jimhallam

I am sorry that you take that attitude --- it is not a case of "lighten up" --- it is a case of simply using the correct terminology, which takes no more effort than using the incorrect term.. After "a long day" SURELY being correct is better. If your explanation about terminology desacends to the simply crude ( as it does in your response) then I may as well watch Russell Brand when I want to be amused. If this is the general principle behind the fora (forums) then I regret that I will be spending my tme elsewhere - -sorry.

They are NOT "heads" -- -they are BULLETS -- -i.e., the PROJECTILES. The same sort of sloppiness means people talk about "Bullets" when they mean "cartridges". The HEAD on a CARTRIDGE is the place where the HEADSTAMP (normally) goes --- on the base of the cartridhe. Sorry to be a pedant but let's get it right.

It is a TRANTER patent target pistol --- probably made by the Tranter BROTHERS rather tha William Tranter's company. Probably .22rf -- -but MIGHT be in .297/.230 Morris if it is centrefire. I have seen them in .320c.f. as well. (Guess who collects Tranters!)

I used to have a LARGE collection of Webley S-L pistols, starting with .32 cal #12, going from the .22 blowback olice trainer singleshot up to the big .455 which the Dockyard Police had at one time.. You can see many of them in Gordon Bruce's book. Although I COULD have kept them as I am "Section 5 Authorised" I passed most of them on to a friend in Rhode Island. What a shame that only the "scrotes" *** seem to have the freedom to have pistols in the U.K. now! *** scrote ---- police jargon -- - work it out!

Are you the "Mervyn Mitton" who wrote "The Policeman's Lot" ? If so we have a friend in common -- Fred Wilkinson.

It is easy to change the lever -- -BUT there should then be evidence of TWO circular indentations on the lower edge of the butt. The "52" is the GAUGE under the 1874 Rules of Proof ---- many Sniders have "25". This means that the rifle was meant for COMMERCIAL sale. Many of the old M-H rifles and carbinbes were converted to .22 -- -the NRA (of GB) had two batches done by Greener --- one of (if my memory serves me well) 5000 in 1906 and a later, smaller batch. These will have a CONVERSIUON serial # starting with an "N". Theyt were sold for peanuts as training rifles to members of NRA-affiliated Clubs. I probably have 15 or 20 in m y gunroom -- -mostly converted by Greener or Bonehill, with a FEW by other companies such as Westley Richards. A typical example will say (on the left action flat) "Converted for the NRA (or SMRC*) by CGBonehill" *SMRC = Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs (now the NSRA) and many will have been rebarrelled with a thinner barrel, with fillets either side of the fore-end channel. We still shoot them in competition in "Historic Arms" Matches in the UK.... and, of course we also use the full-bore versions. Look up "Historical Breechloading Smallarms Association" Jim H.

Just had a live MG34 in - --with the double drum carrier AND the belt filling tool. The only problem -- -I cant figure how to get ALL of the filling tool into the steel box. help?

Unless it has been deactivated (I STRONGLY disapprove of this!) it is a "Section 1 firearm" and one of the few "handguns" ( I HATE that Americanism --- in England it is a Revolver or Pistol!) which can still be owned -- and shot -- by a person who has a Firearm Certificate. There are LOTS of these about which have been aged and are being passed off as originals. Most of them will have had the marks linished off but the earliest repros were NOT Ubertis (as the American "text"-books would have you believe) but were made by CENTAUR in Belgium and they did not put their maker's mark on them. I had one in recently as part of a collection of "Antiques". The owner had bought it in the '70s and believed that it was a genuine Colt Dragoon -- -worth well in 4 figures. I played safe and put it into an American auction house described as what I believed it was... it was catalogued WITHOUT that "caveat" but still only sold for well under $1000 so obviously it was realised that it was a fake. I recently saw a video where someone had what he thought was a genuine Colt Walker --- he was offerred $500,000 for pit providing that it was authenticated. It was not! There used to be a chap in London making "A Company" Colt Walkers -- - he was the BEST guncase-maker in the London Gun Trade (Bernie Foggam -- now deceased --- known as "Bernie the Box") and he was tied up with another "scrote" -- Dickie Washer -- who passed off aged down Sheffield-made bowie knives. T.G. it is not as bad these days!!! The easiest way to tell the early Colt fakes is that they do not have "gain-twist rifling" -- i.e., the pitch of the rifling changes. I would be pleased to help people who need SPECIALIST advice --- but only about rifled arms up to WW2. Jim H.

This is a NEEDLE-fire rook rifle --- Rissack's Patent (most frequently encountered marked "Rigby, Dublin) --- uses a paper cartridge with the primer at the base of the bullet. Pin pierces "cartridge" and hits primer. I would expect it to be about 100bore (about .30calibre -- 7.5mm or so) so very little recoil. Venables would have been the RETAILER, not the maker. Probably Birmingham proofed. It would fit one of my collecting themes --- rook rifles (of course!) . I have seen a couple of PISTOL versions which would fit the second of my themes - -"unusual" single-shot pistols. I also collect British revolver aand their copies -- -Webley, Adams, Tranter, Deane-Harding etc. Luckily I have Home Office Authority for ANY type of pistol, including those now classified as "small firearms" in the UK. Jim H.