CS: Misc-Home-made explosives
From: "niel fagan", [EMAIL PROTECTED] My dad has an ancient GE microwave he bought in the 60s that merely has a wire mesh grill door. Steve. Thats all it needs, its all to do with the frequency/wavelength, as long as the holes are less that a quarter wavelength then nothing will pass though. Niel, radio pro (and ham), former cooker engineer as well. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Target-Beware of Factory Rebuilds
From: "Richard Loweth", [EMAIL PROTECTED] I am sorry that Alex had such bad luck with his rifle. Nothing to do with me by the way. But I have always found "classics" not that bad. However it is very much a case of "suck it and see". I found the real "devils" were fixed sight service revolvers. I never did find a .455 MkVI that was both accurate AND shot to exact POA suitable for HBSA run Pistol AD competitions. Now my early 1915 Colt 1911 shot both to POA and into 2" at 20 yards..offhand. The only thing I can suggest is what I do. Buy a well used original, even if the barrel is worn, the rest of the gun is OK. Then, if not accurate get a reputable gunsmith like W.E. Phillips of Leicester to re-barrel it. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Pol-Gun Rights Convention UK
From: "trustu", [EMAIL PROTECTED] Regarding a possible Gun Rights Convention in the UK. The very last place that I would propose for such a convention is Bisley camp. I believe that we need to professionally distance ourselves from a center that is well known for its staunchly conservative views on the shooting sports. In any case, what I am sugesting is not an target shooting event plus discussion. Having spoken to several friends who organise conventions for the legal profession, the most objective way forward is to select a hotel in the middle of the county. Birmingham is generally a good choice as it is equidistant for most attendees. As for a discussion on self -defense, I leave that to a programming committee. The idea of such a convention is that it should be a broad church where all matters relating to gun ownership should be up for discussion. As is often the case at such large social gatherings, the most valuable discussions take place outside official programming streams. i.e., the bar ! My view is that our sport is faced with extermination within the next ten years. Anything we do now to organise and oppose the anti's can ultimately be to our collective benefit. The lesson of the last few years is that the "old fashion way " of trying to settle problems with the government by the expedient of a few pink gins in a London gentlemen's club is as dead as the dodo. If we are going to fight, then here is a practical way. Anyone else ? Stuart. -- I would suggest the Motorcycle Museum as the GTA have held a meeting there in the past, plus everyone knows where it is because the Birmingham Arms Fair is held there. Steve. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Target-Primers
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Steve ET It is more than just thought it is knowledge (see below) the thought given by Walter ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) was that the indented area would be especially subject to being the weakest point. Might I suggest a method I use to reclaim the copper and brass washers for the banjo fittings on my diesel engine and on the brakes? This is a process that is considered safe by the, US FAA for use on airplanes as well. The process is called re-annealing. NO WAY WOULD I ANNEAL USED PRIMERS, YOUR APPLICATION THE USE THEREOF IS OK, BUT REMEMBER PRIMERS ARE SUBJECT TO CONSIDERABLY MORE PRESSURE. IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN SOFT BRASS FLOW UNDER PRESSURE, YOU WON'T DO IT TWICE. PRIMER CUPS NEED TO HAVE A CERTAIN HARDNESS, JUST AS THE CASE HEAD DOES. DON'T EVEN THINK OF IT. Walter. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Pol-Virgin Utah and Guns
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Gotta love it.Mike P http://www.denverpost.com/news/news1226g.htm Virgin, Utah: Where every household must have a gun By Susan Greene Denver Post National Writer Dec. 26, 2000 - VIRGIN, Utah - Darcey Spendlove credits her peace of mind to the 13 guns she and her husband keep at their ranch home in this remote southwestern Utah hamlet. That's why the 25-year-old councilwoman supported an ordinance in June requiring all townsfolk to own firearms so they, too, can enjoy that sense of safety. "It's like a security blanket that I could whip out and use whenever I need to," Spendlove said of her favorite gun, the .243-caliber rifle her parents gave her on her 16th birthday. "Everyone should experience the freedom of knowing you can protect yourself. It's probably the greatest right we have as Americans." The ordinance states, "In order to provide for and protect the safety, security and general welfare of the town and its inhabitants, every household residing in the Virgin Town limits is required to maintain a firearm, together with ammunition therefor." The measure has brought worldwide attention to this 318-resident community, which previously was known mainly for the locally made beef jerky sold along state Highway 9 - the road to Zion National Park. Inspiration for the ordinance stemmed partly from the April 1999 shootings at Columbine High School, which triggered a national debate about firearm sales and moves in several states toward stricter background checks on gun buyers. Mayor Jay Lee, Spendlove's colleague on the town council, bristled at such gun-control efforts and decided, at least in Virgin, it was time to take action. "I just couldn't sit back and watch the government and the United Nations take away our freedom to protect ourselves from One World Order," said Lee, a hardware store manager, scoutmaster and father of eight. "I bet if I were to go to each of those Columbine parents, they would say they wished a fast-acting teacher with a gun was there to protect their kids." Lee modeled his bill after the only other measure of its kind in the nation - an 18-year-old ordinance in Kennesaw, Ga., where city officials boast that residential burglaries have dropped 89 percent. Virgin's version exempts felons, residents bound by restraining orders, those with physical and mental disabilities and anyone who refuses to own a gun for religious and philosophical reasons. Residents who can't afford guns also are exempt. In other words, the ordinance isn't really enforceable. "I put in the word "required' because it wouldn't be an ordinance without it," Lee said. "But I guess we can't force people to comply. It's not like we're out penalizing people who don't own guns." The Virgin native, who grew up shooting rabbits from the back of his dad's pickup truck, says guns are a part of the town's culture - a way of life threatened by gun control. Further, he notes that local anti-government sentiment has grown with recent federal requirements for desert tortoise conservation and with the abrupt ban on mining and grazing caused by President Clinton's 1996 designation of the nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. And so, Lee says, his ordinance is more a political statement than a call to arms. "The day is coming when the government could come and take our firearms. This way, we can hold up our ordinance and say we're required by law to have guns and there's nothing the state or feds can do about it," the mayor said. Lee's Second Amendment fervor persuaded Spendlove and two other council members to support his ordinance. "I've never been a fanatic about guns, but Mayor Lee really got me thinking," Spendlove said. Councilman Kenneth Cornelius cast the lone dissenting vote on grounds that the ordinance "has no teeth and is probably illegal." Cornelius worries the measure will lure "gun freaks" to Virgin. Since it took effect six months ago, he said the town clerk has "received e-mails and inquiries from people who want to move here for gun reasons." "It's slightly embarrassing," he said of the ordinance. "I don't want to become a mecca, a haven for gun nuts. This town is really opening itself up for a lot of trouble by trying to do this. It scares me." Cornelius, who works for a nearby building contractor, lambasted Lee for spreading paranoia throughout town. "It's kind of scary (to have) a government entity worrying about a government entity coming to take you over," he said. "The mayor gets off on some things like that and sometimes go astray." Lee, for his part, dismissed his colleague's barbs as "nonsense." He noted that Cornelius was the subject of Virgin's last legal run-in - a domestic dispute for which the councilman pleaded guilty to destroying property. "My wife and I were having problems," Cornelius acknowledged. "I guess in a small town like this, everybody knows everybody
CS: Target-Beware of Factory Rebuilds
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Here you have to be much more careful because I find that people only sell their guns off when they've worn them out, either that or it's an awful gun that they didn't like. Not always, you can find some jewels, but it happens quite a lot. Can't say I agree with all of this. I don't think there are all that many "worn out" guns out there, guns people didn't like definatley, but worn out I doubt. Diferent people like different guns in different ways and what suits one person may not suit another even though there may not be anything actually wrong with it. I have a .30-30 Marlin that I know shoots very well but I just don't like much and can't get to it shoot very well. I have just picked up a single shot .357, New England Firearms break action carbine (for not a lot) that fits me nicely, has a nice trigger pull (for me) has nice sights (for me) and "feels" right, not suprisingly my averages in the club comps have gone up since I got it. I can't say that I've seen many guns at all that I could truly describe as being worn out, I just don't think we have the opurtunity here to shoot a gun to death, especially if it's a full bore rifle. J. -- I come across worn out junk portrayed as being in good condition at arms fairs constantly. Sometimes its down to the ignorance of the dealer, who goes on exterior looks alone, but sometimes you come across dealers trying to pull a fast one. Steve. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Pol-50 calibre
From: "M-P", [EMAIL PROTECTED] Can any body advise how this proposed ban will affect .50 Cal. BLACK POWDER. Rifles and Muskets/Shotguns For some time now I have been wanting to purchase a .50 Cal. Flint lock rifle for Deer stalking. Comments please, Rgds, Clive Y2K A Cynic is what a Romantic calls a realist.. -- There is no proposed ban, but ACPO wants one. Rather than sitting worrying about how it might affect you I suggest writing to the FCC at 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London, SW1H 9AT and telling them it's a bad idea! Steve. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Pol-Gun Rights Convention USA
From: "E.J. Totty", [EMAIL PROTECTED] Effective political action also needs to be addressed.( Remember the local campaign that ousted David Mellor ? ) Above all, such a convention would build bridges between individuals and organisations with a view to more united, and effective, action in the future. Comments please. Stuart. -- We did try to have a convention in 1996 as I recall but it went down the pan - --snip-- That doesn't necessarily matter, to be frank, but getting people to lecture on the rights of self-defence and so on I suspect would go down like a lead balloon. Steve. Steve, Stuart, With regards to the last comment, maybe not a talk with that in mind. But, the subject could well be the main topic of a brochure. Reasonably broaching the topic by comparisons to the past of your land and its history, and by logical dissertation, even the guys and gals on the 'other side of the fence' might well be induced to at least sit on the fence, and the fence sitters might well climb down for a closer look. Heck, I see it like this: if all those firearms in the form of shotguns are seen as part of your historic past, and with them is the connection to its honorable and pleasurable pastimes, then the connection holds as well for all those other firearms. If one appeals to the intellect through logic and reason, and reveals that not just one essential part has been trashed in the name of a political theme, then it is a simple matter to make the mental connection that if you can divide the shooting community, you can as well conquer it -- as is the case presently. The case MUST be made that there are only so many positions upon which to fall back upon. If shotgunners see themselves as the only honorable section of the shooter community, they will soon find themselves backed into a corner so confining as to be the last stand -- period. If the last position upon which to fall back is shotgunnery, then it will be attacked and attacked until there are so few of you as to make your pastime a history in the very real sense. If this 'All for me, and to hell with thee' attitude persists, then it could well be the defining mental genre that virtually assures the demise of all shooting -- and a whole slew of other things -- in your nation. -- =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= Liberty: Live it . . . or lose it. =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= ET -- What we need is a convention where we come up with a single message of "Go out and do this!" Which is what the NRA does in the US, but there is still such a large gulf between field shooters and target shooters I think it will be difficult. Getting everyone who holds a SGC to write to their MP to call for the handgun ban to be repealed is what needs to happen, but I'll be amazed if it ever does. Plus you still (sadly) have people who cling to this sad belief that the Government really isn't after our guns, and if we do nothing everything will be okay, as aptly demonstrated by IG and previously Paul McDermott. However, I'm all for trying. Beats sitting here muttering among ourselves. Steve. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Misc-Naval Guns
From: Norman Bassett, [EMAIL PROTECTED] I understand that the naval architect of the Admiral Hipper (notice the same initials as Hitler) was a Swede, had never designed a warship before and got the contract with rather a lot of help from the sexual prowess of his sister exerted upon various German naval officers! Hitler was furious about the Admiral Hipper's demonstrated initial inability to fire flat sideways (yes, the dishes in the deck were ONLY retrofitted to enable the guns to depress far enough) but eventually saw the funny side of it about the lady concerned. I also understand that the Admiral Hipper bashed the breakwater on her initial voyage and was ignominously towed back into harbour for repairs. AH had the captain skinned and the skin put up on the Naval HQ wall to encourage the others. The official tale was that the Hipper had hit "an uncharted rock". It does show that Hitler had good advice from Goebbels on the psychology involved in naming ships etc after yourself - "Don't!". And took it, of course, or close enough. Regards Norman Bassett drakenfels.org Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Misc-King's African Rifles
From: "Jeff Wood", [EMAIL PROTECTED] I wonder if any of you military historians can give a bit of background to a piece of family history? Chatting over a glass on Christmas Day, my mother told me more about her father, who seems to have been pretty uncommunicative, perhaps partly because of language problems. The old boy was born in 1898, to a family of Boer farmers in, we think, the Orange Free State. You may not be surprised that they were interned in concentration camps during the second Boer War. Disease was rife in those places, and perhaps his family were thinned out by the fighting and infection. Whoever took him on as he grew up indentured him to another Boer farmer, "along with the Kaffirs" as he put it. He hated his master. About 1914 he ran away and signed up with the King's African Rifles. Interestingly his future Scots opposite number was doing the same but with the Royal Scots, both perhaps choosing to escape the land for a while by putting on a uniform. Maternal grandfather saw service at the Front, including Ypres and Vimy Ridge. He never returned to South Africa, choosing to settle in England and marry an Englishwoman. He worked as a steelworker and a miner, dying with us in the Scottish Borders when I was a small boy. It's Boxing Day, and for the first time in decades I open a Daily Mail. There to my surprise is an article based on a story from the KARs. The story itself is worth a read if you can still get a copy, but two points arise from the piece. First is that the photograph shows three splendid-looking fellows from the Regiment, all private soldiers I think, undoubtedly black and perhaps Kenyan from the look of them. Second the article states that the regiment was officered and NCO-ed by (presumably white) British officers. The implication would be that "natives" might make NCO as in other colonial armies, but would go no further: I should guess that there would be problems in persuading white regulars to salute and obey non-white officers, though it seems to have worked with the Ghurkas late on. Recall that Grandpapa was a Boer, and resented being bought and sold as a kaffir, though possibly a century ago relations between black and white may have been more relaxed than they later became. One can imagine him actually rejecting his Boer heritage, hence the emigration to England via the King's Africans. However it's that point where I find a difficulty. He was a farm boy, and could only have joined the regiment as a private. Even given the relaxed racial relations I postulate, how likely is it that he joined up on an equal footing with the black recruits, and did the KARs actually see service in France? I remember that in Goodbye to All That, Robert Graves describes how the Imperial regiments from India were brought in to plug gaps in the Line after 1915. He remarks quite bitterly how the officers treated their men, black and white (I think he was mainly describing units from the Indian army) as coolies, routinely kicking them for instance; and he tells the story of a nearly-white officer from Jamaica who was never quite accepted. Racial distinction was as prevalent as class distinction then, and I feel we are missing something in what may be quite a sad story. Any help appreciated. Yours sincerely Jeff Wood Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Target-Beware of Factory Rebuilds
From: "roger gascoigne", [EMAIL PROTECTED] Re: Steve's comments on US second hand guns versus UK. The ones you have to watch our for here are the 'kitchen gun smiths' who do work on their guns and then sell them. Most often a genuine gunsmith repair or re-fit will be at least as good as and often better than the original, The amateurs are the dangerous ones. The other issue is usage. here in the US gun collections tend to be larger than in UK - only a few places limit volume, and then its either zero, or one per month. Elsewhere there is no limit. Consequently people have guns that they rarely shoot. I could not, for example, wear out the barrels of the .303's that I have that are in shootable condition. I know the one Alex got was possibly oversize to begin with. (BTW would a re-barrel have been cheaper?) The most aggravating people are those who insist on 'refinishing' firearms to make them look like new. Can you imagine finding an early and hence rare No 5 Carbine someone has blued or restocked in blond wood ? Could make you weep. Roger -- The thing I used to find in the US was: "Oh, my wife bought me this for Christmas but I've decided I don't like it." Or other things such as that. Doesn't happen here very often, because of our gun laws. Steve. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Misc-King's African Rifles
From: "Richard Loweth", [EMAIL PROTECTED] I think that John Masters' books "Bugles and a Tiger" and "The Road Past Mandalay" give good information on the Gurkha set-up. As I read it Gurkha officers help Viceroy's Commissions, NOT King's Commissions and therefore were below a mere British 2nd Lieutenant in the rank structure. Or maybe I am missing something. As to Warrant Officers, Idi Amin was a Sergeant in the K.A.R.'s and Bob Astles (or as an "ex-girlfriend" was father was a member of Amin's Cabinet called him "Uncle Bob") was his Amin's Company Commander with rank of Major. I think that the Mail may be mistaken. I am fairly certain that ALL N.C.O. and Warrant Officer ranks in Imperial Forces would have been natives of the country in which the regiment was raised. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Target-Beware of Factory Rebuilds
From: "Richard Loweth", [EMAIL PROTECTED] You haven't seen "gun coping" at all until you have heard of, and seen some of the "horrors" that used to be done with English double barrel shotguns when the fetish for them was at its height in the late 1970's early 1980s'. Actions squeezed in a vice to make them tight, barrel loops hammered forward to tighten the face, barrels squeezed to make a proof plug fit properly, barrels so thin from boring to get rid of pitting etc. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Field-Gun Powder - Rook Rifles
From: "E.J. Totty", [EMAIL PROTECTED] This from my memory: Rook rifle cartridges were reloaded for economy. --snip-- The primer went in last so you didn't have accidents. --snip-- This is cartridge reloading - for Rook Rifles - as it used to be before and after the Great War. Anyone got any memories to match or complement these? Regards Norman Bassett drakenfels.org Steve, Norm, Norm, I take it by your description above, that the particular cases you employed had their own anvil? Recently, I saw a picture (can't remember where) of a case that had its own projection in the center of the primer well. The reason I ask is that in your discussion you don't mention placing one into the primer or the well. -- =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= Liberty: Live it . . . or lose it. =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= ET Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Target-Primers
From: "E.J. Totty", [EMAIL PROTECTED] NO WAY WOULD I ANNEAL USED PRIMERS, YOUR APPLICATION THE USE THEREOF IS OK, BUT REMEMBER PRIMERS ARE SUBJECT TO CONSIDERABLY MORE PRESSURE. IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN SOFT BRASS FLOW UNDER PRESSURE, YOU WON'T DO IT TWICE. PRIMER CUPS NEED TO HAVE A CERTAIN HARDNESS, JUST AS THE CASE HEAD DOES. DON'T EVEN THINK OF IT. Walter. Steve, Walter, Walter, I appreciate your concern -- especially as it is directed at the safety end of the matter. Allow me to assuage some of your fears in the regard as you express them. First the lead-in: In most modern semiautomatic firearms (notice I didn't say all), the firing pin indents the primer for just long enough to set in motion the event, and retracts to a recessed position. In all the bolt action rifles that I have, the pin stays put in the fired position until the bolt is retracted. That being the case, in most rimless cartridges, once the primer has set-off the propellant, the casing actually reacts slightly along with the primer, with the primer reacting first. The primer will, in some cases slightly slip out of the well, but as the case presses up against the bolt, the primer is pressed flush with the case. This is normal, because of the mechanical interference fit the primer is designed for. Indenting the periphery of the case around the primer well in some military ammunition is just a safeguard to prevent the possible expulsion of a primer as the case is ejected. In the more severe cases of a hot load, the primer will exhibit a 'flattened' appearance, along with correspondent damage to the case head, in bolt action rifles. I have not witnessed a case overload in semiautomatic rifle -- yet, and hope never to, since from what I've read tells me that it is a much more 'interesting' event. That said, it is important to understand that point pressure of a firing pin has more pressure exerted per unit area than the pressure of the propellant, because if the propellant did exert a greater pressure, then the primer indent would be very much less evident upon observation. Even in cases where the primer perimeter was flattened by over pressure, as well as with the head of the casing, the primers that I have seen still had a significant indent -- even with a floating firing pin. I suppose it might be considered academic to discuss what the energy levels might be to distort a metal structure in one direction, and then what the necessary energy levels would be to distort it back in the opposite direction. And there is that matter of fatigue to contend with . . . It would make for an interesting experiment to take a fired primer -- still retained in the casing -- and install the case into a modified camber made for this experiment, and then gradually exert a hydraulic pressure to observe when the primer begins to revert in the opposite direction in the area of the pin indent, and continue until the indent was almost nil. One could use drift pin flattened appropriately, attached to a spring tester, as a cheap test, although it would not have the same accuracy as the hydraulic test, it would get one a ballpark figure as to what pressures are involved. Now, I would not consider reusing primer cups on an everyday basis since, as Steve was kind enough to note previously, that their relative abundance at shooter's stores makes the proposition of reusing them less than economic. It is, however, of interest to know that it can be done effectively -- and safely -- if it has to be. Analog: We all know about rubbing two stick together to make fire. But do we do it at all today? If push comes to shove, it pays not to toss out all this knowledge merely because it is deemed iffy at best. Certainly don't tell that to the gun makers in Afghanistan. -- =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= Liberty: Live it . . . or lose it. =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= =*= ET Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Legal-Murder...
From: Jeremy Peter Howells, [EMAIL PROTECTED] One must also consider that :- 1. In many parts of the world shooting at a vehicle that has passed through a checkpoint in such a manner is legal. 2. That any deaths or injuries that took place becaus of running a 'roadblock' would have been attributed to the driver and not the soldiers. My other postings about this make my viewpoint clear. Anyone running a roadblock manned by Paratroopers in a 'terrorist-like manner' is playing Russian Roulette with more than one loaded chamber! Apparently this was considered a form of sport by some 'joyriders' in Northern Ireland! Regards Jerry Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Legal-Murder...
From: Jeremy Peter Howells, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Jonathan I believe you are correct if you were reckless as to the driving in such circumstances, i.e. you went far beyond reasonableness in your driving and the danger to others was obvious to a reasonable person, though the point is you needed to have been breaking the law in the first place. However, if your actions were reasonable (for the circumstances) and lawfull, i.e. a police officer persuing a recklessly driven vehicle but displaying audible and visual warning of your approach this would probably mean if you killed someone it would be manslaughter, not murder. The difference being the lawfulness of your actions. The cut off line is grey and would normally be decided in court, though recent CPS decisions seem to be circumventing this (the gentleman with the chairleg shot in London). For murder, as you well know, 'malice' does not have to be shown to a known individual only that you killed them knowing it was a possibility of your illegal actions (e.g. the Canary Wharf bombers killing two newspaper shop workers). Regards Jerry Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
CS: Crime-officer worker apparently kills seven in Mass.
Innocent plea in office killings MSNBC STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS WAKEFIELD, Mass., Dec 27A software engineer accused of targeting seven co-workers for methodical slaughter was denied bail Wednesday after pleading innocent to seven counts of murder. Michael McDermott, 42, stood impassively as a prosecutor described how the shooter blasted through the offices of Edgewater Technology with 37 rounds from a semiautomatic rifle and several from a shotgun, striking co-workers in their heads and backs as they tried to flee. SOME OF the four women and three men killed worked in the accounting department, which was recently served with an order from the Internal Revenue Service to begin withholding back taxes from McDermotts wages. Last week, he had an angry outburst over the action, said one employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. McDermott stood silently during his brief court appearance. He displayed no emotion as Tom OReilly, an assistant district attorney, described in graphic detail the rampage at Edgewater Technology. There was very little, if any, missed shots. Most of the wounds went through and through the bodies, said OReilly. One of (the victims) was underneath his desk. He had been shot numerous times. Another was a young lady slumped over her keyboard of her computer. She had been shot in the back of the head, OReilly said. The victims were earlier identified as: Jennifer Bragg-Capobianco; Janice Hagerty; Louis Javelle; Rose Manfredy; Paul Marceau; Cheryl Troy; and Craig Wood. All worked on the first floor of Edgewater Technologys offices, located in a converted factory building. Two were believed to be receptionists and the other five worked in the companys accounting department, authorities said. BOMB TOOLS FOUND OReilly added that officers who searched McDermotts work area found ammunition in a cubby hole at his desk and shotgun shells in the trash basket. In McDermotts home, authorities discovered bomb-making magazines; three gallons of nitric acid which can be used to make nitroglycerine in boxes labeled Danger, do not move; blasting caps and more ammunition, OReilly said. Wearing an orange jail jumpsuit and a bulletproof vest, the manacled McDermott looked around the courtroom frequently as OReilly spoke. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington made no argument for bail. He said McDermott had been undergoing psychiatric treatment and asked that McDermott be held where he would be able to continue taking medication. Reddington did not elaborate on his clients condition. After the hearing, McDermotts parents stood next to Reddington but would not give their names. They are devastated, the attorney said. They expressed extreme regret and sympathy. POSSIBLE MOTIVE Prosecutors were investigating whether McDermott was upset about the IRS action, Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley said Tuesday. She said Edgewater had agreed not to begin taking money from McDermotts paycheck until after the holidays. The amount owed was a couple thousand dollars, said a person familiar with the IRS order, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Coakley said the shootings apparently were not random, since the suspect bypassed several people during the rampage. None of the victims was among McDermotts supervisors. SUSPECT HEAVILY ARMED McDermott had an AK-47 rifle, a shotgun and a semi-automatic handgun when police burst into the building and found him sitting silently in the reception area, a body nearby. He made no attempt to shoot police and was described by authorities as unresponsive. They made a split-second decision to hold their fire to try to effect an arrest, said Stephen Doherty, the police chief in this city 10 miles north of Boston. Authorities said McDermott, an employee with Edgewater Technology since March, came to work as usual Tuesday morning. Around 11 a.m., however, he walked into the buildings reception area and opened fire on two co-workers. He then proceeded to another wing of the building and shot five more employees at their work stations, police said. Shell casings and bullets were found all over the office. There was an enormous amount of firepower, said Coakley. The rampage lasted five to 10 minutes, she said. Coakley said McDermott did not have a permit for any of the weapons he was carrying, but had no prior criminal record. A LITTLE STRANGE McDermott, reportedly divorced, lived alone in Haverill, also a suburb of Boston. Co-workers and neighbors described the former U.S. Navy submarine electrician as quiet, surly and quirky. Mike Stanley, an Edgewater Technology project leader, described McDermott as friendly but a little strange. McDermott recently had been coming in late and his performance wasnt as good as it could
CS: Field-Gun Powder - Rook Rifles
From: Norman Bassett, [EMAIL PROTECTED] This from my memory: Rook rifle cartridges were reloaded for economy. They used bottlenecked cartridges because .22LR cases were very small to handle and repriming meant a very limited case life anyway, even being careful not to get the old firing pin mark/s under the firing pin on subsequent occasions. Maybe you'd manage four or five reuses of a .22LR case. So .22Whatever bottlenecked cartridges were used. Berdan primer pockets were more desirable because the primers were simpler and easier to reload. If you cast lead bullets you run the risk of accumulating lead poisoning, so you used tin bullets. This had a number of advantages - less fouling of barrels, and they didn't dull with weathering, for example, so you could spot them in the surface of newly-ploughed fields around the rook woods by their brightness. (I'm also remembering very early US metal detectors which could discriminate between different metals - 1932?) You had a choice of bullet shapes - pointed bullets meant two-part moulds and extra work. Flat-tipped or hollow-pointed bullets (which also helped keep the overshoot down) could be cast in a one-piece mould with an ejector pin in it to push out the bullet. For powder you bought a waxed cloth 4lb or 5lb bag of black powder from your friendly local quarryman or mine explosives man. This was just Sodium Nitrate and Carbon in dust form, not corned into grains. The first rule of safety with the powder was to "break bulk" and decant the powder into smaller vessels. Quink Ink and Stevens Ink bottles were highly dangerous particularly because of the thick glass bases to the bottles. A good alternative was to turn ping-pong balls into containers by putting a hot (non-electrical) soldering iron with a conical tip against the top of a ball and rotating it to produce a neat round hole. You could close the hole with either a cork, bung of cloth etc. You could provide the container with a steady base by putting a lump of putty underneath. You stopped the putty sticking to the bench by rubbing it in any kind of dust at all. You got the primers out with a 3mm wood-chisel, reshaped them by hammering the dent out with a carefully ground-flat and smoothed nail. Yes, you could re-anneal them. You wet matchhead composition (the same way the heads are put on matches in the first place) and you put a blob of the wet composition into the primer and spread it around - just like commercial primer makers do with their proprietory mix. Then you dried the primer out on a mildly-heated surface or in a low-bake oven or substitute for one. You cleaned out the ignition holes in the Berdan case's base with the jet-pricker from a pressure (Primus) stove, put the standard loading of powder into the cartridge and filled the cartridge to the top with "leaf-mould". "Leaf-mould" was clean, dried autumn leaves (dried further if necessary so the powder wouldn't get damp) which you reduced to tea-leaf consistency by running it through a meat grinder set to the finest holes. The leaf-mould was to stop the powder a. settling into two separate chemicals when vibrated and b. moving away from the jets of fire from the primer holes upon ignition. You put the bullet into the case. The primer went in last so you didn't have accidents. You put the cartridge into a copper tube set vertically in the bench top with a cartridge-holder in the top of it. You pushed the primer home with something other than your fingers. The "leaf-mould" caused a bit of a flash at the muzzle when the gun was fired (its function was almost the same as a shotgun wad) but the gun ended up with a clean bore. I'm also remembering that the most important thing about the tin/tin alloy you used - or lead if you wanted to use it - was a hardness tester. You used to be able to get a cheaper version of the Brinnel tester which used a square-cut quartz or agate pyramid. The alternative was a set of "Moh's Scale" scratchers. Moh's Scale is a primitive hardness series system where Talc is 1 and Diamond is 10. The scratchers were made of special glass points in wooden handles for lead, tin and cartridge brass hardness testing and they'd scratch some hardnesses of metal (which they were marked for) and not others. This is cartridge reloading - for Rook Rifles - as it used to be before and after the Great War. Anyone got any memories to match or complement these? Regards Norman Bassett drakenfels.org Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ T O P I C A http://www.topica.com/t/17 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
