Pipsqueak guns

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One Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta-made Model 21A Bobcat coupled with a North American Arms Mini-Revolver (short-barrel variant) and the nicest 50-cent pumpkin my local co-op had for sale.

Both handguns are in .22LR, with 7+1 and 5-shot capacities, respectively. The Beretta, with ammo, magazine and natty wood grips, weighs in at just under 13-ounces. The NAA, 5.5.

For those curious, the smooth holiday squash weighs slightly more than either but will make a much cuter Jack-o-Lantern.

Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a .50 cal at your side, kid

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In a case study of why a sword is of little use against a .50 caliber BMG, take this Japanese Kai-gunto sword, broken in three pieces in the collection of The Australian War Memorial.

The hilt has the standard Japanese Navy guilded brass fittings of a Fushi, kabuto-gane and cherry blossom menuki under the brown handle binding over black rayskin. A gilt family mon is attached to the kabuto-gane of a square with a diagonal line within a circle. The guard is a plain blackened brass tsuba with two large Seppa of a sunray pattern (one on each side) and four smaller Seppa (two on each side) with serrated edges. On the rear of the broken blade parts are solder marks where the sword has been mounted on a board for display.

The tang has three peg holes with the remains of a signature that translates as Hida no-kami and possibly the top section of the character for Fuji.

This Japanese sword was captured in action at Marova, New Georgia, by Major Donald Gilbert Kennedy, D.S.O., a New Zealander of the British Soloman Islands Protectorate Defence Force.

This guy:

He served in WWI with the ANZACS, from the 15th of April 1918 to 9th September 1920, rising from the rank of Corporal to be 2nd Lieutenant, in the 10th North Otago Rifles.

In the interwar years was a school teacher and later headmaster in the Pacific Islands, principally in the Solomons. In that line of work, he became fluent in several native languages and became adept in the use of wireless radios– two skills that would become useful during his WWII exploits as

Kennedy became an outstanding leader of the Coastwatchers in that area in 1942- 1943. His exploits are described in Commander E. A. Feldt’s book “The Coastwatchers” and in “Among Those Present,” an official U.K. publication.

Outstanding among his many clashes with the Japanese was an action between his 10-ton schooner Dadavata and a patrol of Japanese in a whaleboat during which the whaleboat was rammed and all the Japanese accounted for. Termed the Battle of Marovo, Kennedy and 12 islanders were armed with a Browning machine gun salvaged from a downed American plane. Donald fired his recycled machine gun, although he was wounded in the thigh until it jammed. The Islanders threw Japanese-made grenades among the hapless and bewildered occupants of the whaleboat until there was no more resistance.

It was during this action that the sword was captured. The incident is described in “Among Those Present” page 52. The sword is broken in two places. One break approximately 4 inches from the hilt bears the mark of a bullet but the other break 5 inches from the point is unaccounted for.

Kennedy’s simple account as to how the sword became broken is as follows:

“It was broken by a bullet fired by me from a Browning 50 at the same time as the Japanese N.C.O. who wore it fired a burst from a Bren gun from which I collected a bullet in the leg. This was at Marovo Lagoon in New Georgia in May 1943 in an encounter between my native scouts and a Japanese patrol which was hunting for us.”

Besides the DSO, he was awarded the Navy Cross, “for extraordinary heroism in action against Japanese forces as a Coast Watcher at Sergi Point, New Georgia in the Solomon Islands. Capt. Kennedy led his men in numerous skirmishes and destroyed or captured many Japanese troops, machine guns, and barges, with a negligible injury to his own force. He also rescued many downed American airmen.”

Admiral A.W. Fitch and Major Kennedy D.S.O. Photo: Feldt p.107.

He died in 1976 and the sword has been in the AWM collection ever since.

Using your vendor as a warehouse?

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In researching recent federal filings concerning the firearms industry, came across this case in a Pennsylvania court in which an ammo supplier (BBM) received a contract from a sporting goods retailer (Dick’s) in early 2016 to deliver house-branded ammo before November (the Presidental election.)

However, with politics being the way they are and the anticipated rush on ammo sales didn’t materialize, BBM contends Dick’s stalled delivery for a year, therefore keeping it off of the retailer’s inventory and making it more attractive to investors, while it was still readily available — and warehoused at BBM’s expense — should Dick’s suddenly need it.

Shit like that apparently gets you sued.

More in my column at Guns.com

For our Canadian military subscribers

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On October 17 the Cannabis Act came into force. It puts in place a new, strict framework for controlling the production, distribution, sale, and possession of cannabis in Canada. New rules are also in effect for members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Want to see em?

Halloween is nearing, and some ghosts are real

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There are some things that are scarier than witches, goblins, and vampires.

“Ghost Trail,” by Kerr Eby; 1944.

Drawing, Charcoal, and Pastel on Paper; Framed Dimensions 29H X 46W NHHC Accession #88-159-DZ as a Gift of Abbot Laboratories

“Specter-like in the dark gloom of the Bougainville jungle, Marine riflemen slog up to the front lines during the bitter campaign for the tropic stronghold.”– official description.

Erby was Canadian-born illustrator best known for his renderings of soldiers in combat in the First and Second World Wars. In the prior, he served in the Army as camoufleur to the 40th Engineers in France. In the latter, Eby, then aged 51, tried to enlist but was turned down because of his age. Serving in the combat artist program, he traveled with Marines in the South Pacific and witnessed some of the fiercest fighting of the war, landing with the invasion force at Tarawa and living three weeks in a foxhole on Bougainville.

While on Bougainville he became ill with a tropical disease, one which weakened his health, passing away in Norwalk, Connecticut in 1946.

The first sting, 41 years ago

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U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archive 428-GX-K-118818. Photographed by PH2 James C. Brown

Here we see a parked YF-17A/F-18 Prototype aircraft aboard Naval Air Station, Miramar, San Diego, California. October 28, 1977

Offical caption: “McDonnell Douglas Corporation, with Northrop as principal subcontractor, is building the F-18 Hornet for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. When the F-18 joins the fleet, it will replace both the F-4 Phantom II for fighter escort and the A-7 Corsair II in light attack missions.”

428-GX-K-118815

Since being adopted, some 1,480 ‎F/A-18A/B/C/Ds were built for the U.S., Switzerland, Finland, Canada, Australia, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Spain with production ending in August 2000. The line has been replaced by the larger and more sophisticated E/F series.

The U.S. Navy is in the process of retiring these early model Hornets, having completed their last carrier deployment in March. Reportedly, Allied operators are looking to do the same in coming years, with even the youngest F-18s pushing age 20, and many (Marines, talking to you) almost twice that.

Peru’s u-boats, USN adjacent

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140923-N-ZF498-067 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Sep. 23, 2014) Peruvian submarine BAP Islay (SS-35) pulls alongside the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Islay participated in a maneuvering exercise with Theodore Roosevelt, the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), and the guided-missile destroyers USS Winston Churchill (DDG 81), USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) and USS Farragut (DDG 99). Theodore Roosevelt is currently out to sea preparing for future deployments. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Seaman Anthony N. Hilkowski/Released)

Peru has been in the submarine business hot and heavy for over a century, and for much of that has had a very close relationship with the U.S. Navy.

The Latin American country started off their involvement with subs back in the 1880s, when one Federico Blume y Othon came up with a small Toro Submarino submersible equipped with a cable-layed torpedo (more of a mine) that was neat but not successful, although it was an interesting footnote to the War of the Pacific between Peru, Bolivia and Chile.

Fuente: Museo de la Marina de Guerra del Perú, sección de Submarinistas, via Superunda.

Then came a pair of Holland-esque 151-foot submarines— BAP Teniente Palacios and BAP Teniente Ferré— that were ordered from Schneider in France and operational by 1913. Both were disposed of by the 1920s.

Sumergible Palacios

Peru’s first effective subs (and first U.S. connection) were four 187-foot R-class submarines— BAP Islay (R-1), BAP Casma (R-2), BAP Pacocha (R-3), and BAP Arica (R-4)— ordered from the Electric Boat Company in Connecticut, delivered in the mid-1920s.

Peruvian submarine R-1 in Newport, RI, United States, in 1926.

Crew of the Peruvian submarine R-2 in Newport, Rhode Island on October 26, 1926.

Peru R class submarines BAP R-4, BAP R-3, BAP R-2 and BAP R-1. Photograph taken before 1950 at the Callao Naval Base

Crucero peruano BAP Francisco Bolognesi y submarinos peruanos R3 y R4 fondeados en el puerto de Valparaiso

Carrying four torpedo tubes, these diesel-electrics were involved in both the Colombian-Peruvian War and Peruvian-Ecuadorian War before being upgraded back at Groton to extend their life after WWII, at which point they were probably the last 1920s-era diesel boats still in front-line service. Of note, the U.S. Navy used some 27 R-class boats of their own.

Peru R class submarine torpedo submarino R La fotografía está fechada en la bahía de Ancón, en el año 1936.

The four Peruvian R-class subs. Built during Prohibition in Connecticut, they remained with the fleet until 1960

To replace these were four more Electric Boat-produced modified U.S. Mackerel-class submarines ordered in 1953. Termed the Abtao-class in service, the quartet– BAP Lobo/Dos de Mayo (SS-41, BAP Tiburon/Abato (SS-42), BAP Atun/Angamos (SS-43) and BAP Merlin/Iquique (SS-44)— remained in service in one form or another into 1998.

Peru then picked up a pair of aging U.S. Balao-class diesel boats in 1974–  BAP Pabellón de Pica/La Pedrera (SS-49), ex-USS Sea Poacher (SS/AGSS-406) and BAP Pacocha (SS-48), ex- USS Atule (SS-403)— which they kept in service as late as 1995.

BAP Dos de Mayo, Peruvian submarine

Peru has since acquired six German-built Type 209 (1100 and 1200 series) boats, commissioned starting in 1974:

BAP Angamos (SS-31)
BAP Antofagasta (SS-32)
BAP Arica (SS-36)
BAP Chipana (SS-34)
BAP Islay (SS-35)
BAP Pisagua (SS-33)

The evolution looks like this:

Besides Cold War exercises, the Peruvian submarines have been a part of the Diesel-Electric Submarine Initiative (DESI) since 2001. In the program, the Latin American u-boats head north and operate with the USN as an OPFOR of sorts. Over the years, submarines from the country have performed such duties 15 times.

The latest, Arica, just wrapped up 89 days of stateside operations supporting “fleet pre-deployment exercises with the Kearsarge Amphibious Readiness Group and conducted anti-submarine training with the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft and the Helicopter Weapons School.”

“The Arica proved to be a quiet and elusive adversary, providing valuable insights into tactical operations against modern diesel submarines,” said Capt. Robert Wirth, commodore of Submarine Squadron 20.

Crew members from the Peruvian submarine BAP Arica (SS-36) pose for group photos in front of the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Maryland (SSBN 738) prior to a tour at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., as part of the Diesel-Electric Submarine Initiative (DESI) program. The DESI Program is a U.S. Navy partnership with South American countries and supports their diesel-electric submarine operations and fleet readiness events in operating areas off the U.S. east and west coasts.

Can she cook?

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When Brownells introduced their Retro line of “throwback” ARs, they largely stuck to early 1960s and 70s classic Colt models which looked great, and, more importantly, told a piece of firearms history.

I mean what’s not to like?

Of course, it should be pointed out that the AR-10 predated the 15s by a good bit and were every bit if not more influential to firearms lore.

Portuguese A.I. AR-10s “somewhere in Africa” in the 1960s.

Classic, 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles, but with Atomic-age plastics rather than wood, the latter of which had been used in firearms dating back to the 1300s.

That’s where Brownells’ BRN-10A/B comes in at:

The ones at the top. I took this in Dallas earlier this year. The guns really feel great.

Did I mention it looks great, as well?

The BRN-10A, with a classy gentleman

Sure, they look nice, but how do they handle the goop? Check out the below for the answer to that one.

An aging Russki throwback, some 35 years ago today

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The big 16,000-ton Sverdlov-class (Project 68bis) light cruiser Aleksandr Nevsky of the Soviet Red Banner Fleet on 26 October 1983, photographed in the Baltic.

While she would have been a mighty foe in 1938, when compared to the NATO cruisers of the Reagan-era, she was hopelessly obsolete.

Some 30 of these all-gun cruisers, based on Soviet lessons learned from WWII and study of Allied and Axis cruisers that passed through their hands then applied to the 1930’s Chapayev-class design, were ordered in the early 1950s– notably the last of their type fielded in large numbers. These ships carried a full dozen 6 inch/57 cal B-38 guns in four triple Mk 5-bis turrets. They were roughly equivalent to the U.S. Navy’s Cleveland-class light cruisers (14,500-tons, 4 × triple 6″/47cal guns) of WWII.

Following Stalin’s death, just 21 were completed and by the 1960s those left in service (Ordzhonikidze, for instance, was transferred to Indonesia with disastrous results) were soon relegated to intermittent command ship tasking and use as naval gunfire platforms– much the same as seen in Western navies at the time. By the late 1970s, most were dockside reserve ships, only trotted out for photo ops or foreign port calls to wave the flag.

Nevsky was stricken in 1989 and scrapped.

That’s one shaggy dog

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Recently C Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment, of Royal Australian Army’s 1st Brigade deployed to Cultana Training Area to conduct live fire field training and squad-level battle runs. The “shaggy dog” camo used by their LAVs I thought was particularly effective in visually breaking up their outline.

FLIR, of course, is always going to be a mother without a Barracuda system.  I know Saab has long-supplied Multispectral Camouflage Systems to the Ozzies for their M1s, but I don’t know about their LAV. If these dogs incorporate MCS, then so much the better.

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