TINCANBANDIT's Gunsmithing: 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.