This Week in Firearms History:

July 16: In 1790 Washington D.C. becomes U.S. Capital; in 1945 the first atomic bomb is detonated in New Mexico; in 1969 Apollo 11 is launched.

July 17: In 1881 Jim Bridger dies, in 1918 the Russian Imperial Family is murdered by Communists; in 1970 Justin Moon of Kahr Arms is born.

July 18: In 1925 Hitler publishes his book Mein Kampf; in 1936 gangster Lucky Luciano is sentenced to 50 years in prison;

July 19: In 1814 Samuel Colt is born, in 1929 Gaston Glock is born; in 1940 Adolf Hitler order Britian to surrender, they decline.

July 20: In 1881 Sioux Chief Sitting Bull surrenders; in 1948 Massad Ayoob is born; in 1969 US Astronauts land on the moon.

July 21: In 1865 Wild Bill Hickok and Davis Tutt shootout; in 1878 Sam Bass dies after being shot by Texas Rangers; in 1937 the 1st production M1 Garand rifle is assembled, and test fired.

July 22: In 1934 John Dillinger is gunned down outside the Biograph theater in Chicago; in 1992 Pablo Escobar escapes police custody.

Gun of the Week: Ruger P90

Our gun of the week is another Ruger, this one a single stack semi-auto pistol in 45 ACP.

The Ruger P-90's history started when the United States Army announced a new competition to replace the M1911-A1 pistol. Trials would be held in 1986. Ruger produced the P-85 pistol to compete for the contract, but was not ready in time for the 1st trials. Despite this it did qualify on all metrics.

Designed in 1990, hence the name, the P-90 came in a blued finish and all stainless steel (except for its cast aluminum frame). The double/single action design mimics that of many guns including the Beretta M9 which did end up winning the contract.

The single stack magazine holds 7 rounds (later increased to 8 rounds) and the slide has a de-cocker/safety which is ambidextrous. The guns were noted for being very precise/accurate, very rugged and reliable, but not so much for their looks or comfort.

The P-90 was dropped from Ruger's catalog in 2010.

Cartridge of the Week: 22-250

The 22-250 cartridge owes its existence to Browning Arms.

The cartridge started out, as many do, as a wildcat cartridge in the 1930s, it is a .250-3000 Savage cartridge necked down to .224 caliber, thus the name. When it still has widlcat status it went by a few names including .22 Varminter and .22 Wotkyns Original Swift. There were several variants of the wildcat round, which eventually was standardized by gunsmith Phil Sharpe.

The 22-250, which is capable of 4,000 fps, was given a huge boost when Browning Arms chambered their Hi-Power rifle in the cartridge, despite there being no commercial ammo available. This was the probably the 1st time such an event occurred.

The 22-250 remains popular with varmint shooters and handloaders as it is more versatile than similar rounds.

Gun Quote of the Week:

"The gun-free society has little interest in individuals. Its technocratic philosopher-kings want big and comprehensive solutions. Their answer to gun violence is to feed a horror of guns. Their answer to obesity is to ban sodas. Their solutions invariably miss the point by treating people like objects and objects like people.” – from Shadow of the Gun by Daniel Greenfield
Bubba Gun of the Week:

Willam Robert "Billy Bob" Jackson of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, built this custom Rossi 38 Special. Taking inspiration from the Fitz Special Colts, he bobbed the hammer and cut open the trigger guard. He says it helps him use the gun with gloves, which are necessary when scaring away the moose in the winter.

The copious use of grip tape made this one a contender for the next round of Golden Poop Awards. Good Luck Billy Bob!