Ten Moments that changed Firearms History

 

Ever wonder how we got here? There are lots of possible outcomes from anyone event, but our current Gun World was shaped by the events listed below.

Gaston Glock gets laughed at

Gaston Glock owned a company that made shower curtain rings and other polymer products. Some of these products included training grenades and machine gun links. In 1978 Glock was awarded a contract for field knives for the Austrian military.

Sometime later, in '79 or '80 Glock was conversing with some Austrian military personnel, they were complaining about the Walther P-38/P1 which was the current issued sidearm in Austrian Military. Glock piped up and said that he could build them a better weapon, the men laughed at him, no doubt insulting him in the process. Glock took on the challenge and in April of 1981 was granted a patent for his pistol. The Glock 17 was adopted by the Austrian Army as well as several others, it now holds more than 70% market share in law enforcement Worldwide.

Winchester invests in Smith & Wesson

Oliver Winchester was a businessman in New England, primarily in textiles. Somehow, he heard about a business that had high potential for success yet was still going under or maybe he was convinced by other investors. Either way, he invested in the fledgling Smith & Wesson Company.

Smith & Wesson were trying to get the kinks worked out of a lever action pistol design that they purchased. 

Oliver Winchester eventually bought out Smith & Wesson, moved the company to New Haven and switched from a pistol to a rifle.....and deer have not been safe since.

The 1934 National Firearms Act

An unconstitutional Act passed by both houses of Congress in unbelievable speed, from introduction to passage by both houses and signed into law was less than one month. There was an attempt to outlaw everything except long barreled rifles and shotguns, but someone forced the issue and demanded that handguns be exempted.....they should have demanded that short barreled rifles and shotguns also be excepted...after all why is it legal to own a 11" handgun with no tax stamp, but not a 12" rifle???

Due to this error, Americans have not been able to own short, barreled rifles or shotguns without a $200 tax stamp and permission from the Federal Government, all the while these things have been legal in Canada and other countries.

Samuel Walker writes to Samuel Colt

in 1844 Samuel Walker, an Army Captain, wrote to Samuel Colt, hoping the gun maker would listen to his idea about a new revolver that would be powerful enough to kill a man or horse with one shot.

Walker funded his own trip to New York to meet with Colt. Colt was no longer in the gun business, as his first endeavor in Patterson New Jersey went bankrupt a year prior. After being assured that Walker could get him a contract Colt agreed to design and build the gun. He partnered with Eli Whitney Jr, the man famous for his Cotton Gin.

The money earned from the sale of the guns granted Colt the opportunity to start up his business again, he built a new factory on the banks of the Connecticut River. Colt's revolvers were so popular that the name Colt was once synonymous with the word revolver.

Bill Ruger Meets Alexander Sturm

Bill Ruger desperately wanted to start his own gun company and was building hand tools in an attempt to get into the business. His previous company had just failed, and Ruger needed to get back into business. Everything changed when he met Alexander Sturm, even though they were different in a lot of ways and Ruger was 7 years his senior, they became friends and once Sturm saw Ruger's protype .22 pistol he wanted to go into business with Ruger.

Sturm provided $50,000 as seed money to start the company, within a year the loan was repaid, and the company was growing very fast. Ruger is now the largest gun maker in America, with annual revenue exceeding $500 Million. Read more here.

The 1994 "Assault Weapons" Ban

Democrats, in their never-ending attempt to put their boots on the necks of others, passed and signed into law a ban on the manufacture of scary looking semi-auto rifles. 

Before the ban there was an estimated half million AR-15s in private hands and relatively few semi-auto AK-47s and Mini-14s being enjoyed by free citizens.

In order to get the ban passed, Democrats needed the help of Republicans, so the Republicans were able to get a sunset clause put in the legislation, the ban would only last ten years.

In the mid-term elections following the ban, every single Democrat running for reelection lost, including the Speaker of the House. It was dubbed "the Republican revolution".

After the ban expired sales of the banned rifles skyrocketed, today there are an estimated 20 million AR-15s in private hands and the price dropped by more the 50%. In addition, magazines holding more than 10 rounds also became extremely popular. The ban actually made the affected items cheaper and more popular. Read more here.

Tompkins PLC (Smith & Wesson) makes a deal with the devil

British firm Tompkins PLC purchased Smith & Wesson from Bangor Punta in 1987 for $112.5 Million, in March of 2000 Tompkins PLC made an agreement with pedophile Bill Clinton to put locks on their guns, develop "smart gun" technology and other restrictions, in exchange for government contracts. A boycott of Smith & Wesson products commenced immediately, by September the CEO was forced out and by December S&W stock was at 19 cents per share. In May of the following year Tompkins sold S&W for $15 Million. This paved the way for Smith & Wesson's comeback.

Frank Kenna buys Marlin

In 1924 Marlin was up for sale at an auction. I am sure Winchester could have purchased what was left of their competitor, no doubt Smith & Wesson or Colt probably could have bought them also, but those people did not believe in Marlin and their products, but a man named Frank Kenna did, so he bid $100 (around $1,900 today) and won the company (along with some debt). The Kenna family brought the company back from the brink and many of us would probably have never owned a Marlin if not for Frank Kenna.

Remington forges his own barrel

Whether an attempt at greatness or a frugal blacksmith wanting a gun, with that first barrel Eliphalet Remington II started a company that would last more than 200 years. At its height Remington was the premier provider of shotguns and rifles. The 870 Wingmaster is still revered as one of the best shotguns ever made.

The 1968 Gun Control Act and the Ring of Fire

The 1968 Gun Control Act was in response to three major assassinations in the U.S. President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert five years later and Martin Luther King Jr. led our government to restrict our access to firearms.

One of the provisions in the act was the banning of the importation of small handguns, they were deemed as having "no sporting purpose", funny the Constitution never mentions "sport".

The ban resulted in companies popping up to make these small, concealable, defensive arms in America as the ban only applied to imported weapons. The Jennings family of Los Angeles started one such company and that company spawned several others (a dozen or so). The affordable, small caliber guns were very popular, so much so that the media named this group of companies surrounding the Los Angeles area as the "Ring of Fire", read more here.

Featured Gun: Remington 550

Back in 2018 I authored a Featured Gun post on the Remington 500 series bolt action rimfire rifles, today we will add to that list with the semi-auto 550 and its variants.

Just as a refresher the 500 series rifles were introduced in 1939 with the 510 Targetmaster and the 511 Scoremaster followed a year later with the 512 Sportmaster and 513 Matchmaster. These were all bolt action rimfire rifles, the next year (1941) Remington used the same platform to introduce a semi-auto variant using many of the same parts, the 550. 

David "Carbine" Williams along with Kenneth Lowe get the credit for the design. The barrel is even stamped with "Williams Patents" which included a "floating chamber" allowing the gun to fire .22 Shorts and .22 Long Rifles with zero adjustments between shots.

Production was limited as the war raged in Europe and precious machine tools were being used for the war effort. Only 34,577 model 550 (A) rifles were built between 1941 and 1946, when it was replaced by a slightly improved version known as the 550-1.

Included in the production numbers was a rare model, the 550-P, "P" standing for peep site, it is not known how many were built, but they are considered quite rare as they were only made in '41 and '42.

The 550-1P was introduced in 1946 and is more common than the earlier version, but it too had a short life as it was discontinued in 1952.

The first two years of production had no dash between the numbers, after 1948 the dash appeared.

In 1950 Remington introduced a gallery gun version, the 550-2G, included was a ring under the mag tube in which to tether the rifle to the bench. The barrel was shortened to 22" and the internals were specifically designed to shoot .22 shorts only. 

The 550 series rifles used the same extruded rectangular/round receiver, same stock (with some slight modifications) same trigger and trigger guard, same safety and other parts as they bolt-action cousins.

The receiver from the 500 series bolt action

The receiver from the 550 series semi-auto

Just as it's bolt action cousins, the 550 rifles were designed to shoot 22 short, 22 Long and 22 Long Rifle cartridges, a first for auto-loading rifles.

The 550 featured a tubular, under barrel magazine, just like the 512 Sportmaster (they may even be interchangeable), that held 15 rounds of 22 Long Rifle, considerably more if you load it with shorts.

Specs:

Action: Semi-Automatic, blow back

Caliber: .22 Short, .22 Long & .22 Long Rifle

Barrel Length: 24"

Overall Length: 43.5"

Length of Pull: 13.5"

Weight: 6.25lbs (empty)

Magazine Capacity: 22 (.22 Short), 17 (.22 Long), 15 (.22 LR)

Years of production: 1941-1971

Number Produced: 764,573

In 1971 the gun was replaced by the 552 Speedmaster, which used a different receiver, styled after the model 870 Wingmaster shotgun.

With nearly three-quarters of a million rifles made, it is not uncommon to run into one, but when compared to the 8 million 10/22s or 11 million Marlin model 60s they seem rare by comparison.

This post was inspired by a project gifted to me by a retired gunsmith. It came to me in a group of guns that could not be returned to their original owners for a variety of reasons (people moved, died, changed phone numbers etc.). I need to secure a few parts to get it working again.

The bluing is in great shape, but the stock has the ugly varnish, which has darkened with time. I will refinish the stock with a hand rubbed oil finish.

In addition, I own two other 500 series guns, one a 513-S Matchmaster, which is on the list for restoration.

And this beautiful 511 Scoremaster, that I reblued a few years ago

Sources:

Curious Relics #110: The Remington 550-1 .22 Rimfire - Part I

Remington 550-1: Features & History

Firearm Factory of the Month: Burgess Arms

 

This story is more about Andrew Burgess than his short-lived gun company, but I will try to stay on point.

Andrew Burgess was born in Dresden New York in 1837, as a young man he apprenticed with Matthew Brady, a man known for his Civil War photographs. Brady just happened to be the Burgess' neighbor.

Burgess went with Brady to photograph the Civil War, then the execution of Maximillian in Mexico. Later they documented the Franco-Prussian War, after which Burgess decided to become a gunsmith. 

Burgess is credited with nearly 900 patents for firearms design. He is also credited for taking the photograph of Lincoln that adorns the U.S. $5 bill.

Burgess was still taking photographs while his firearms business ramped up. 

After selling patents to several companies, including Colt and Marlin, he decided to open his own company to manufacture his folding shotgun. See more on that shotgun here.

In 1892 Burgess bought or rented a 3-story building at the intersection of Military Road and Chandler Street in Buffalo, right along the railroad tracks.

While business wasn't exactly booming, Burgess and his shotgun were making waves. Winchester came along in 1899 and purchased the company, lock, stock and brand.

What remains:

I was able to find the address of the Burgess factory in a Buffalo directory from 1892.

Google Maps showed that there are two potential locations for the old Burgess factory, see the red circles below.

Many of Burgess' designs are still being used by gun manufacturers.

Sources:

Andrew Burgess - Forgotten Weapons

Interesting Firearm Photos #97

 

Defensive Handgun Training at Thunder Ranch

 

As a competitor in IDPA, I considered myself to be fairly proficient in handgun combat, that all changed when I went to Thunder Ranch.

What I learned was that I didn't know what I didn't know.

Thunder Ranch was started in 1993 by Clint Smith a decorated Marine who served two tours in Vietnam. Clint worked as a Sheriff's deputy for seven years, during which he began training other LEOs as part of the SWAT team. After his LEO career Clint attended and then worked for Jeff Cooper at Gunsite in Paulden, AZ (near Prescott).

Clint eventually bought land in SE Oregon and started Thunder Ranch to impart his wisdom learned through the years to those interested in combat pistol techniques.

Clint sold the ranch in 2023 and has retired from training, but his training techniques and the ranch continue to provide valuable training to those seeking it.

My son B.J. had wanted to attend the class there and instigated the trip. So I flew to Oregon and we rented a house nearby. I brought my Kimber 1911 pistol, B.J. was using a CZ 75 I believe.

That morning we were greeting by a thing blanket of snow.

Thunder Ranch sits at 5,400 feet above sea level, so snow in April is not uncommon. Interestingly, Gunsite ranch is also high desert at 4,790 feet.

The class started as you might expect, the four basic rules of gun safety, followed by anecdotal stories of negligent and accidental discharges and the difference between them. They also touched on the subject of legal defense following a shooting. In this day and age, defending yourself or others with a gun also means you may have to defend your actions in court.

There was talk about flashlights and the trainer had everyone put their lights on the ground so he could highlight the differences between them.

There was a discussion about the difference between cover and concealment, while cover can be concealment, concealment isn't always cover. In order for cover to be cover, it has to over some level of protection from bullets. The level of protection depends on what gun is being shot at you.

Next the trainers discussed proper hand grip, while there are a few ways to hold a gun properly, there are lots of ways to hold it improperly. 

Along with proper hand grip, they discussed stance, they didn't discuss the different known stances (Isosceles, weaver, etc.) they did discuss having a good stance and practicing it. Along with this we did both dry fire and live fire practice.

Along with this was practice shooting with either hand, many times in a fight your "good" hand may get injured, so it is important to practice with both.

Next came the draw, they broke it down into 5 movements, 1. hand on gun, 2. remove gun and lift arm, 3. extend arm 4. sight, 5. shoot.

We practiced live fire draws with open sights.

Next, they discussed trigger control, the trainers explained how trigger pull should not affect your accuracy/precision. A lot of people focus on this and spend money unnecessarily.

They also talked about sight wobble, this is when you have to hold your gun on a subject for a period of time and the weight of the gun makes your arm tired and thus the point of aim change. They trained us on focusing on the sights as it sweeps past the target and timing your shots during the sweeps. We practiced this at both 10 and 25 yards.

During this time, they explained shot placement and how important it is, I had always thought that LEOs were trained to shoot for center of mass because it was a larger target, but as it turns out they were actually aiming for the spine. That and the fact that the head moves a lot more than the torso, so it is an easier target.

There was discussion about wounds and how some people can continue the fight with head wounds, teeth, and the round shape of the skull can make head shots ineffective.

We practiced "A-Zone" shots on targets

The next discussion was on controlling recoil, going back to how important grip and stance are. We did both dry and live fire practice.

Along with this they discussed moving target and the importance of rule #4, make sure that there is no one or nothing important behind the bad gun. This may necessitate a move to the side, we practiced live fire moving forward and back and side to side.

We moved on to clearing jams, the old "tap, rack, bang", something that needs to be second nature for people carrying a gun. We practiced clearing our guns and shooting live fire.

Next, we moved to a different location, a building specifically designed to train close quarters combat and room clearing.

Practice was live fire and dry fire, sometimes using only one or two rounds.

One of the most valuable parts of the class is the real-World experience that the trainers can bring, they told us stories of successful home defenses, one involved a woman laying prone behind her bed (concealment, not cover) and shooting under the bed at the intruder's feet.

The class consisted of around 20 people, with varying skills and knowledge. There were 4 trainers who each taught and discussed the subjects.

I polled the class and everyone there thought the experience was worth the time and money spent, including me, my son B.J. and his friend who went with us.

About the Author:

Bobby Thurman grew up in the wilds of Southern Oregon and has been around guns all his life, a Navy veteran and SEALs applicant, he has participated in IDPA and other shooting competitions. His latest endeavor is to hit a human sized target at one mile with his Savage rifle in .338 Lapua.

How to Blue Guns Part II

 One of the most common questions gunsmiths like me get asked is "how do you blue a gun".

I covered this topic nearly 10 years ago and decided to update it as my equipment and methods have evolved a bit.

To start with we need to explain the science, then I will show you how I do it.

For starters most guns are made of steel, steel is an alloy of iron and a small amount of carbon (usually less than 1%).

Modern gun steels often have other metals in the alloy like chromium or nickel. These alloys can affect the way the guns are blued.

Bluing is not really the correct term, the finish is actually black oxide.

We all know what happens to iron or steel if left unprotected, it rusts, more precisely it oxidizes. Oxygen attaches itself to the metal and creates a new alloy: Iron oxide. Iron Oxide has a reddish orange color.

When you heat iron or steel that has been oxidized, it changes the color and composition of the oxide to a hard black surface. This black oxide surface is called bluing in the gun world, everywhere else it is called black oxide.

Just a reminder, you can only blue steel or iron. Aluminum will oxidize, but it turns to a white powder and heat will not turn it black. In fact, if you put aluminum into a salt bath for bluing, the aluminum will disappear, as in dissolve.

The original method for bluing involved using some acid or rust inducing the steel to oxidize evenly, then the steel was boiled in water, then carded (buffed) then the process starts over. Six to ten cycles got you a nice shiny black oxide finish.

The new way of bluing guns involves a solution of Sodium Hydroxide (aka lye) and a nitrate. These nitrates include Sodium Nitrate, Potassium Nitrate or Ammonium Nitrate. This is how virtually all manufacturers blue their guns today.

Sodium Nitrate is used as a fertilizer, in food production, pottery and other industrial applications. Potassium Nitrate is (was) used to make black powder, hot dogs, sausage, corned beef, as a fertilizer and other industrial uses. Ammonium Nitrate is used mostly as a fertilizer, but due to its use in ANFO bombs its access has been restricted.

I use Sodium Nitrate, it is the easiest and cheapest to get. I always buy food or lab grade products as they are the purest.

I have purchased my products from The Essential Depot many times in the past and can recommend them.

The tanks I have are 6" x 6" x 30", built out of mild plate steel by a friend of mine.

My recipe is 10 lbs of Sodium Hydroxide, 5 lbs of Sodium Nitrate and 2 gallons of distilled water. I layer the salts before adding water

When adding the water, it is best to wear your PPE and stand back, the water causes a chemical reaction and puts off a gas.

This would be a good time to talk about PPE. NEVER blue guns without the proper PPE. Not only are the salts hot (nearly 300 degrees), but they are highly caustic, meaning even when cold they can burn you or blind you.

Here is what I recommend.

Arm length chemical resistant gloves

A chemical resistant apron made of rubber or vinyl

A full-face shield

and a 3M chemical rated respirator.

As soon as you add the water to the salts, they will begin to heat up, you will need to stir them to get the water to mix properly

I soak the parts in boiling water while I wait for the solution to get to 270 degrees, then I put the parts in and let them soak for 30 minutes.

I suspend the parts in the solution using steel wire (rebar tie wire) that has been cleaned and degreased. The wood dowels help keep the parts from sitting on the bottom of the tank.

The small parts go in a basket, I have two of them, the rectangular one is homemade, the round one came from a carburetor washing kit.

After bluing, the parts go back into the boiling water rinse tank, to rinse the salts off

Then they go to a worktable or bench to be sprayed and/or soaked in water displacing oil

If you notice some rust on top of the bluing, do not fret, this is not uncommon, simply soak some 0000 steel wool in oil and gently rub the rust off, it should remove easily.

I usually leave the guns sitting in a coat or bath of oil for 24 hours before reassembling the guns. I am not sure this is required, but that is what I have read others do, so I just followed their lead.

That is how I do it, if you have questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below.