TyWhalin

JonhSimpson
ENC0010
June6,2002
Essay

GunsandWeapons
Gunsareaserioushobbyforcertaincollectors.Therearemanytypesandstylesofguns

availableonthemarketforpurchasing.Therearealsoseveraldifferentwaysofpurchasingagun,

somegunsarepurchasedatagunstoreorunderthetable.Thegunstoreistherecommendedplaceto

purchaseagunbecauseyougetalloftheappropriatepaperwork.WhenIpurchasedmygunIgotthe

properpaperworkwiththepurchaseofmygun.Aseriouscollectorusuallylikespurchasingoldergunsto

addtotherecollectionbecauseofthequantityproducedandthevalueofthegun.Herearesomeexamples

fromthebooksthatIown.Theparagraphsmaydiscusssomeoftheinformationearlierdescribed

fromreferencemanualsthattheinformationwasderivedfrom.FirstisTheColtNewServiceRevolverThe
ArmyModelof1909.

When,ashasbeenmentionedbefore,thePhilippineCampaignsdevelopedthefactthatthe.38

didnothavesufficientstoppingpowertoputanendtotherushesoffanaticalMorostheArmywas

engagedinanendeavortofindasuitableautomaticpistolforadoption,andasaresultofthisexperienceit

wasdecidedthatwhenanautomaticpistolwasfinallyadopteditshouldbeof.45caliber.

Theautomaticpistolwasfinallyadoptedin1911,butinthemeantimetheArmyhadadoptedthe

.45caliberrevolverforspecialuseinthePhilippineislands.ThisrevolverwastheregularColtNew

ServiceMilitaryModelandasusedintheArmywasofficiallycalledthe.45CaliberRevolverModelof

1909.ItwaschamberedforthepowerfulandhighlyeffectiveColt.45cartridgewhichhasa255grainlead

bullet.Thenoseofthisbulletissomewhatflattenedandthisaddstoitsstoppingabilitythanisthe.45

automatic.

TheColtNewServiceRevolverisregularlychamberedforthe.38Special,the.44Specialand

Russian,the.3840,.45Coltand.455Elycartridges.Theguncanbehadwith4.5,5.5,or7.5inchbarrels

andweighs40ounces.Itisanextremelysatisfactory,heavycaliber,militaryrevolver,withhighaccuracy

andverygreatruggednessanddurability.

Second,isTheSmith&Wesson.44Military,Beforetheworldwar,Smith&Wesson

regularlyproducedalargeframe,militarytype,doubleactionrevolverinthe.44S.&W.Specialcaliber.

ThisguncalledtheNewCenturymodelhadtheejectorrodcompletelyhousedintoaprotectingribbuilt

underneaththebarrelandhadanarrangementwherebythecylinderwhenclosedwaslockedinpositionat

therear,andinadditionthearmofthecrane,orcylindercarrier,hadalatchtolockittotheframeatthe

frontend.Moreover,theejectorrodwasalsolatchedintoplaceattheextremefrontendofthehousing

underthebarrel.Pushingforwardthelatchontheleftsideoftherevolverframeunlockedthethreecatches

abovementionedsothatthecylindercouldbeswungout.ThisgunwasoftencalledtheTripleLock

model.

However,atthebeginningoftheWorldWarEnglandandCanadabothboughtrevolversfrom

Smith&WessonchamberedfortheBritishServiceCartridgeandatthistimeNewCenturywasmodified

soastoomitthelockatthefrontendofthecraneretainingonlythelockattheendofthecylinderandthe

frontoftheejectorrod.Atthesametimethehousingunderthebarrelfortheprotectionoftheejectorrod

wasremovedandonlythelockinglugunderthebarrelatthefrontendoftheejectorrodwasretained.

Thesetochangesweremadetomakethegunmoreserviceablebyeliminatinganypossibledifficultyin

closingshouldthemudofthetrenchesgetintothespacebetweenthecraneandtheframeorbetweenthe

ejectorrodanditshousing.Thismodifiedgunwascalledthe.44Militaryandisnowmanufacturedby

Smith&Wessonunderthatname.

Thisisagunofthehighestworkmanshipandofsuperbaccuracywhichisstillfurtherenhanced

bythefactthatthegunismadeespeciallyforthehighlyaccurate.44S.&W.Specialcartridge.Itmaybe

noted,however,thatthesomewhatlesspowerful.44S.&W.Russiancartridgemaybeusedwhendesired

inanygunchamberedforthe.44Special.Thisguncontainsaslidingreboundblockunderthelower

surfaceofthehammerwhichisdesignedtopreventthehammerfromstrikingthecartridgeexceptwhenthe

triggerispulledthisdrawingthereboundblockfromitsposition.Thusthereboundblockisintendedto

preventaccidentaldischargesshouldthehammerbestruckbyaccidentorbydroppingthegun,orshould

thethumbslipfromunderthehammerincocking.Thegunismadein5or6.5inchbarrelandweighs38


ounces.Thisgunmodifiedtotakethe.45automaticcartridgeandfittedwitha5.5inchbarrelbecamethe

modelof1917revolveradoptedbytheU.S.ArmyduringtheWorldWar,Describedbelow.

Nowthatyouhavesomemoreknowledgeonthebackgroundofthesubjectandthehistoryofthe

subjectletsdiscussthedifferencebetweenthe.44S&Wandthe.45ColtS&W.Thesearesomeof

themoremoderngunsavailable.

Letscomparesomeofthedifferencesbetweenthetwogunsofchoice.Thebarrelsizeisnot

muchdifferent,thereisadifferenceof.875betweenthegunsbarrels.Thelengthofthebarreldetermines

thetrajectoryoftheround.Theoveralllengthismeasuredfromthetipofthebutttothetipofthebarrel.

Thedifferenceinoveralllengthis1.75.Theemptyweightistheweightofthegunwhilethegunisnot

loaded.Thedifferencebetweenthegunweightsis22.5.Thehammerblockisthesafetyonthegun.The

safetyisanimportantpartofthegun,becausethesafetyisusedtopreventthegunfrombeingdischarged.

Thesafetyisstilljustasimplewayofkeepingthegunfromfiringwhilebeinghandled.Thereare

alsootheralternativewaysofkeepingthegunfrombeingdischargedwhilehandled.Youcanpurchasea

safetylockwhichpreventsthegunfrombeingdischarged.Thatisanothersafetymeasuretoprevent

unwanteddischarged.Thesafetylockcompletelycoversthetriggerfrombeingpulled.Thelocksareworth

thepurchaseandworththemoney.Thenextsubjectthatwewilldiscussisthesightsradius.Thesightis

whatisusedtofocuswhileaimingatatarget.Thesightradiusisthedistancefrombackoftheguntothe

frontofthegun.Youusethesightsforaiming.Thedifferencebetweenthesightradiusesofthegunsis
1.37.

Therifflinggroovesarethegroovesthattwistinsideofthebarrel.TheLHandRHtwistdeterminewhat

directionthattheroundstwistwhenbeingdischarged.Thegroovescanbeusedtodetermineballisticsofa

gun.Ifagunisdischargedthenthegroovesleaveapatternontheroundandtheroundscanbediagnosedto

determinewhatgunfiredtheround.Thegrooves,whicharelocatedinsidethebarrel,leaveadistinctive

patternoneachroundthatisdischargedfromthegun.Thegrooveskeeptheroundfromgettingthejammed

whilebeingdischarged.Therearealsoseveraltypesofstocksandgripsavailableforguns.Thestockis

wheretheuserholdsthegun.Thestockshouldfittheusershandcomfortablyforbetteraccuracy.

Somegripsarealsoavailableforbettergrippingpurposes.Thenumberofroundsineachgunisdetermined

bythetypeofgun.Eachgunholdsacertainamountofrounds.Theroundsarekeptinsideofaclipandthe

clipslipsfirmlyintohandleofthegun.Thegunsfinishcomesinseveraldifferentchoices.Thebrushedand

polishedeffectisthemostappealingbecauseoftheshinnysurfaceandlook.Thesatinfinishisarough

finishlookandthetextureisnotassmoothasthebrushedandpolishedsurface.Thegunsaremadefrom

severaldifferenttypesofmetalsusedincombinationwithoneanother.Thebetterthematerialthebetter

thegun.Allofthesefactorsdeterminethepriceofeachindividualgun.

.44S&W

DoubleActionRevolver
44Special
BarrelLength,3.125

OverallLength,7.88in.
WeightEmpty,18.00ounces
SafetyInternal,HammerBlock
SightsRadius,4.38in.
Riffling,5GroovesRHTwist
Stocks,HougeBantamRubberMonogrip
CylinderCapacity,5Rounds
Finish,ClearCoteSatinAluminum,NaturalTitanium
Price,$788

.45ColtS&W
Operation,DoubleAction
Caliber,45Colt
BarrelLength,4.0in.
OverallLength,9.63in.
WeightEmpty,40.5ounces
Safety,InternalHammerBlock
SightsRadius,5.75in.
Riffling,6Grooves,1:16LHTwist
Stocks,GoncaloAlvesWoodCombat
CylinderCapacity,6Rounds
Finish,BrushedNaturalSatinStainlessSteel
Price,$730

Mostpeopleneedsomekindofsupervisionwhenhandlingguns.Therearealotofdecisionstobe

madewhenowningguns.Therearealotofplacesandestablishmentsthatofferfreeeducationandtraining

whenhandlingguns.Whichmeansthatnopersonshouldhaveanexcuseinwhythegunsweremishandled.

Insomecases,thathasbeenprovendifferent,butthosecasesweretriedinacourtoflawanddecidedbya

judge.Withtheproperamountoftrainingtheindividualsshouldbeabletohandletheguns.

Ifyouareaseriouscollectorthenyouprobablyhavemultipletypesofguns.There

arealotmorecomplexissuesinvolvedonthetopicofguns.Cautionshouldbetakenwhen

handlingthesesubjects.Somesourcesofgoodinformationcanbederivedfromthe(NRA)NationalRiffle

Association,Hatcher,W.W.Greener,Chapel,Sharpe,gunmagazines,orevenoldrelatives.Thisbarely

describessomeofthetopicswhenhandling,purchasingandshootingguns.Therearealotmoreserious

issuesinvolvedonthissubject.