Tommy vs. Gerry: 1916

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Restart and play both videos at the same time to get the full effect.

El Paso Es Pasado

1959 was a special year one for pop music. After Buddy Holly's death and Elvis's hiatus, the initial flood of rock and roll ebbed. An undercurrent of American ballads, surf music, and folk music briefly flourished until the British invaded.

Marty Robbins' ballad tells the story of man who commits a crime of passion. He returns to the scene, still driven by passion and meets justice. The story romanticizes a simpler time when justice was meted out locally. That West is long dead. The East successfully foisted its values and mores. But where does the passion go?

Scene At Althouse

We protect our mayors with men with guns; we protect our governors with men with guns; we protect the House and the Senate and the President, with men with guns; we protect our courts, our banks, our jewelry stores, our sports arenas, and our pawn shops, all with men with guns.
However, our most precious possessions, our children, we protect with a piece of paper and a sign (the Gun Free Zone law).
Now, in response to the slaughter of 20 innocents, we propose to punish those (gun owners) who are innocent, and protect our most cherished possession, our children, with a another piece of paper (a new gun law). Link

I hope it goes viral

Das Sturmgewehr!

(I haven't done a gun-related post in a while but there are ten of them here, all nested under the "guns" tag)

The assault rifle is under assault again, despite its minimal actual involvement in heinous domestic crime. I think I know why it's targeted: it's got a hellacious moniker which actually traces back to Adolf Hitler. He named the novel weapon das Sturmgewehr (the assault rifle). The original assault rifle had the defining characteristics: light weight, medium cartridge size, & short range. The original Sturmgewehr was both semi- and fully automatic.

Here's a short video on the history of das Sturmgewehr:

Automatic weapons are illegal in most states.  Not in Nevada.  I fired a Thompson (Tommy gun) in Las Vegas and my son shot an MP5 last year.

Little Things Matter Too

I took a Hunter Safety course last year with my son to prepare him for the deer season in Wisconsin last fall. That turned out splendidly for him.

One thing the instructor taught us stuck with me. He said (paraphrasing): Look, only about 5% of the population in this country hunts. Opposing us are about 5% of the population who are strongly opposed to hunting for whatever reason.  And the other 90% of the population doesn't really have an opinion on the matter. But a significant part of that 90% votes. And when they do vote, they tend to make up their minds based on personal experiences...things they see and hear...things like "hey, I didn't like the way those guys left all their trash behind," or, "I'm a farmer and those damn hunters wrecked my fence and didn't even ask my permission." On the other hand, some people are really put off by people who just come off badly. They hear and think things like "Man that guy sounds like an arrogant little bigot. I'm not going to vote for his side," or "I can't believe how stupid she sounds. I can't be on her side."

That's one way how little 5% things add up and end up mattering.

Pistol Wars: Beretta 92FS

Beretta 92FS

The contender: Beretta 92FS

Caliber: 9mm

In your hand: The Beretta 92FS feels like water. By that, I mean it really had no taste and was rather generic. The magazine holds 10 rounds and reloads easily. Interestingly, I learned reading that Wiki article that the Beretta's magazine can hold up to 15 rounds, but that local regulations forced the design of smaller magazines. The design reminded me of a 1911, but aesthetically, this handgun is gorgeous, just as you'd expect from Italian designing.

On the range: Sighting on the Beretta was not so great. I missed more than I expected. It could have been excitement. 

Overall: This semiautomatic handgun is the one now used by our armed forces. Beretta beat the competition back in 1985 and the venerable M1911 was replaced. I'm going to rate this handgun second only to the Kimber Target II 9mm I raved about back here.

Pistol Wars: Smith & Wesson 952

The contender: Smith & Wesson 952

Caliber: 9mm

In your hand: This 9mm is heavy and so there was little recoil. The wooden handgrips added a nice feel. The magazine holds 9 rounds, and with one in the chamber a total of 10. The design is reminded me of a 1911, but aesthetically, this handgun is gorgeous.

On the range: Sighting was great. Myopic me was able to put all 10 rounds within a 5 inch circle at 10 yards. This is the best shooting I've done yet.

Overall: Smith & Wesson is a venerable American handgun company located in Springfield, MA.  The S&W is a close runner-up to the Kimber Target II 9mm I raved about back here.

Pistol Wars: Kimber SS Target II

The contender: Kimber SS Target II

Caliber: 9mm

In your hand: Kimber is American made. Here is the company's blurb. This 9mm is heavier than both the Ruger and the Glock and so the recoil is noticeably less. The magazine holds 10 rounds, and bullets are fed with a spring-loaded clip in the handle. The design is a knock off of the Kimber 1911 .45 cal model I reviewed back here. I really like this design.

On the range: Sighting was OK. Again I was able to put 8 out 10 rounds within a 5 inch circle at 10 yards. I thought I would score perfectly with this one but I didn't.

Overall: So far this Kimber is my first choice among 9mm's. What I should do is try both Kimbers (the .45 and the 9mm at the same time for a better comparison. My son and I shoot up enough bullets each week (he's practicing on rifles) that it just gets very expensive very fast. If the price of ammo keeps going up, America's next shooting war could break the bank.

Pistol Wars: Ruger SR9

The contender: Ruger SR9

Caliber: 9 mm

In your hand: The Ruger SR9 feels nicer than the Glock 34. The weapon is smaller and more lightweight, having a mostly plastic body and gorgeous stainless steel barrel and action. The trigger and action were lighter than the Glock 34. The magazine holds 10 rounds, and the spring has a defter touch than on the Glock 34, so that reloading it was not such a fumble.

On the range: Sighting was worse than the Glock 34. I missed 3 out of 10 rounds inside the 5 inch circle at 10 yards. My accuracy fell way off after that. There's no way I could hit a coyote at 50 yards with this Ruger without some more field practice.

Overall:Compared with the Glock 34, the Ruger SR9 would not be my first choice of hand gun. I'm still interested in 9 mm's though.

Pistol Wars: Glock 34

The contender: Glock 34

Caliber: 9mm

In your hand: The Glock 34 is a recent addition to the Austrian gunmaker's line of small, conceal and carry 9 mm handguns. The weapon is small and lightweight, having a mostly plastic body and matching trigger, barrel, and action hardware. The magazine holds 10 rounds, but the spring is so strong that it was hard to get the tenth bullet in the magazine.

On the range: Sighting was OK. I was able to put 10 rounds within a 5 inch circle at 10 yards. Accuracy falls off pretty quickly after that.

Overall:The Glock 34 would not be my first choice of hand gun. I'm interested in comparing and contrasting various makes and models and I had to start somewhere.

Home On The Range

I rejoined a local shooting range. They have dozens of different pistols and rifles to use and try out. They also sell guns, but I'm not interested in that right now. This is a father/son thing and my boy really likes doing it. I explained my attitude about guns back here. I'm interested in the history of many things and I've decided to familiarize myself with many "classic" weapons available at the range. 

An arbitrary starting point is the M1911 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. This weapon, invented by John Browning, was used continuously by US Armed Forces between 1911 and 1985. Most people recognize its classic lines: Link

Iron Sights doesn't have any original M1911s for use (they do have a couple for sale).  The American company Kimber America makes a whole bunch of 1911 style 45's and I picked Stainless Pro Raptor II. Here's a photo of the one we shot:

Kimber Stainless Pro Raptor II .45 cal

The Raptor II is pretty comfortable to shoot. There isn't a lot of recoil for a .45 caliber. I don't like it as well as the Kimber Gold Match II, which they used to have but no longer stock.

Gun Culture

The bullet points are flying out there, but none of them are hitting their targets. I get it from both sides.

I'm pro-gun in the Palin sense. I grew up around guns. My father owned guns, and my grandfathers owned guns. Guns were used for hunting and for a sense of personal security, though the latter feeling is rather imperfectly formed because I've never defended myself with one.  I even own a gun (a .22 rifle) which my brother looks after back in Wisconsin. When my son was of a certain age, I joined a shooting range here in California so that I could teach him about guns and above all how to respect them.

I don't keep a gun at home because my wife abhors them. She was raised by Europeans in America: upright liberal Dutch with vestigial Calvinism. What possible reason could a law-abiding citizen have for a gun? Call the gendarme. Without the frontier experience, a culture of guns has no utility for such people. The Swiss have a tradition of personal weaponry but even within Europe the Swiss are seen as outliers.  Be tolerant of gun culture and personal armaments.  It won't kill you.

Some may argue that the fight is about threats, and that life imitates art. But there's something more sinister at work here and both sides know that.

Letters Home: Boxes of Cookies, Candy and 90mm Rounds



Boxes of 90mm rounds fired that day

December 10, 1952
[Baumholder, West Germany] 

Dear Mom,

I got a letter from you today and 5 boxes. 2 of them was from you, 1 from Jr, 1 from the V.F.W., and one from church. I got enough candy and cookies for a week.

We fired the 90 MM yesterday. I got to shoot 20 rounds. They cost about $60.00 a round. HE and AP-T. [1] We are going to fire the sub-machine gun Sat.[2] It's been a long time since I have shot anything.

That new Range finder on these tanks sure are accurate.[3] They should be for $35,000 dollars.

I sold those skates to R. before I left. I'll find out how much watches cost the next time I go to town. We are going back to Hanau the 17th.

I never heard about old Bob. He should have been locked up long ago. [4]

Did you get that jacket sent yet? I could use it over here now.
Well I guess I have run out of things to write.
The light go off in about a half hour. 10:00 o'clock
Bye for now

love,
V.

_______________

[1] HE and AP-T stand for "High Explosive" and "Armor Piercing-Tracer" respectively. link

[2] He probably shot M3 or M3A1 "grease guns." These were standard until the late 1950s.

[3]  M47 "Patton" tanks were originally equipped with M12 stereoscopic range finders. These were accurate but proved difficult to use and were eventually replaced.

[4] "Bob" was a notorious drunken no-good in Richland Center--probably like a Bob Ewell of "To Kill A Mockingbird." I wish I had access to the papers from that time so I could give more details.

Letters Home: "Well, I shot him"

This letter was tucked into a letter sent home by my father. It was from his older brother J who was then deployed to Korea.

February 19, 1952
South Korea


Hi “Short Timer”
Well I am sitting close to the stove and trying to keep warm. We are way down in South K. now but its still sort of cold.
I have been out on an Out Post for about 5 days guarding a Coal mine. They were 9 of us all together and we were about 5 mi from the rest of the Company so you can just about picture what we did. All I did was see that there was a guard list made out and there was plenty of wood cut.
I would have the last man in guard wake me up at 6:00 o’clock so I could go hunting. I never got any thing so far except Crows and Hawks. I have seen Fox and Tracks that I think were Wolf.  Also Deer. There are Wild Boars also. I use a M1 and carbine. I suppose I have shot up about 800 rounds in the last weeks just shooting at different things. I am No.2 on the ration list so I should be on my way home in about two weeks.
I finally made Sgt. at last and I sure hope you can do better than that before you get out of the Army. Well I must close for now and get some sleep.


By for now
Be good

J

P.S. Don’t write me until you get my new address

________________________
I have no clue what the terrain looks like in South Korea but from his description of the types of animals it sounds like southwestern Wisconsin. The area where my dad and his brothers grew up is rich farmland interspersed with densely wooded bluffs known for their spectacular fall colors. Growing up just outside of city limits, they were used to hunting and tracking small game and deer in the bluffs surrounding Richland Center.

Uncle J was the oldest in a family of 8 siblings and in fact, J stands for Jr. because his first name is the same as my grandfather's. A few years ago my brother was visiting him and they were looking over his gun collection which spans a couple three generations. My brother, somewhat of an expert on weaponry, was intrigued by a curious-looking handgun that stood out as a foreign make. Completely unaware of the possible circumstances of his possession, and forgetting that uncle J was a Korean War vet, he asked him about it. According to my brother, their brief conversation went something like this:

Where you get it?

Off a soldier

Was he dead?

Yeah

How’d you know?

[a brief pause ensued]

Well, I shot him.
__________________
My brother told me that at that moment he felt about 2 inches tall, as if he'd bumbled upon an old man's secret.

They say that guys with combat experience rarely talk about it and I have found that to be true.  My backyard neighbor, a marine with two Iraq tours still doesn't talk much about his experience.

It's also not unusual for soldiers to bring back souvenirs from war.  I used to date someone whose father had a Nazi flag that he got in Europe during WW II. But back in '50s it was no doubt easier to bring a gun back than it would be today.

Guns and Newspapers

January 13, 1952

Fort Knox KY


Dear Mom, Dad and all,


If that check don’t come soon I will have to see the Capt. to see why it hasn’t been sent out. [1] Did you find any use for that apron like bag I sent?
It was my turn for K.P. I didn’t get out because I was late. One of the other boys folks sent the Dem.[2]  I see that show was on today in Center. Can you send the picture out of the Capital Times?[3]
According to my figures I owe J__ $290.00 that’s what you had figured too.
We won’t be driving tanks this week. We will be shooting .30 cal. machine guns and M1 rifles.[4] We have classes tomorrow and shooting 4 days. Next week we will be shooting 75 mm tank guns for 2 weeks. Our last 2 weeks will be out in the woods. We will have our full field packs that weigh about 50 lbs. I think we go out 28 miles and then each day come back so many miles till we are back.
Tell R__ as far as I am concerned he can use the pickup. Its kind of cold with one window gone and no heater. It needs 2 brake rods. Ask R___ if he knows how to take that fender skirt off that is bent. I might have him take it down to Wilson’s and have it ground it out and painted moonstone grey. You won’t have to put it back in till I get there. Loosen the two back bolts. Take out the middle one and slide that arm one way or the other. Think you can do it?

love
V.

---------------------------------------------------

[1] Many servicemen sent part or most of their monthly earnings to designated bank accounts back home. Here he seems to be complaining about the slowness of his allotment account being set up. For a while it must have seemed that his money was disappearing into black hole. He must have thought it was a real SNAFU.

[2] The Richland Democrat, now defunct, was one of two newspapers serving the local Richland Center newspaper market. 

[3] The Capital Times was a Madison daily founded in 1917. The paper only ceased daily publication in April, 2008 and becoming an internet-based news entity. My dad worked for the Cap Times in the '60's and '70s, begining as a printer and then moving into graphic arts as a paste-up artist, assembling the pages, e.g. cutting the columns, getting all the news and ads to fit and flow correctly on deadline.  He actually worked for Madison Newpaper Inc., a jointly-owned entity which printed both the Wisconsin State Journal (the morning daily) and The Capital Times (the afternoon daily). When I was a kid, both newspapers were located in the same building just off the Capitol Square on 113 S. Carroll Street. I have fond memories of visiting the "composing room" which seemed one of those very busy, very grown-up places.

[4] The .30 cal machine gun was no doubt a Browning M1919, then the infantry standard; the M1 semi-automatic rifle was the standard infantry weapon of WW II and Korea. M16's replaced M1's during Vietnam and became the standard issue carbine.

Browning M1919 .30 caliber Machine Gun

Next to the bomb, the machine gun is perhaps the most wicked device ever invented.  Leonardo da Vinci, that celebrated renaissance man, gets the credit.