Everyone knows that law abiding Englishmen aren't really allowed to own pistols, for fear, I suppose, that they'll turn into gun toting criminals. But I'm confused. The crims already have pistols, AKs, shotguns etc. despite the law - so who's being prtotected here? Seems to me like the various 'hoodies', gangsters and 'Gunchester' types that the State (God bless it!) is legislating against. The phrase, "Turkeys voting for Christmas" springs to mind; makes about as much sense as the Archdhimmitude of Canterbury endorsing sharia.Anyway, it appears you can own a sidearm in England provided its Black Powder. I know this because an Old Friend sent me a picture of his, a mighty Tranter from the nineteenth century. As I understand it, the Tranter was developed in response to Indian Army officers requesting a weapon that would STOP mutineers and rogue sepoys - it did, and no wonder, coming in at a serious .50 cal.
Here's another picture of OF's C&R sidearm, complete with original holster; he tells me that a smith has checked it and pronounced the beast ready to fire. I'm looking forward to some range pictures.
So more on the Tranter later, in the meanwhile got back from the excellent & outstanding St. Michael's Conference to find worthy parishioners had washed carpets in the parish house and the air conditioning's busted. Able to fry eggs on most flat surfaces - the one's that haven't spontaneously combusted that is.
Melting.
LSP
Most popular black powder pistol cartridges aren't very far off ballistically from their modern smokeless equivalents in terms of energy. .45 ACP basically duplicates .45 Long Colt which basically isn't much far off from the .44 and .45 Colts and Rems used in the War Between the States. Don't point that out to anti-firearms people or they'll try to get our privilege of being able to buy muzzleloaders and black powder revolvers through the mail revoked. Slower to reload but then usually less than 5 shots are fired in a gunfight, statistically speaking.
ReplyDeleteFalls under the same category as "Tom would personally rather be shot 5 times with an AK than once with a Martini-Henry rifle or any of the Black Powder Express rifles and you can buy Martini-Henry rifles and Black Powder Express rifles in the mail too...as they are obsolete and such, even though they are cartridge rifles.
It's a funny world but that's not something I bring up with anti-gunners because you never know what they might do with that info re-adding more regulations.
Friend of mine exclusively deer hunts with a .50 cal muzzleloader after swapping from his old .30-30 trapper lever gun because he's never had to track a deer has shot with one. Being as they're lower velocity, you actually hear the "whap" of the bullet hitting the deer in the thorax and then the deer falls down and doesn't get up. If they do get up or mosey a bit, that half inch hole makes a nice blood trail. He's going on year six of hunting with black powder even in centerfire season.
Thanks for that - interesting.
ReplyDeleteA couple of parishioners shoot muzzleloaders and enjoy it a lot, not sure if they hunt with them. My Tranter friend shoots a 3 ring Lee Enfield and gets a kick (pardon) out of that too. Then again he's a right enthusiast.
Maybe I'll take it up too, but you know how it is - so many guns, so little time and, annoyingly, cash...
Cheers,
LSP
If he likes "kicks", my castings for the .700AHR single shot Westley Richards style prototype have been ordered and I've got a barrel maker sorted.
ReplyDeleteFeel free to google. It has a bit of a kick to it, I've heard. :-)
Nice - I want one!
ReplyDeleteLSP
Now that's a handgun I will have to look for!
ReplyDeleteAnd Tom, how about a couple of pictures of the build-up?
Cheers!
Albert
Almost Neutered!
Pictures would be great.
ReplyDeleteLSP
Distant acquaintance from gunsmith college days is having a special set of castings poured for me related to the link. We weren't on speaking terms a couple decades ago because he was so far ahead of us normal people.
ReplyDeleteWanna know something cool?
After chasing the remnants of American Industry to find people to do small batch castings, the winner was (OF COURSE), A TEXAS COMPANY. Oklahomo company didn't want to do small batch productions. Outside of them, would have had to go with Chi-Com or Koreans and I don't send money that direction.
Check out his stuff. He's a good dude.
I have a lot of friends and acquaintances in this world I'm not worthy of them speaking to me at times, but they do and I shan't complain.
Gonna take about a year to build and I might skip safari and sell some things to upgrade the machine shop.
I'm gonna stamp mine ".700 AHR DRAGIN SLAYERIZER" when the time comes. Might even put my name on it. Long road to hoe before it'll be anything but metal and drawings.
Best I can do on pics for now, Albert, as the steel hasn't been poured yet. This one will DEFINITELY be a takedown RIFLE, not a pistol. I'd hit myself in the face with that kind of ME and I've been dancing on the edge with the hot .458 rifle cartridges in Encores.
Encore Frame won't take a .745 OD cartridge anyway and a fixed action is sturdier than break actions like my Encore stupidities.
Tom - good to know that you don't want to put cash towards Chi-Com & friends - not that I thought you would.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to hearing about the rifle as it takes shape.
Off topic(ish): want to get some acres for retreat/shooting etc. can you recommend?
LSP
PS. Respect to your Father - nice post.
+Rowan did not endorse sharia. That was just the sensationalistic treatment of his lecture in the British press. I blogged about the actual content of his lecture at the time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that - I read the transcript of his incredibly - to me - tedious and dense address. Doubtless interesting to lawyers. Anyway, obviously didn't read it well enough... So I'll check out your posts.
ReplyDeleteSaying that, I'm not convinced that Sharia courts are good things to have around...
Cheers,
LSP