The Firearm Blog

[ I am pleased to present this guest post written by James A. Zachary Jr. James blogs at The Next Chapter ]

Norm Flayderman’s Guide says that Williamson Derringers have serial numbers running into the 20,000 range but speculates that the Moore Patent Firearms Company / National Arms Company produced fewer than 10,000 of these pistols from 1866 – 1870. The subject of this post has serial number 10621. Perhaps unique to this Williamson are the decorative rhinestones, the heart inlays, and an Ace of Hearts playing card engraved on the backstrap. Further, there is a treaded-plug in the butt of the grip; I have not seen this on any other Williamson Derringer. I would be interested to hear any ideas on what its purpose may be. Someone suggested that it might be for mounting the derringer as a “burglar trap” with the trigger wired to a doorknob.

David Williamson’s design adhered to the aesthetic lines of the original Henry Deringer pistols but he decided to fill a niche market created during the period of transition from ball and percussion cap pistols to those designed to fire metallic cartridges; his derringer would be able to function with both. If .41 rimfire cartridges were not readily available, a reusable metal cartridge adapter allowed the use of loose black powder with a lead ball and a percussion cap.

The pistol requires no adjustments to switch between the ball-and-cap adapter and the .41 rimfire cartridge. During rimfire cartridge ignition, as you would expect, the extended blade firing pin on the hammer strikes the rim of a chambered .41 cartridge. When using the cap-and-ball adapter, the flat of the hammer whacks the percussion cap that is on the nipple of the adapter. The cap nipple, which extends into a hole in the breach when the barrel is closed, keeps the hammer from going forward far enough to damage the extended blade firing pin which otherwise would slam against the adapter’s rim.

To load the Williamson Derringer, first pull the hammer back about one quarter of the way until it clicks into its safety position, then push up on the barrel release lever that is on the underside of the pistol (just in front of the trigger guard) and slide the barrel forward. Insert either a .41 rimfire cartridge or the cap-and-ball adapter (after first charging it with ball and powder; it is probably best not to cap the nipple until after the load is in the barrel chamber). Slide the barrel back to the closed position and you are then ready for an 1866 night out on the town.

[ I am pleased to present this guest post written by David. David blogs at True Blue Sam the Travelin' man. ]

There is nothing unusual going on at Bea's loading bench, except this 78 year old grandmother has been a handgunner for just over a year, and now she is loading her own .45 ammo! Her journey as a shooter has been rather remarkable, but she has always had lots of pioneer moxie, and she is still an active person who wants to be able to defend herself and her home.

Dwain, Bea's husband, passed away in 2005, and owned several guns. One was his 'house gun,' a Smith and Wesson Model 36 snubbie. She realized that the little .38 would be difficult for her to master, so she had one of her sons help her pick out a new pistol for her to build her shooting skills. Her first purchase was a Walther P-22, and on her 77th birthday she went to the local range for the first time. The little Walther was easy for her to handle and to shoot; the only problem she had was stripping and reassembling after her range trips. As long as it was fed plated .22's, this gun never failed to function. Bea was now a handgunner, and a pretty good shot, too. Check out the target with thirty offhand shots at thirty feet with her little auto.

P-22 target with thirty shots at thirty feet.

Bea next learned to handle revolvers by starting with her son's Ruger Single-Six, and she found that she could shoot it more accurately than she could with the little Walther. She got lucky and found a used Single-Six in excellent condition at her local Scheel's store, and soon she was shooting the revolver more than the auto. Her son then introduced her to centerfire with a Ruger Blackhawk, and she found that shooting .38's was easy for her. She looked at the options with Ruger Blackhawks, and when the Scheel's store got a .45 convertible, she bought it. The big slow bullets are easy for her to handle, even though she weighs less than 110. At the range she will shoot several cylinders through the Single-Six, and then one or two through the Blackhawk, then switch back to the .22. Careful practice has kept her from developing flinch problems.

Bea buying her Blackhawk

Shooting the Blackhawk for the first time.

Her son has been reloading for many years, and he set her up to reload for her .45. A surprise benefit of the convertible Blackhawk is the free once fired brass other shooters leave behind at the range. Every range trip begins with policing for new brass before setting up to shoot.

Bea at loading bench

In September Engineering Johnson, her grandson, took her along to the Gun Blogger Rendezvous, and she was thrilled to meet Mr. Completely, KeeWee, and the other bloggers she has been reading. She says it was the most fun she has ever had. Mr. C even let her shoot his long barrelled High Standard, and Bea had some respectable times hitting the steel plates on the second range day. She is planning to go again next year.

Bea with her .45 at the GBR Show and Tell

From left: Engineering Johnson, Bea and Mr. Completely

She has several range friends in her hometown, and she is spreading the joy of shooting by teaching the basics of gun safety and pistols with new shooters. One of her new found friends is a nine year old boy who is regularly beating his dad at hitting the bullseye with her Single-Six.

Bea would like for more women to realize that they do not have to be defenseless, and that even a small framed womam can shoot a gun that is powerful enough to stop an attacker. Thank you for setting such a great example for all of us, Bea.

Gun bloggers KeeWee and Molly with Bea.

[ GBR photos were taken by The Packing Rat ]

Taking 1911 and Glock rivalry to new heights

RobArm has started shipping XCR pistols to dealers. I have discussed the pistol previously on the blog. It is essentially a semi-auto XCR PDW without the butt stock. This allows civilians to own it without having to pay BATFE tax.

A very mean looking pistol. Note the nifty sling attachment that replaces the butt stock.

Many thanks to Armando for the info and photos.

Caleb spotted a fellow IDPA competitor using .45 GAP cartridges in a revolver! I had never heard of such a thing before.

The .45 GAP (Glock Auto Pistol) was designed to duplicate the .45 ACP ballistics but in a shorter cartridge more suited to high capacity semi automatics. It is the last thing I would have thought of using in a revolver, but the owner of the wheelgun had some good reasons.

.40 S&W (left) and .45 GAP

On display at the DSEi 2009 defense expo was this cut down Benelli Super Nova pump action shotgun. Apparently it is popular with South American Law Enforcement.

In this short and stock-less configuration it is more like a pistol than it is a shotgun.

The information and photo were kindly provided by Lusaka who took the time to hunt for, and photograph, new and interesting arms on display at the expo. Thanks Lusaka, your efforts are appreciated. More cool guns from the show will be posted tomorrow.

Veronicad1 is a disabled woman is living in a very precarious situation.

I’m a disabled woman buying my first hand gun on the advice of the local police. Really. I’ve a lot of guys showing up at my door trying to break in, had an attempted sexual assault and I live in the country! A friend told me to get a Ruger P97DC that the kick on it wasn’t that bad and it was a good grip for a woman, that I could have a couple of clips with different types of shot in them, etc. I do have some rather large snakes too and I’m not as fast with a machete as I used to be.

The point being after this morning’s latest crazy showed up on my door verbally assaulting me in my own home for G*d only knows what reason he imagined I needed it for and I set of the alarm, it took police 45 minutes to get here. So had my bluff not worked I wouldn’t be typing this right now. The officer (who is originally from Miami) told me to get a gun, shotgun, hand gun – what ever. That’s the second local police officer to tell me to get a gun in a week. The alarm only does so much. I’m crying as I type this because I can’t feel safe in my own home. Yet I’m not that good with a hard kick and all that is damaged in my body. IE – a hard kick being fired from a wheel chair – unless I take the extra 2 seconds to lock my brakes which could mean my life firing from a wheel chair could be comical but deadly for me. A 22 would just piss them off. I need something to defend my life with (and I hate saying that too). I live alone, I have no one here to help me save my old Doberman. I need something that is ‘lady friendly’ (Forgive me ladies who can handle a hogleg). Is this a good gun for that and is it just the continuation of the P97DC?

I have never thought about the effects of firing a gun from a wheel chair and the challenges it poses to someone who may need to use a gun in a situation where seconds can be the difference between life and death.

Veronicad1, my advice would be to visit the closest range and hire a variety of different guns. Go with a friend who can stand behind you holding your wheel chair. The two of you can then gauge what the effect of the recoil would be on an un-braked chair. This blog is not the place for legal advice and I suggest you get advice as to your state laws on self-defense with a gun and at what point a firearm can and cannot be used.

Anyone else able to offer advice?

The latest addition to the XCR Weapons System is a pistol variant.

The pistol is based on the XCR Personal Defense Weapon and comes in Mini (9″ barrel) and Micro (7.5″ barre, pictured abovel) versions. Calibers offered are 5.56mm, 6.8 SPC and 7.62×39mm.

The price is $1500. This is the same as the XCR PDW, but it does not require a BATFE stamp of $200 because unlike the PDW, it is not a SBR (Short Barreled Rifle).

Taser have just launched their new much-hyped X3 model. The X3 corrects a major flaw in the Taser system, something gun slingers realized at least 250 years ago, to wit, when dealing with people at close range a single shot is never enough. The X3 addresses this problem but giving the operator three shots.

Taser X3

This gives the X3 fifty percent greater ammunition capacity than a Derringer pistol, and just 82% less capacity than your plastic fantastic! Joking aside, the new multi shot capability is a technological breakthrough that significantly increases the utility of the device. It allow law enforcement officers to quickly follow up a missed shot or engage up to three targets simultaneously. This video demonstrates the multi target functionality:

Not only can it load three “Smart Cartridges”, but long range and short range cartridges can be mixed. The duel laser sight will automatically adjust the point of impact for the currently “chambered” cartridge, which I think is pretty nifty.

“Scary Arc Mode”

Another new feature is what I call the “Scary Arc Mode”. A button can be pushed which will cycle electrical arcs across the front of the device. While a superficial feature, it may persuade many a drunk to cooperate.

Other new features include safety, reliability and user interface improvements.

X3 Holstered

I think the X3 is one of those devices, like the iPhone, which can justify money being spent on an upgrade.

Last month in the Russian town of Tarusa, IDPA shooters held a public demonstration of their sport and allowed the local to give it a go. I must admit I was shocked to see that the demonstration was done out in the open, from an elevated position, with people, vehicles and boats behind the targets!

If you look closely, there appear to be people on the other side of the river.

The guns appear to be real, not airsoft or air guns.

Google Translate is a crude tool at the best of times, but I think they are saying that it was safe because the boat pictured above was 200-400 meters away from the firing line! I looked up the probable location on Google Earth / Maps and I think at best the boat was 200 meters, probably less.

According to Hatchers Notebook, the classic text on ballistics, a .45 ACP and .38 Special round can reach as far as 1200 yards ( 1097 meters ) if fired at the right elevation!

Am I missing anything that would make this safe? Can any Russian speakers please read the forum thread and let us know in the comments if they were doing anything that made it safe.

UPDATE: trigger288 says in the comments that the pistols are loaded with low powered rubber bullets, which are only dangerous up to 50m.

Hat Tip: Дмитрий Кочетков

Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC) have developed a new ultra high-end suppressor called the Ti-RANT. It weights about 1 oz less than their Evolution 9mm suppressor while offering greater sound reduction. This is achieved by using titanium and titanium alloys, hence the name Ti-RANT.

The specs are:
Weight: 8.6 OZ (244gm)
Length: 7.9” (201mm)
Diameter: 1.38” (35mm)
Finish: GunKote, T3 HARD COAT& SCARMOR
Sound Reduction: 35-38dB

The business end of the Ti-RANT

Of course the high-end construction and technology comes at a price. AAC will be selling it for $1195 shipped. That is about $300 more than the Evo 9.

More info at AAC

About a month ago I mentioned a post by Caleb warning people not to use 9mm NATO rounds in 9mm Luger / Parabellum pistols.

A reader, who shall remain anonymous, emailed me this account of what happened to him.

Your message about the 9 mm Nato versus 9 mm Luger (9×19 mm, 9 mm Para) is correct and should be a warning to all users of 9 mm pistols. I found out the the higher pressure of the Nato round can be punishing. The same day as I received my first and brand new police service pistol, the Walther P5, I took it to my shooting club to show it to the lads and to shoot it.

Because I ran out of ammo, I borrowed a box from a military friend, who used 9 mm Nato rounds. After two shots my new pistol jammed, because the extractor broke off. I had some explanation to do the next day in order to get my service gun back in working order and got the message: Never use military ammo in non-military firearms. So, any surplus army ammo: use it in the Browning High-Power or the Glock, but not in “civilian” pistols.

$15,000 ballistics experiment Ballistics By The Inch has added an additional team member and expended another 1500 rounds of ammunition in their quest for ballistics knowledge.

Three more cartridges have been tested: the .327 Magnum, 10mm Auto and .41 magnum. The team have also tested a wide variety of “real world” handguns and carbines to see how they compare with each other and with the test results.

Testing the ammunition.

I was given early access to the updated information and it has been a fascinating read.

Congrats to Jim, Jim, Steve and Keith for the completion of phase two and also a big thank you from me for all your effort.

“PooFire” was using his car as a barrier to practice shooting over (NOT a good idea) with his AR-15 but forgot his revolver was placed on the car roof. His S&W Model 442 Airweight took a 5.56mm bullet to the chamber.

Click to expand the images.

He knows what he did was idiotic, and as someone at AR15.com said, he has balls of steel posting it on the internet. So don’t mock him for it!

Thanks to Jay for the link.