Shooting

Progression to the 11.15x51R, from left: Original .43 Mauser case, cut down to 2.1 inches, and then to 2.0 inches. The bullet is a 370-grain hollow-base from a custom mould, cut to duplicate the original UMC bullet for the .43 Mauser and .43 Spanish. Note the convex base of the cartridge case, known in Germany as the Type ‘A.’

An Odd Cartridge in an Odd Rifle

Gun collectors are a strange lot, and that’s putting it mildly. For example, a collector who…
The wherewithal of a Rigby rising bite double. It is one of the finest, but also one of the most difficult to make. In resurrecting the rising bite, Marc Newton and his staff at John Rigby & Co. in London have accomplished something truly fine. Photo courtesy John Rigby & Co.

The Apprenticeship News

As the late, great American essayist, A.J. Liebling, once wrote of boxing, “You can trace…
Joseph Harkom rook rifle — the same pattern as Holland & Holland’s “The Ross,” and likely made by the same manufacturer in Birmingham.

And the Winner Is …

In the interests of keeping readers abreast of the odd, the unusual, and the unexpected,…
revolver
According to experts, a run-of-the-mill Walker with nothing special to recommend it should now change hands for a minimum of $250,000. This one had a better pedigree, and realized just shy of double that amount: $499,375. Photo courtesy Rock Island Auction Company

Old Colts and New Investments

As the stock market resumed its intermittent plunge last week, John Authers, a long-time columnist…
hickok gun
It’s hard to say which is more famous: Wild Bill Hickok, Samuel Colt’s Model 1851 Navy, or the Dead Man’s Hand (black aces and black eights) that Hickok was holding when he was shot in the back.

Hickok’s 1851 Navy

One of the highlights of the mid-May Rock Island premier auction was a Colt 1851…
GRANT'S REMINGTON REVOLVERS
Pair of Remington revolvers, presented to Ulysses S. Grant, and retained in the Grant family until 1976, sold at Rock Island on May 13 for a realized price of $5,170,000.

Grant’s Remington Revolvers. Wow.

At Rock Island’s pre-auction viewing day last week, a common topic of discussion was how…
rifle
This Stevens Model 47 Schützen rifle, in .25-20 Single Shot, was Wieland’s first impulse buy at Rock Island. It popped up on the big screen late on the last day, looked good, the bidding stalled, and Wieland took it home. He now has half a dozen more Stevens rifles of the same vintage, has written more than a dozen articles about them, and is pursuing yet another this week. Ah, well.

Rock Island Preview

This is the week of Rock Island’s second premier auction of the year, and I…
One of Wieland’s all-time favorite loads — light or otherwise — is B&P’s Competition One, which delivers great performance on practically everything, with recoil like a maiden’s caress. Another favorite, but very (!) hard to obtain, is Federal Gold Medal Extra-Lite Paper. Obviously, too many other people like it, too. The gun is an H.J. Hussey pigeon gun, circa 1911.

Just for Kicks

Every so often, one runs into a new or unexpected problem. And, sometimes, it’s a result…
"HMS Ulysses," a novel by Alistair MacLean, was published in 1955. It gives a vivid and detailed — if horrifying — picture of the Murmansk Convoys.

Abandon Ship!

I found myself immersed in the history of the Murmansk Convoys. These were the Anglo-American shipments…
rifle
Blaser R8 fitted with a 6.5 PRC barrel and a Schmidt & Bender 2.5-10x40 Summit riflescope. About as good as a modern big-game rifle can get.

The Emperor’s New Cartridge

It has been my happy lot for the past week or two to put through…
The classic S&W Model 60, a trusty old carry gun that still does the job. How many of these lurk in bedside drawers?
The classic S&W Model 60, a trusty old carry gun that still does the job. How many of these lurk in bedside drawers?

Lessons From History

It was the summer of 1940, the Germans were threatening to invade, and things looked…
Rimfire progress, from left: The .22 BB Cap, introduced by Flobert in 1845; .22 Short, from Smith & Wesson, 1857; .22 Long (circa 1870, developer unknown) and the later .22 Long Rifle, introduced by the J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company in 1887.

The Long and the Short

Way back when, hiking two miles to the general store to buy .22s, I was…