IN THIS ISSUE:
Calls from the Wilds
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How Do You Load a Bobcat in a Truck?
thanks to Dick Carleton
Creative Crosswalks:
thanks to Ron Carleton
The lady driving the car apparently walked away with minor injuries!
thanks to Dick Carleton
Gun Control is just around the corner...
at our local gun shop. I was ready to pay for some gun powder and patches when the cashier said, "strip down, facing me."
Making a mental note to complain to the NRA about wacko politicians running amok, I did as she had instructed. When the screams and alarms subsided, the nice police officer explained that the cashier was referring to how I should place my credit card in the card-reader.
I have been invited to shop elsewhere in the future. They need to make their instructions more clear to seniors, I was brought up to do what I was told.
thanks to Ron Carleton
How Many Days old Are YOU!
(click the link above to find out)
Interesting Page Showing
Relative Sizes of Universe Objects
Remember the Ventures ?
The instrumental rock band from the 60's? Their biggest hit was "Wipeout", but their first hit was "Walk Don't Run". They are the best selling instrumental band of all time. Their original 17 year old drummer George Babbitt left after 8 months to join the Air Force because he was too young to play in bars. He came back for a reunion to play "Walk Don't Run" with them again. Guess what he is now! This is great... it will make you smile...
Russian Priest Given Supersonic Su-35 Fighter Aircraft
In an ironic turn, nearly 80 years after Stalin derided the Pope of the Catholic Church by asking how many divisions he had, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, now owns one of the most advanced combat jets in the world.
After giving workers at a Sukhoi Company plant icons he had blessed, Patriarch Kirill was presented with an Su-35, the church reported. Kirill, who has close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, had just addressed the Sukhoi employees about the importance of protecting Russia. Read more.
thanks to Rick Durden
Building Code Violations or just following the order form?:
ARMS AND THE MAN MAGAZINE... free
Ed Reynolds has done an amazing job scanning and preparing .pdfs of 250 issues of Arms and the Man between 1908 and 1923. If you want a treat and some fine reading please take advantage of Ed's fine work and download as many issues as you would like.
Sign on Septic Tank Truck:
"Caution - This Truck is full of Political Promises"
RAILGUN
in test phase of development by the USN
100 Mile Range at Mach 7!
(somewhere over 7000 feet per second or around 5000mph)
thanks to Jim Buchanan
Guns Can't Talk - Don't Believe It!
How many times have you said, "I wish this gun could talk?" In one way or another, all guns have a story to tell. Proof marks and other markings can often tell the complete history of a gun. The Webley article in the October issue of Arms Heritage Magazine tells such a story.
Let's take a look at one particular firearm with a long career, a Mauser Model 1914 Automatic in 7.65 caliber:
First, the maker and caliber are noted, there is a crown over the letter "U" behind the rear sight indicating that it was test fired and approved at the factory. A small cipher just in front of the rear indicates its acceptance by the Imperial German Military.
A Prussian eagle on the front of the trigger guard reveals that it was issued to the
Prussian military. On the right side of the frame is a mark that reads P.B.Hbg. No. 3351. This indicates that it was number 3351 in the inventory of the City Police of Hamburg in the 1920's.
Another mark, M.S.K. HAMB. 1 probably indicates proofing or repair in Hamburg. A Nazi commercial eagle over the letter "N" is firing proof that indicates barrel replacement in the 1940s.
An "X" on the left side of the frame tells us that the pistol was captured by the Russians during WWII and finally, we note the sunburst marking of the East German Volkspolizei on the trigger guard. This marking is partially peened over. The pistol was imported to the United States in the 1960's at a time when it was prohibited to import arms from communist countries, the East German marking was partially obliterated to hide that deception.
Who said guns can't talk?
The entire story of this interesting pistol will be told in a series of photographs in the December issue of Arms Heritage Magazine. Remember - subscriptions are only $19 per year and current subscribers have access to all 22 back issues as well as those yet to be published. Go to Arms Heritage Magazine to sign up.
New Books and Special Thanks
You can always see the reprints added during the last six months by clicking on the Recent Additions link to my website. Special thanks to Paul Breakey for letting us borrow their wonderful old catalogs and manuals to copy.
Browning c1955 Arms Catalog by John Inglis Co, Toronto, CN.
Colt 1960 Custom Made Holsters Catalog
Colt c1960 Model E & I Repair Manual by Alfred DeJohn
Colt's 1969 Handgun & Long Gun Parts Price List
Congressional Hearings on Replacing the M1911A1- 1981
Firearms Unlimited c1959 Collector Weapons- Pittsburgh, PA
FM 23-35 1940 Auto Pistol Cal 45 M1911 & M1911A1 Basic Field Manual
M-14 1968 Adjustable Ranging Telescope (ART) 7,62 cal.
Mossberg 1977-78 Parts Catalog
Parker Hale 1937 Full Line Catalog
Parker Hale 1950 General Catalog
Service Armament Company c1965 Gun Catalog
TB 23-7-1 1942 Carbine cal .30 M1 Ord Field Service
The Rifleman 1939 (UK) Journal of the Miniature Rifle Club
The Rifleman 1940 (UK) Journal of Miniature Rifle Club
TM 9-270 1943 US Rifle 1903A4 (Sniper) Telescope Operation
TM9-2027 1956 Cal 38 Revolver M13 (Colt and S&W) Ord Maint. Manual
US Rifle 1944 M1917 Spare Parts ORD 7 SNL B-4
Z.M. Military Research Co, Inc c1956 Collector Catalog No. 4
Z.M. Military Research Co, Inc c1958 Collector Catalog No. 6
* Download our latest flyer of old gun catalogs
This requires Adobe Reader, which is free.
Those on dial up, beware - it is a large download. (30mb)
Letters from Readers
Dear Abby, I recently inherited a Revonoc Pump Shotgun Ser#128927. Can you help me with any info. Thank You, James Ehresman
James, Doesn't ring a bell with me but you might read this which may give you a direction. If you can get a better idea who made it and when I'll be glad to look a bit more: Read this. Cheers, Abby
Hi Abby, Your package arrived in today’s mail in perfect condition. The gun that I recently acquired was made in 1871, according to the serial number. Sure enough, it is shown as No. 3! These old English catalogs are really a little book! Thanks! Frank
Dear Abby, Can you tell me if one of the Winchester catalogs has parts breakdown for the 1887 shotgun? Thanks, Dave
Dave, The Winchester catalogs from June & November 1887 and the next one in 1890 feature a five page spread on the "Winchester Shotgun, 10 and 12 Gauge, 6 Shots". Two pages are dedicated to cutaway drawings showing the working of the mechanism along with written instructions and a parts plan. Rob
Dear Abby, I’m looking for information on an Hopkins & Allen 22 rifle model 722 can you recommend a particular book. Thanks, Brian Herd
Brian, Thanks for your note. Please tell me exactly what sort of information you seek and I'll try to help. Rob
Hello there. I got the two manuals I bought from you Yesterday, Thank You. I took on board the explainatory content, of the note sheet you had enclosed also The Candian E.M.E.R is of not too bad quality, & the content is of interest to Me. as an Ex Serving Armourer Myself.However, I was not overly impressed with the quality of content of the user handbook. I discovered edge lines & faint detail missing, or difficult to discern on some pages of this manual. I do not wish to denigrate any of your products whatsoever! Simply to raise the point that owning original EMERS myself. The difference is quite stark in print quality. I take onboard your explaination, as to reproduction is SOME cases. Of the available manuals in your library. However, for the price I paid. I DID Expect a more complete content. Can you help Me here Please? Thank you in advance, for your kind attention to this matter. kind Regards: Mike
Dear Mr. Homard, I am sorry we failed to live up to your expectations. I guess you read what we do and how we do it so I won’t offer any more excuses. Suffice to say we are doing our best in our retirement to preserve old firearms publications for future generations. Anyway, I will ask Abby to refund what you paid for your two purchases. I hope this is the help you were asking for in your note. Best wishes, Rob Mouat
Hello Rob, Thank you for your kind response. It was actually more than I would have hoped for to be honest! I was expecting a small reduction on one manual. As it was only the one that failed to live up to expectation. Your customer service attention, is outstanding, to say the least! Your very kind decision, will certainly go a LONG way to Me from not having a sour taste on this transaction. For the future, this also is a good move. In that I am not put off by potentially making any further purchases. I am most Humbled by your generous response, & wish you the VERY best of luck in your retirement. Sincerest Best Wishes: Mike Homard. – batfixeronetwenty (Ebay)
Abby, FN c1950 Fabrique Nationale (Browning) Shotgun Catalog. Does this catalog have pics of the Auto 5 in grade 3-4-5-6 offerings? Thanks, Tom
Dear Tom, Grade standard through 3 are illustrated, others described. Oops, you know, we get so many queries about the 5000 catalogs we reprint I sometimes don't read the questions completely. The catalog you asked about depicts the FN double barrel shotgun, not Browning FN guns. See the pictures and the index. Abby
Dear cornellpubs, I have Sheridan silver streak 1975 and 1978 is this the wright manual for me ,thanks - duke100hd (Ebay)
Dear duke100... I'm sorry, but to be honest I just don't know Sheridans that well. I can say we do sell a lot of them and, of course, if it isn't the right one for you, you can always return it. Cheers, Abby
Dear cornellpubs, do you have info on savage hand held reloading tool 1904 thanks Bill - d1941 (Ebay)
Dear Bill, This is the book you want: Cartridge Reloading Tools of the Past, Also, you might want to consider ARTCA - Antique Reloading Tool Collector's Association. I did check the Savage catalogs of the era and they don't have tools. Rob
Hello there! I am currently on the hunt for a family owned and operated trading post, gun store or all in one wilderness outpost that feels like a time capsule to the old west (or similar). I’m looking for something relatively remote and rugged. The kind of place where all the mountain men would trek in to get their supplies for the month (or something similar). Any leads you can provide in that direction would be greatly appreciated. We are offering a $1,000 finders fee if you are able to connect me with the right place. I would love to speak with you further about this. Unfortunately because of deadlines on another project I won’t be able to get something out this month (details of the TV project) but I will put something together for next month. Thank you. Amberlee S. M. Mucha
READERS: This is a TV project and Amberlee promised to send us a description of the production. I am loath to suggest places until I know a bit more about what they intend to do. If, for example, their idea is to provoke an incident in front of the location I don’t want to get involved. So, if she gets back to me, I’ll let you know. Hey Jim, is there anywhere in Surrey that would qualify?
Abby, the H&R M12 Manual arrived today. I am very happy with the manual and the transaction overall. I left positive feedback for you on Gunbroker. Thanks, Marc
Dear cornellpubs, does this manual - Winchester Model 1400 (1400 MkII and 1500XTR) Takedown Manual - include detailed instructions on how to remove and reinstall the MAGAZINE TUBE from the main frame? - jrz_dad (Ebay)
Dear jrzd... A quick look at the manual shows no diagram of the tube assy by itself so I would advise not to buy it. Rob
Dear cornellpubs, I just want to be sure,is the manual for the model 1889 Remington? (Remington 1889 Magazine Gun Manual) - tubbyg22 (EBAY)
Dear tubby... This manual is for what they called their "MAGAZINE GUN". I don't recall if they called that a M1889 and they didn't use that term in the manual. See the picture with the advert. It shows a bolt action rifle, is that what you want? Abby
ANATOMY OF A FAKE ORDER:
We got an email from a fellow who asked if we could ship to Singapore. We answered yes and in return we got a lengthy return email with complex instructions to contact a shipper who would come to our shop and pick up the order and presumably forward it to the customer. Aside from all the information he asked for about the order… weight, size, our location etc. he gave the name of the shipping company as “pittanlogistics” BUT with a Yahoo email address- alarm, alarm! No shipping company will have a Yahoo email address and I really doubt “pittan” would have someone who would drive to Brighton, MI to pick up the order. Anyway, for that and other suspicious things the guy said I told him to order at the website and never heard back (by the way, the address he gave is a real address and I doubt he is Samuel Costa, the Nordic combined skier from Italy in the last Olympics!):
Samuel Costa, Block 98 Aljunied Ave 2 #03-100, Singapore 380118
Hi Abby, Catalogs that I ordered arrived Saturday in great shape and they look great. Thank you for the prompt service. I will watch your monthly emails to see if some other year catalogs become available. all the best, Jack Wagner
Thanks Abby, I've enjoyed the other books from Cornell and admire what you are doing. All the best, - Paul
Dear cornellpubs, re: Handgun Trade Brands, U.S. Mfrs & Dist. 1865-1930, do these hand guns fire? if so, how do you open the chamber? what kind of bullets, and where to get them - bassfever53 (Ebay)
Dear Bass…, Yes, they fire. Some drop out, some open from the top others the side. They fired bullets from approximately .20 caliber to about .50 caliber. They are available in auctions, gun shows, private sales and in stores. Sometimes even I feel stupid answering this sort of question! Rob
Here are four riddles to make you feel inadequate
Dear Abby- Purchase of Remington Model 24/241 repair manual. I would like to purchase this manual. Please advise as to the purchase process. Thank You, Mark Labbe
Dear Mark, Go to the page where you found the manual Remington Model 24/241 Repair Manual, press "add to cart" and follow the directions. Abby
Dear cornellpubs, Hi, Is there any mention of Willis & Geiger clothing in this catalog- Abercrombie & Fitch Firearms & Sports 1907 Catalog? It is probably called Willis Clothing, since Geiger didn't come around until 1928. Let me know asap. Please check with oldest to latest editions like you have listed. Anything after 1927 should be Willis & Geiger. Prior to that, it would be Ben Willis. Let me know at your earliest convenience. Thanks. Matt – ethnomusicologist (Ebay)
Matt, I checked 04, 10, 20, 30 and 40. As I suspected they did not name makers except those like Duxbak or Burberry. Before the Depression they had a lot of women's clothes named for events "Summer party" etc. You didn't mention what the Willis people made- hats, coats, shoes or whatever but I see no mention of that name. Of course, I didn't take the time to read each ad in detail so I might have missed something. Rob, Free Public Research Assistant - Par Excellence
Dear cornellpubs, Hi, Complete & detailed disassembly and reassembly included in this book -Browning 1903 Model FN Auto Pistol 9m/m Manual? Thanks Regards - shred64belgium (Ebay)
Dear shred... There are three cutaway pictures and written instructions in English but this is not a "MODERN" manual and is not in the same detail. You might be disappointed. Abby
Thanks Abby, You have always done a good job on the items I have purchased from you. Looking forward to seeing them when I get home off the road. Have a good day. Jack
Abby, You are a sweetheart, thank you. Have a great day. Randy
Dear Cornellpubs: Navy Arms c1960 Replica Guns Catalog: Is this an actual catalog or a stack of pages that have been reproduced?
Dear… Uh, 13 pages, about 11" x 8", glossy soft-cover in full color. New COLOR re-print restored and digitally enhanced from a nice original. Printed on high quality 20# 97 bright acid free paper. Bound and Fully Illustrated. Rob
Howdy Abby! It's been a while since we last talked, but I've been enjoying your newsletter as well as the catalog reprints I purchased long ago (ALFA (German - Eng, Sp, Fr, Eng text) 1911 Gun Catalog is still a wealth of information!). I hope that all is well with you, and that the house and related property projects are coming along well. I saw your question regarding the mystery Hopkins & Allen. I wonder if the "B. Goforth" in question isn't William "Bill" Goforth who wrote the books on Iver Johnson and Harrington & Richardson. If so, I'm sad to report that he passed away somewhat recently. I only know this because his H&R Arms Company 1871-1986 by Wm Goforth book has not been out very long, and was published posthumously. Take care of yourself! Sincerely, Fritz Heinrichs
Thanks Fritz, yes, indeed, it has been confirmed that the person posting on the forum was indeed, Bill Goforth. We have his two books but as yet cannot connect his knowledge of H&A to any publication. Thanks for your note. Abby
Abby, Sorry about my communication. I'll try to clarify. The GB posting says 1970. I believe these Browning model 12, 20 ga guns were only made for a short time about 1990. So I was thinking the 1970 in the post (advert) should say 1990. If it is for a 1990 vintage gun, I will buy one. Thanks, Dale
Dear Dale, The manual was undated so we took a guess at when it was printed. If the gun was only made in 1990, it is probably a 1990 manual. The ad for the manuals says c1970 "c" stands for about or "circa" which actually means we don't know! Cheers, Rob
Hi Abby, I went through your site today and I have to say I'm really impressed with what you’re doing. I'm going to pass your site around the local firearm community. Best regards, Josh
Dear cornellpubs, does this catalogue have a photo of the gun disassembles? showing the parts. Thanks - lboles1 (Ebay)
Dear Ibol… From the advert: Nichols Stallion .45 Cap Gun Manual, 4 pages, about 6" x 8", color booklet. New re-print restored and digitally enhanced from a nice original. Printed on high quality 20# 97 bright acid free paper. Fully Illustrated. This is the revolver with the removeable, reloadable bullets. NOTE: THIS IS AN OPERATIONS MANUAL NOT A REPAIR MANUAL!!! TO BE MORE EXACT, IT DOES NOT HAVE EXPLODED PARTS VIEWS OR INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT HOW TO FIX THE PISTOL IF IT IS BROKEN.
Cornellpubs, This is my third request to be removed from any and all Cornell Publishing mailing lists. Do NOT send me any more emails, newsletters, sale announcements, new product notices, or anything else that Cornell Publishing decides it feels like sending my direction. If I do not stop receiving these materials, I will begin reporting your messages as spam to my internet provider as well as my anti-virus program provider. Leonard Jones
Dear Leonard, Gosh Leonard, you are certainly exercised! First off let me help you remove yourself from mailing lists. Click this link: Unsubscribe and enter any email addresses you want to stop mail. No need for threats but if you want to go ahead and tell the virus people and your ISP, but I have to tell you they are all useless and ignore all requests like that (I've tried myself). Oh, and I can find no notes in the past from you asking to be removed from any lists- and after all we only send one newsletter once a month not all the stuff you named and only to one list. Do you use multiple email addresses or use alias names? Cheers, Rob
Rob, Thank you for responding. First let me apologize for my strong approach but I've had a problem lately and it's left me a little on edge. On a recent scouring of my computer to clean up extra and or obsolete files and programs, I found that something had created in's own guest account. For what it's worth; this is a stand-alone work computer with no network connection or other users, so I'm solely responsible for it and it's content. A hard pill to swallow when I have no one to blame-- only my own inattention to detail. Through that account I found that several sites were using my computer for storage and as a launching site for their own materials (spam). The end result was that I had to do a full system delete and reinstall and, since my IP address was apparently now on some scam and spammer 'lists', the installation of two new programs to watch for and stop any future infiltrations. I'd like to think I've had a good relationship with Cornell Publications in the past; so when my requests to unsubscribe seemed to have no effect (not sure where they ended up but there have been several), I felt that my wishes as a customer were being ignored. I will try the unsubscribe link you cited and again offer my apologies to you and to Abby for any steam escaping my ears in my previous email. With respect, Leonard
Good evening, Miss Abby; I just received my Merwin, Hulbert &Co. Catalogue. As everything from your company, it is first rate! Thanks for your offerings and thanks for your great customer service! Matt Harris, Colorado
Rants and Raves
PAYPAL... again
This is not so much a rant as an explanation for why we use Paypal:
"Cornellpubs: In reference to the mail stated in your last Newsletter regarding PayPal, they are Anti Gun. As is Ebay etc. These companies donate part of the profits they make from running their business to Anti-Gun organization, it has little to do with their policy about using their services for buying or selling guns. There are many other cheap sources so you can really STOP using this Anti American organization called PayPal Your saving a couple of pennies is not worth the support of Anti Gun Organization. JC B, Butte, Montana; May The Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. psalm 90:17
Dear JC B, I wish it were that simple. The problem is that we are only two seniors running a business that has slowly grown to over 5000 website pages over the last 12 years. Abby started with Paypal when they were the only show in town and now, to dump Paypal, we would have to re-code each page for a new shopping cart and that would take hundreds of hours. There is no way I know of to automatically do the job.
Because of the time involved, that task is not a matter of a "couple of pennies" for us, especially for a business with a modest financial return. To be clear about the profit end of the business, we do this to preserve the history of firearms not to make a living. So, until someone comes up with a more efficient way to do the work to replace our shopping cart we are stuck with Paypal even if there are cheaper services out there. However, I say again, we don’t like Paypal for a variety of reasons. Cheers, Rob
To see pages of Rants and Raves, and my replies, go to: RAVES and RANTS
Notes for New Readers (useful info repeated each month)
Popups and Blockers
Popup Blockers on your computer may block some links in this newsletter from opening. Many people set their browsers to block popups. This popup blocker may make it impossible to see some of the links in this newsletter because the link may ask the program to open in a new window (popup). If you experience this and want to suspend the popup blocker in Firefox go to Tools/Options/Content and click the popup box. in Internet Explorer go to Tools and then Popup Blocker (about in the middle).
* Tired of SPAM? Virginia Carter (our website guru from Carolina Web Creations) says:
1. Never use your main email address when signing up for stuff online. (ie: forums, purchases, etc.) There are many free email services out there (Google, Yahoo, Juno, etc.) where you can create an email address for your online activity and help control spam.
2. Use forwards cautiously - Use BCC (look for the link to open it near your address bar). Cut and paste the addresses you want to send to into BCC and this hides them from hackers and harvesters... helps control spam!
3. Use caution when visiting websites. Just visiting a webpage can infect your computer. Not all No.1 listed sites on Google are safe!
4. If you get an email from someone you don't know, DO NOT OPEN IT. And the most important - if you get an attachment from anyone with an extension of ".exe" - DO NOT OPEN IT! (.exe is an executable program, and once you double click on it, it will run some kind of program on your computer, usually designed to hurt your computer, possibly ruin it!)
5. If you're interested in "cleaning up" your computer to remove possible spamware and malware, you can download free programs like Spybot and Ad-Aware.
At the Cornellpubs website, you will find many gunmaker "master pages" listing all the catalog reprints of one brand. To the right of each "master page" are names of catalogs by merchants who carried that brand of firearms. For example, I reprint over 60 Remington factory gun catalogs but I also reprint over 160 gun catalogs from merchants that sold Remington firearms such as Sears or Abercrombie & Fitch or Spalding. Those are the listings on the right of the page.
Using the merchant links, you can identify a catalog from just about any year that displays the Remington line and by looking at the individual page indexes you can figure out what models were made in what year without spending a dime. Of course I would be happy to sell you those catalogs too! Most major gunmakers have a "master page" and I am adding more all the time.
* You can increase the size of the text on the screen by holding down the Control key (that's the one in the lower left of the keyboard with Ctrl on it) and scrolling the wheel on top of your mouse back and forth.
* Whenever I scan a delicate old catalog I use my book scanner. The catalog hangs over the side of the scanner and only needs to be opened 90 degrees. This puts much less stress on the spine.
So there you have it, a tip that I hope will result in a torrent of eager collectors now willing to let me scan their old gun catalogs... but, please call or write first, don't just send them because I may already have scans of that particular item. I still have hundreds of old catalogs on file that I haven't got to yet.
* How to pay for things on the internet while using your credit card with some safety... You have to make certain the site accepting your credit card is secure. Normally the site URL begins with http: etc. but a secure site has a different beginning. It starts with https:. etc. The "S" means the site is using encryption software and it is pretty safe to send your card information to the company if you trust the company! By the way, do not send your credit card information in an email. Emails are NOT secure!
Many folks call me to give me an order over the telephone because they "don't like to use their credit cards on the internet". Well, every time you use your credit card at stores, banks, gas stations, restaurants or anywhere else, the transaction is recorded on the internet! Do you trust the company you are giving the info to?
Gun Model & Makers, Parts Suppliers and Appraisers
Maker/Model - Cross Reference Link:
House Brand, Model Number, Original Manufacturer, Original Model
FIREARM APPRAISALS
email William E Sterner Bill is certified by the American Gunsmithing Institute as an appraiser. His website for Black Shepherd Firearms Appraisal
or
Mike Rich, owner of I HAVE THIS OLD GUN. Send Mike an email to get started. Prices for a written appraisal begins as low as $35.00.
We get hundreds of calls about parts.
Some folks selling parts for old guns...
Cheers,
Abby and Rob