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