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Day of the .45, part 2. (Random gun crankery)

Saturday, July 22nd, 2023

Finally. The position of the sun, the condition of the back porch, and all the other things going on in my life lined up, and I can bring you the senses shattering part two of “Day of the .45”.

The same day I picked up my CMP 1911, I also took a second gun off layaway. It was also chambered in .45 ACP, and also has a military background. It had been sitting in layaway purgatory for a few months, and I didn’t take out before then because holidays.

But once the holidays passed, I was free to buy things, and had the last tranche of funds available to take it home. After the jump, more history. And some pictures…

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Posted in 1911, Guns, Holsters, Smith and Wesson | 1 Comment »

Obit watch: April 19, 2023.

Wednesday, April 19th, 2023

Tiger McKee, noted firearms trainer. American Handgunner.

I never had the pleasure of taking a course from Mr. McKee, but I did read his AH columns and The Book of Two Guns: The Martial Art of the 1911 Pistol and AR Carbine. (Amazon says I bought that in 2008. Wow.) And I think I knew that he was doing custom Smith and Wessons, but those were probably out of my price range.

This is a bad loss. And 61 seems a lot closer these days.

(Hattip to pigpen51 on this.)

Carol Locatell, actress. Other credits include “M*A*S*H”, “The Pretender”, “The Bold Ones: The New Doctors”…

…and “Mannix” (“Desert Run”, season 7, episode 6.)

Almost a month ago, I posted an obit Lawrence sent me for Gloria Dea. Yesterday, the paper of record ran their own obit.

One of Ms. Dea’s last movie credits was in Ed Wood’s notoriously bad “Plan 9 From Outer Space” in 1957. She later sold insurance and then cars before settling back in Las Vegas.

IMDB. She’s credited as “Girl”.

Freddie Scappaticci.

During the Troubles (that is, the conflict in Northern Ireland), the British Army had a deep cover mole known as “Stakeknife”.

Stakeknife had penetrated the heart of the I.R.A.’s internal security unit, known as the Nutting Squad, a macabre sobriquet evoking the unit’s standard operating procedure — the execution of accused informers with two bullets to the “nut,” or head. Bodies were usually then dumped.

Mr. Scappaticci led that unit.

He was accused of overseeing the torture and killing of more than 30 suspected informers. If, at the same time, he was the British mole called Stakeknife, then he was a paid British agent killing fellow British agents.

There are a lot of people who believe he was Stakeknife. He consistently denied it.

Mr. Scappaticci may well have taken some of his secrets to his grave, shielding government intelligence and military handlers from one of the central moral conundrums of the case: Did the British state collude in the killings in order to protect Stakeknife’s identity?
British officials have described Stakeknife as the “golden egg” and “the jewel in the crown” of their infiltration of the I.R.A. They have said that intelligence he delivered alerted them to myriad I.R.A. operations, saving hundreds of lives.

…

In 2003, several British newspapers identified Stakeknife as Mr. Scappaticci. He denied the accusations publicly but then dropped out of sight. Several news reports said the British authorities had spirited him away, first to the Italian town of Cassino and then to a witness protection program in Britain.

There is an inquiry going on into Stakeknife. It’s been going on since 2016.

Mr. Boutcher, the head of the Stakeknife inquiry, promised on April 11 that investigators would publish an interim report on their findings this year. But families of victims greeted the news with skepticism.

Wikipedia entry. Why am I reminded of Whitey Bulger?

Posted in 1911, 1970s, Books, Guns, History, Law, Magic, Mannix, Movies, Obits, Smith and Wesson, Theatre, TV | 2 Comments »

Day of the .45, part 1.5 (Brief random gun crankery)

Wednesday, January 18th, 2023

That FOIA request took about five days. The people at Redstone Arsenal (especially “Stephanie”) are a nice bunch of folks.

The following information was found in the Department of Defense (DoD) Small Arms/Light Weapons Registry for M1911A1, .45mm Automatic Pistol, NSN: 1005-00-726-5655, Serial Number XXXXXX.

1. 26 May 1995 - United States Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO) of Michigan (MI) National Guard (MIARNG), Lansing, Michigan performed multi-field corrections on the weapon.

2. 01 October 1996 - Rock Island Arsenal - Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, Rock Island, Illinois received the weapon from United States Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO) of Michigan (MI) National Guard (MIARNG), Lansing, Michigan.

3. 28 January 1997, 30 November 1998, 18 March 2003, 13 August 2003, 08 October 2003, 07 January 2004, 02 March 2004, 21 April 2004, 01 July 2004, 04 October 2004, 03 January 2005, 22 February 2005, 18 April 2005, 15 July 2005, 31 January 2006, 04 April 2006, 05 February 2007, 22 January 2008, and 11 August 2008 - Rock Island Arsenal - Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, Rock Island, Illinois performed reconciliations on the weapon.

4. 20 November 2008 - Rock Island Arsenal - Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, Rock Island, Illinois shipped the weapon to Army General Supply (Logistics Modernization Program (LMP) Stock Records), Anniston, Alabama.

5. 17 April 2009 - Army General Supply (Logistics Modernization Program (LMP) Stock Records), Anniston, Alabama received the weapon from Rock Island Arsenal - Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, Rock Island, Illinois.

6. 24 January 2010, 06 March 2011, 03 December 2011, 19 January 2013, 07 March 2015, 01 May 2016, 05 March 2017, 04 June 2017, 31 March 2019, 26 April 2020, 25 April 2021 - Army General Supply (Logistics Modernization Program (LMP) Stock Records), Anniston, Alabama performed reconciliations on the weapon.

Yes, I did edit out the serial number, which is plainly visible in the photos. But photos are not text, and I just feel better leaving that information out.

I’m slightly disappointed that the available information only goes back to 1995 (“The DoD Small Arms/Light Weapons Registry history only goes back to 1975 when the Registry was started.”) but that’s not Redstone’s fault. And I can talk myself into believing that this gun sat in a National Guard armory or depot in Lansing for a long time.

I’m not sure what “multi-field corrections” means: it might imply that the pistol was serviced at that time. But since the 1911 was replaced in service in 1985, it seems a little weird that they’d be working on them nine years later. Could be, though, that the military was keeping them in inventory and servicing them, just in case they were needed again. (See: the shortage of 1911 pistols during WWI.)

I am pretty sure “reconciliation” just means that they verified the serial number in question was still in inventory, and hadn’t grown legs and walked off.

Anyway, still a neat gun, and I see nothing in the historical record that refutes my theory this one may have seen action in WWII.

And thank you again, McThag!

Edited to add 1/19: according to this thread on the CMP Forums, “Multifield Correction” is “Used for correcting erroneous or invalid national stock number (NSN), owner DoDAAC/UIC, or weapon serial number (WSN) on the UIT Central Registry file”. So this seems to be more paperwork corrections than any sort of servicing/rebuilding/reworking of the gun.

Posted in 1911, Guns, History | 2 Comments »

Day of the .45, part 1. (Random gun crankery)

Monday, January 16th, 2023

Before I get too far into this, I want to say: McThag is responsible for this. I don’t “blame” him, but he is responsible (as he noted in a previous post), and I owe him a very public “thank you” for this. So: thank you, Angus McThag. I also owe you a beer or three if we’re ever in the same place at the same time.

After the jump, an explanation of why McThag is responsible, as well as some background and pictures. I’m doing a jump because I expect this to be long, there will be pictures, and a lot of background for my readers who are not People of the Gun…

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Posted in 1911, Guns, History | 2 Comments »

Preview of coming attractions. (Random gun crankery.)

Sunday, January 8th, 2023

Saturday did turn out to be The Day of the .45. Didn’t plan it that way, it just worked out.

Posts on both guns to come as soon as the cedar stops trying to kill me and I can get some better photos. But that’s 100+ years of history right there.

What was it some jerk said a while back?

Posted in 1911, Guns, History, Holsters, Smith and Wesson | 3 Comments »

Continuing adventures in hoplobibliophilia.

Sunday, August 28th, 2022

I think I’ve brought this up before, but, since the recent unpleasantness, pickings have been sort of slim at Half-Price Books. Sometimes I’ll stumble across something, but it doesn’t seem like they’re getting as much good stuff as they used to.

Today was one of those stumble across days. We happened to be in the neighborhood dealing with the Mongolian fire drill that is Dan’s on a Saturday morning for breakfast, so I thought I’d duck in for a few minutes. And I walked out with a haul. Including not one, but two original Samworth books. (Technically, one is a reprint, but it is an original Samworth book.)

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Posted in 1911, Books, Guns, Hoplobibilophilia | 2 Comments »

Random gun crankery, some hoplobibliophilia.

Thursday, June 9th, 2022

This is going out to Bones. You asked, we provide. We’re running a full service blog here.

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Posted in 1911, Books, Guns, Hoplobibilophilia, Smith and Wesson | 3 Comments »

And while I am thinking of it…

Saturday, May 28th, 2022

…I wanted to bookmark this article: “What Ever Happened to Scandium Bike Frames?” which I ran across the other day.

I think it’s a pretty good explanation of why scandium is significant, and the basic metallurgy of the aluminum/scandium mix.

One thing that isn’t mentioned, except in a passing reference in the end-user chart: Scandium is also being used in firearms. Smith and Wesson in particular has built a number of guns using scandium frames, like the 1911 E-Series.

Posted in 1911, Bookmarks, Cycling, Guns | Comments Closed

Obit watch: June 9, 2021 (supplemental).

Wednesday, June 9th, 2021

Lawrence tipped me off to this: Chip McCormick, who I think can fairly be described as the father of the modern 1911.

Shooting Illustrated has a good article:

Before CMC (Chip McCormick Custom), there was no such thing as the now ubiquitous drop-in AR-15 trigger. Gunsmiths would put together a trigger with parts, often from a kit. McCormick created a single-unit trigger that installs in minutes; literally a “drop in.” Of course easy installation was not good enough for McCormick, he made it crisp, clean, with no creep….Match grade. Now dozens of imitators crowd the market, the market created by Chip McCormick.
Before Kimber, the 1911 had to be fitted from oversize parts. If you saw one in the gun store, it was usually a basic government model that the owner would have to customize. McCormick conceived of the “spec” 1911 with all parts being within specific tolerances so the gun could be assembled, instead of fitted. McCormick approached several companies, but they turned him away. Kimber’s Leslie Edelman saw the potential and quickly struck a deal for Chip to create a production gun. Unlike anything else on the market, it was fully accessorized with beavertail grip safety, extended slide release and ambidextrous thumb safeties. Not only was the Kimber handgun line born, but so was a new way of building the 1911. Now the production 1911 is the industry standard, as are fully accessorized guns.

…

While it is inarguable that McCormick left an indelible mark on the world of guns, let us also remember the manner in which he conducted himself. When he was rolling out the RPM magazine at SHOT Show, I worked in his booth and had the opportunity to observe him. Whether it was an industry titan, a fan of his products, or a competitor from his shooting days, they were all greeted like royalty. His warmth and welcoming nature was beautiful to watch.

…

The legacy that Chip McCormick leaves behind is truly enormous. It is hard to imagine anyone who has accomplished as much as he did. All of this done with honor, honesty and class.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. McCormick (though I swear by his 1911 magazines) but great and good friend of the blog (and official firearms trainer of WCD) Karl shot with him, and has a post up on Facebook:

During the 1990s, Austin was a hotbed of firearms development. If you follow the roots of the tree starting with CMC and STI, they lead to many other companies like Dawson Precision, LaRue, KR Training, ART Enterprises, Competition DVD, NTaylor, and the Ben Stoeger Pro Shop, just to name a few.

Posted in 1911, Guns, Obits | Comments Closed

“What you gonna do when you get out of jail?…” part 393

Wednesday, April 28th, 2021

I’m feeling in the mood for some random gun crankery.

DeviantOllam – DEFCON speaker, locksport guru, penetration tester, gun guy, bon vivant, and international man of mystery – has a YouTube channel. I plan to put up some more videos from him on other topics in the future, but I thought I’d link this very recent one: “What’s Inside the Rifle Bag that Tarah and I Both Use?”

There are things I don’t care for in this video. But that’s because my needs and my preferences differ from Mr. Ollam’s. Neither of is wrong, we just do things differently and have different ideas. For example, I would get a different bag: not just because the one in this video is currently unavailble, but because I don’t like storing my rifles broken down. (Many of them don’t break down anyway. Though a takedown pre-1964 Model 70 would be a really bizarre and interesting thing to have a gunsmith build.)

But watching this video gives me a lot of ideas for things that I would like to start carrying, and things I would like to do.

Here’s another perspective and another guy’s bag: “Jon’s Bag Gun Setup – An EDC Bag That Packs A Punch!”

Again, I’m not saying I agree with everything here. But I like the lightness and compactness of this guy’s setup for a truck/car bag. (I have to say, though: that Unity Tactical Clutch belt seems a little on the high side for me, price wise.)

Bonus: Maggie, from the “God Family and Guns” channel, explains “What Happens If You Lie On Your Background Check?”. I’m sure all of my readers know this, but I thought I’d link this video here so you can use it as a handy refutation next time someone starts spouting off.

Related: “How To Pass Or Fail A Background Check”. For the next time someone says “It’s easier to buy a gun than it is to vote.”

“That’s what we do here. We adopt babies to good homes to people who can pass their background checks.”

One more, just for giggles: “Top 5 Guns With Cult Followings” from TFB TV.

Posted in 1911, Guns, History | 3 Comments »

“What you gonna do when you get out of jail?…” part 112

Monday, July 20th, 2020

I’ve written previously about my interest in holsters and gunleather.

From time to time, more so recently, I find myself thinking about trying to make some of my own holsters. I did some leatherwork in school “shop” classes (for values of “leatherwork” that include “putting together a purchased kit from Tandy”). And you can still get several books on making holsters through Amazon.

Part of it is the appeal of carrying and using something that you made yourself, that’s customized to your needs and wants. I wouldn’t plan on going into competition with anyone: I’d be doing these as projects for myself. I figure it’d take me five to ten years (depending on how many holsters I made) to get to the point where I’d be happy with someone else using something I made, and probably another five to ten years after that before I became comfortable asking for money.

And it doesn’t seem like leatherwork takes a lot of space. Except maybe when you start purchasing machinery for stitching.

All I need to do is find the time. As the late John D. MacDonald once said, “A man will think a lot of stupid things when he can’t sleep at night.”

From Adams Leatherworks (a good Texas company), making a pancake holster with thumb break for a Commander sized 1911. Interestingly, they also sell patterns. I love the origin story on their “about” page: these sound like interesting people who maybe deserve some of my money the next time I want a custom holster.

Bonus video #1: “Making a Leather Cowboy Action Fast Draw Holster and Belt”. This guy actually sort of vaguely reminds me of one of my cow-orkers. (Not because he makes holsters: the two just bear a general resemblance.)

Bonus video #2: from Agar France, making a 1880’s Mexican Loop holster.

Posted in 1911, Guns, Holsters | Comments Closed

Random notes: March 1, 2016.

Tuesday, March 1st, 2016

The HouChron ran an article about the various official state weapons, tied to Tennessee naming the Barrett M82 as the official state rifle.

Problem is, as part of the continuing creeping BuzzFeedification of the HouChron, it was a shallow slideshow. So instead I’ll link to Wikipedia’s list. Thoughts:

  • Pennsylvania, Indiana, and West Virginia have all named historic firearms. Hard to argue with those, especially the long rifle.
  • Arizona has the Colt Single Action Army revolver, which is a fine gun, but doesn’t seem to be uniquely Arizonan, so to speak. I guess there’s that whole Wild West association…
  • I guess if you’re going to pick a gun to represent native son John Moses Browning, the 1911 is a fine choice. For a pistol. Now how about the Winchester Model 1894 as the official state rifle, guys?
  • And speaking of Winchesters, yes, it does fill me with indescribable delight down to the very bottom of my shriveled coal-black heart that Alaska’s state rifle is the pre-64 Model 70.
  • Hey, whatever happened to that movement to make the Walker Colt the Texas state gun, anyway?

In other news, Lawrence’s review of “Hail, Caeser!” is up. I think he liked it more that I did, but I also don’t think we’re all that far apart on it. Elaborating on a couple of Lawrence’s points (some spoilers):

  • I like Hobie’s character arc, too. He seems to be underplaying how smart he really is for much of the movie, but there’s a scene between him and Eddie Mannix that made me think, “Wow, Eddie’s going to leave the studio for Lockheed…and Hobie’s going to become the new fixer.” He could pull that off. But what I liked even more was the scenes between Alden Ehrenreich’s Hobie and Veronica Osorio’s Carlotta Valdez (basically Carmen Miranda with the serial numbers filed off). Those two actors are totally convincing as a couple that’s surprisingly good together. Lawrence talked about wanting to see the imaginary movies within the movie more than the actual movie itself: I agree. And I’d also love to see a movie about Hobie and Carlotta, and their rise from cowboy actor/Latin singer-dancer to deeply in love Hollywood power couple over a period of, say, 50 years.
  • The Thora Thacker / Thessaly Thacker thing is a clever gag that just didn’t quite work for me. But there’s the gem of another good movie in there: identical twins who are bitter childhood rivals and become bitter adult rivals, both working the Hollywoood gossip industry…I’d watch that movie, too, especially if the Coen brothers directed it.
  • Where did the police raid on the Communist house come from? Did Hobie call the cops before pulling Baird Whitlock out? Did he call Eddie, who called the cops? Did somebody on shore spot the Russian submarine and call the Coast Guard? Was there something I missed, or did a scene perhaps get cut?

Posted in 1911, Clippings, Guns, Movies | 4 Comments »

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