Projects Update 2023

While I haven't been getting much done on my projects, I have been making progress.

I have been searching for parts and I did get a couple of guns refinished this year.

My S&W model 29 I purchased late last year didn't end up needed to be restored.

A good cleaning, waxing and a set of factory grips was all that was needed.

The presentation case is another story, I bought a kit to re-flock the interior.

I found a bolt & trigger spring for my $25 Winchester model 74. I refinished both the wood and metal and will post the project in the coming months.

This one will be an easy refinish, the only difficulty is staining the non-walnut stock a dark color that looks correct. It is a Springfield (Stevens/Savage) single shot 22 model 83.

I am still searching for an affordable squirrel stock for my Marlin model 60.

I'll need to get some Brownells Alumahyde II for the receiver & trigger guard on my JC Higgins model 36.

My High Standard model B is still waiting in a box for me to continue it's restoration.

I still need to find parts for my Meriden model 15 project.

I purchased this Remington 11-48 last year with the S&W model 29 & Marlin model 60, I decided it should be refinished as well, the wood was refinished by a previous owner and not very well.

This Marlin model 1894 44 Magnum still needs to get refinished, like the Remington above, it is not a big priority.

I still have a few 10-22 projects still lurking, one is a lightweight project using an aftermarket receiver, a cut down barrel and a factory plastic stock.

The other one involves a homemade receiver and some beat, used parts to create a post-apocalypse style rifle.

I also want to build a pirate pistol like this one, using the receiver and barrel from a 10/22 Charger

I also need to finish my homemade break-open shotgun project, when finished it will look a little like this one:

Here is one I have been thinking about building for a while, start with an Uberti 44 caliber 1848 Dragoon pistol with the brass grip frame. Then cut the barrel at the end of the frame and install a 45 Colt conversion cylinder.

This is possible because the barrels on the .44 Dragoon measure .454", which is a little big, but works with the .45 Colt which has a bullet diameter of .452".

Week 52 2023

This Week in Firearms History:

December 24: Christmas Eve; in 1809 Kit Carson is born; in 1993 Tombstone is released in theaters.

December 25: Christmas, in 1066 William the Conqueror is crowned King of England; in 1776 George Washington and his troops cross the Delaware river and defeat 1,400 Hessians.

December 26: In 1944 Patton and 3rd Armored Division break the encirclement of US Troops near Bastogne 

December 27: In 1945 the World Bank was created; in 1979 the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan. 

December 28: In 1732 Benjamin Franklin publishes his Poor Richard's Almanack; In 1846 Iowa becomes the 29th State; in 1949 H&K is founded in Germany.

December 29: In 1898 Lt Col John Henry Patterson kills the second of the two Tsavo man eating lions (Ghost & the Darkness). In 1934 development of the Winchester model 70 begins; in 1940 Germany begins dropping incendiary bombs on London.

December 30: In 1922 the USSR is formed; in 1959 the USS George Washington, the 1st ballistic missile submarine is commissioned.

Gun of the Week: Whitney Wolverine

The Whitney Wolverine was a short lived .22 pistol that resembled a Buck Rogers space gun.

The gun company and the pistol were given names to honor gunmaker Eli Whitney and the University of Michigan sports teams.

The pistol was the creation of Robert Hillberg and production began in 1956 and ended in 1958. Trademark issues required a name change to the "Lightning" while financial issues sunk the endeavor with less than 14,000 pistols being produced. The design was revived in 2002 by Olympic Arms, this time with a polymer frame.

Cartridge of the Week: 7.62 x 25mm Tokarev

The 7.62 x 25mm Tokarev was a copy of the 7.63 x 25mm Mauser. Created by the Soviet Government after paying license to manufacture the Mauser round, the Soviets just copied it and quit paying for the license. 

Although the cartridges are interchangeable, the Tokarev round does have higher pressure and should not be fired in guns chambered in the Mauser cartridge.

The cartridge was used in a variety of Soviet firearms including the TT-30 Tokarev pistol, the CZ-52 and the submachine guns PPSh-41 and the PPS-43.

 

Gun Quote of the Week:

"I will teach my children weapons and warfare, so they might teach their children science and law, so they might teach their children art and literature."
- Unknown Greek

Bubba Gun of the Week:

This week's bubba gun comes from D'jaquan D'javion D'jarnell Grandberry of Black Bottom Detroit. He performed most of the work himself with a bit of help from his sister Shaniqua Shantel Shardonay.

Gun Sticker of the Week:

This weeks sticker is simple in its message, I don't know who created it, but I like it.

Gun T-Shirt of the Week:

This week's T comes from Guerilla Tees, buy them here.

Interesting Firearm Photos Christmas 2023