October 2009 - Argghhh!

...just because it's been a while. Some more pictures of the Brown Manufacturing conversion of an Enfield 3-band musket to a bolt-action breech-loader.The concept was simple enough. Chop off the old breech, add a new one with a simple (but robust) bolt. The soldier would have to *** the hammer by hand, and that modification, extending back into the wrist of the stock as it does, is a great source of weakness... as the broken stock on this rifle shows. Anyway - the shooter cocks the hammer, rotates...

Not a busy day for the Medal, as things like that go. Five awards,spanning from the Indian Campaigns to WWII.Indian Campaigns:CARR, JOHNRank and organization: Private, Company G, 8th U.S. Cavalry. Place and date: At Chiricahua Mountains, Ariz., 29 October 1869. Entered service at:------. Birth: Columbus, Ohio. Date of issue: 14 February 1870. Citation: Gallantry in action.Philippine Insurrection, and a doc who earned his Combat Medic badge - before there was such a thing.MATHEWS, GEORGE W.Rank and...

Today rather exceeds the daily average for the Medal, which is about 10 per day, with 49 Medals spanning the Civil War, the Indian Campaigns, sailors in peacetime, WWI and Vietnam. We open with the Civil War and iron men from a wooden ship, the USS Tacony during the fight to take Plymouth, North Carolina from the rebels. One was wounded serving Tacony's pivot gun, the other four went ashore to spike the rebel guns.Civil WarBRUTSCHE, HENRY Rank and organization: Landsman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1846...

In the Whatziss post of yesterday, Seza Geoff, who is an Ozzie, said:No fair on us colonials using all this semi-auto stuff! The gov't took all ours away years ago, so all we have is pictures! At least the transitional rifle was more along the lines of what we are allowed!Seza in Australia (who still wouldn't mind a FAL, Jungmans and a Bren to finish off with)I responded thusly: "Seza - um, you *do* remember we were colonials before your lot got planted down there? We just threw off...

The New York National Guard , has put up for sale its old Glen Falls, N.Y. Armory ...

I was having trouble with my computer. So I called John, the 11 year old next door whose bedroom looks like Mission Control, and asked him to come over..

[N.B. - for those of you following these posts - I've caught up the missing 21-26 October posts, but rather than make today "Medal of Honor Day as Castle Argghhh!" I'll direct you to the Medal of Honor archive to get caught up.]This was a busy day during the Civil War, with 17 Medals of the 20 total awarded for this day being earned during 5 fights, one in 1862, the rest in 1864.Civil War –First up is a fight at Georgia Landing, La, in 1862., followed by Boydton Plank Road...

In keeping with the theme of the day ( Dayum SangerM, there are some very talented artists down in the South West ), I'd like to post this little piece of art...