 

Side note, unlike the model 58, the 11-48 has been exalted for its extreme reliability.

The model 58 was discontinued in 1963 when the model 1100 was introduced. The 1100 improved the issues with the model 58 and is still produced today, Remington retired the 11-48 in 1968.

Specs:

Action: recoil operated, semi-automatic

Caliber(s): .410 bore, 28, 20, 16 & 12 Gauge.

Weight: 6.25-7.5 lbs depending on caliber and barrel length

Barrel Length: 18-30"

Years Produced: 1949-1968

Number produced: 455,535

Value: $250 - $2,000

To date your 11-48 use the chart below. The date cades can be found on the barrel's left side near the receiver.

This post was inspired by my own model 11-48 which I recently acquired in a package deal.

The gun is chambered in 12 gauge and is in very good condition. This 11-48 was made in 1951 (third year production) and has a 26" barrel with a full choke

Sources:

Remington 11-48 Semi-Auto Shotgu (leeroysramblings.com)

 

Remington 11-48 Factory Barrel Lengths ? | Shotgun Forum (shotgunworld.com)

 

Blast from the Past: Remington 11-48 | Field & Stream (fieldandstream.com)

 

Buy Remington Model 11-48 For Sale Online at GunBroker.com

Remington Model 11-48, Model 11-48, Remington Model 11-48 serial numbers, 1148, semi-auto, 12 guage, 20 guage, values, prices, shotgun (guncollectionsonline.com)

Week 24 2023

 This Week in Firearms History:

June 11: In 1776 a committee is formed to draft the Declaration of Independence; in 1961 the last episode of Gunsmoke airs; in 1969 Tru Grit opens in theaters.

June 12: In 1931 Al Capone is indicted on 5000 counts of perjury and violations of the Volstead Act; in 1942 Anne Frank gets her diary for her birthday; in 1987 President Reagan gives his "Tear down this wall" speech in West Germany.

June 13: In 1373 England & Portugal sign a treaty that still stands today; in 1777 Marquis de Lafayette arrives in U.S.; in 1866 the U.S. House of Representatives passes the 14th Amendment.

June 14: In 1775 The US Army forms under the Continental Army; Flag Day, In 1777 The U.S. formally adopts Old Glory. 

June 15: In 1215 King John signs the Magna Carta; in 1775 George Washington named Commander in Chief of Continental Army; in 1846 the Oregon Treaty is signed setting the US-Canada border at 49 degrees N; in 1967 The Dirty Dozen opens in theaters.

June 16: In 1815 Napoleon wins his last military victory at the battle of Ligny; in 1897 the Republic of Hawaii is annexed into the U.S.; in 1903 Pepsi Cola and Ford Motor Company incorporated on same day.

June 17: in 1775, US Revolutionary War, Battle of Bunker Hill; in 1885 the Statue of Liberty arrives in New York; in 1933 The Kansas City Massacre takes the life of 1 FBI and 4 local police. 

Gun of the Week: Ruger Bearcat

The Ruger Bearcat is a small .22 revolver made by Sturm, Ruger and Company.

Introduced in 1958, the gun was designed by Bill Ruger himself.

The frame design takes inspiration from the 1858 Remington New Police and its name from the Stutz Bearcat automobile, both of which Bill Ruger was a fan of.

The Bearcats frame was originally aluminum, but a steel framed version, called the Super Bearcat, was introduced in 1971.

In 1972 the Bearcat received the "New Model" update, same as all Ruger single actions, which included a transfer bar safety.

The Bearcat was left out of the Ruger catalog in 1975 by mistake and was dropped from production until it was brought back in 1993 as the New Bearcat, which is all steel.

A stainless-steel version arrived in 2002 as well as a "Shopkeeper" model with bird's head grip and 3" barrel.

In 2015 a version with adjustable sights began to be offered. Read more here

Cartridge of the Week: 41 Remington Magnum

The 41 Remington Magnum was introduced in 1964, some 29 years after the 357 Magnum and 9 years after the 44 Magnum were introduced.

Not satisfied with bringing the 357 and 44 Mag to market, Elmer Keith with help from Bill Jordan and Skeeter Skelton, pushed Remington and Smith & Wesson to introduce a magnum pistol cartridge that sat in between the 357 & 44.

The bullet diameter is .410 and bullet weights can vary from 170 grain to 265 grain. The 41 Magnum never reached the popularity of its brothers the 357 and 44.

Gun Quote of the Week:

"If a felon attacks you and lives, he will reasonably conclude that he can do it again. By submitting to him, you not only imperil your own life, but you jeopardize the lives of others." - Col Jeff Cooper

Bubba Gun of the Week:

Booney Wilson out of Bugtussle, Kentucky submitted this Glock for consideration in our First Annual Golden Poop Awards for Gunsmithing. A quote from his submission "I calls it 'Tactical Gription', both patent and trademarks are still pending, so don't even think of copying me"

Gun Sticker of the Week:

This weeks gun sticker is from an Etsy seller, buy them here.

Gun T-shirt of the Week:

I found this one in an internet search, buy them here