Lessons and Lore from Elmer Keith For those of you who are just joining us, this “Elmer” guy is Elmer Keith, known to some as the Sage of Salmon, Idaho, and Dean of American Gunwriters to others. He was a cowboy, hunter, packer, guide, shooter, prolific experimenter, and gun writer during most of the…
Category: Know Your Weapons
Know Your Weapons: Browning’s Hammerless 1911
John Browning’s Hammerless 1911 Last year I had the opportunity to visit the John M. Browning Museum in Ogden, Utah and I was thrilled to see Browning’s hammerless 1911 prototype on display. Very little has been written about the development of this particular pistol. The pistol is briefly mentioned in John Browning and Curt Gentry’s 1964 biography of John…
Drilling for Changing Times
From the Archives, 2013 The armed civilian, like the LEO, needs to evaluate his Course of Fire and Firearm Drills frequently to make sure they stay current with the times. The best example of this is the increased use of Body Armor by thugs. Looking at history, one could expect your “higher…
The Way of the Warrior
H/T WRSA The Way of the Warrior in Anglo-Saxon England involved far more than merely being trained in the use of weapons as I put it simply in my thread of yesterday. Of equal, or greater, importance was learning both the rituals associated with warfare and the right form of battle. 1/19 The…
Know Your Weapons: The M72 LAW (Light Anti-Tank Weapon)
M72 LAW: American Light Anti-Tank Weapons in Vietnam and Beyond The M72 consists of a disposable launcher that fires an unguided 66mm solid-fuel rocket. The basic concept is essentially an arithmetic mean between the American bazooka and the German WWII-vintage Panzerfaust. The light anti-armor weapon saw a great deal of use in the Vietnam War…
Know Your Weapons: The M18A1 Claymore Mine
The M18A1 Claymore Mine: From Vietnam to Today Aimed in the right direction, the U.S. M18A1 Claymore mine is one of the most lethal and devastating anti-infiltration weapons of modern warfare. There’s a reason for the qualifier on that kudo, and more about that in a moment. From its initial employment with U.S….
Know Your WW2 Weapons: The German Panzerfaust
Panzerfaust — The Story of Germany’s “Tank Fist” Panzerfaust literally translates to “tank fist,” and it was one of several desperation weapons fielded by the Germans in the closing months of World War II to blunt the Soviet juggernaut and the increasing threats on the Western Front. First developed in 1942, as Germany’s fortunes…
Know Your Weapons: Remington Model 30
Remington Model 30 Our story begins back in the Boer War of 1899. In their skirmishes with the South African republics, and despite the sizable numeric differences in their fighting forces, the British found the various guerillas and irregulars were shooting their men to pieces. A good part of the cause came down to…
Know Your WW2 Weapons: The Welrod Pistol
Welrod Pistol: Allied Assassination Tool Welrod Technical Specifications Caliber .32ACP and 9mm Parabellum models Weight 48 oz Barrel Length 3.25″ Overall Length 14.5″ Method of Operation Manual bolt action, striker-fired with grip safety Feed System Metal box magazine with Ebonite coating that served as a grip Magazine Capacity 8 rounds (.32 ACP) or 6…
Three Part Synopsis of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral by Dave Spaulding
H/T Wynn Gunfight On Fremont Street: O.K. Corral Part 1 Dave Spaulding gives a detailed break down of the gunfight, putting aside historical romanticism and getting down to the brass tacks of killing and survival with a firearm in the 19th century Old West. Part Two and Part Three can be found here. …