Your military smallarms knowledge ...pass it on

[Rob62]

T.Stahl - You said that Parabellum doesn't mean "Made for War". There is one other possibility that I've heard, "Pistol of War". But from all I've read the more common accepted translation is Made for War.

So if that isn't correct would you please say what the correct translation is.

I'm always interested in inceasing my knowledge and sure would like to know the correct meaning of Parabellum if I've been wrong so long.

Rob

 

[T.Stahl]

Tamara,
I didn't say there were any, I just haven't seen them yet.

Rob62,
"para bellum" is an order and means "prepare (for) war!"

 

[4v50 Gary]

Easy one: 1) Who was the first person to motorize the Gatling gun?

A: Richard Gatling himself. They were mounted on the fighting top of ships and were suppose to sweep the deck of the enemy.

2) What was the longest distance shot made with a round ball flintlock rifle and by whom?

A: It was during the Siege of Fort Meigs (April-May, 1813), Ohio during the War of 1812. The shooter was Elijah Kirk of the Capt. Sebree's Company, Kentucky Detached Militia. An Indian marksman climbed an elm tree and was shooting at the Americans when they went down to the Maumee for water. After a couple days of missing, he finally figured the hold and injured three Americans. Kirk was finally given permission and waited patiently in one of the blockhouses. When the Indian fired, Kirk returned the compliment and killed the Indian. Unfortunately, the name of the Indian marksman was lost in time. The distance? About 600 yards. The skeptics may question it, but Walter Cline bored out a rifle to .53 caliber and using a duplex load (4f with coarser powder atop of it) was able to hit a man sized target 4 out of 10 tens at 600 yards.

 

[Mike Irwin]

The siege of Ft. Meigs happened from April to May 1863, during the War of 1812?

I thought we as a nation normally tried to resolve one war before starting another back then...

 

[telewinz]

The siege of Fort Meigs is alot like Korea, it was a "police action" so it went on for decades.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"The siege of Fort Meigs is alot like Korea, it was a "police action" so it went on for decades."

THAT EXPLAINS IT!

When I went there years ago I saw two guys sitting on opposite sides of the fort eyeing each other warily!

We're still at war!

 

[4v50 Gary]

Thanks Mike. I corrected it to 1813. Typos will happen and that's why I'll never get keyboard pay.

 

[Coult D]

Q. What cailber was the .30 M1 Garand orginally designed for?

A. Caliber .276

Q. Who insisted the caliber be changed to 30'06 and why?

A. Then Chief of Staff Douglass MacArthur. In the depression era Military
ol' Doug could not see wasting 1 BILLION rounds for the 3'06 that
was made during W.W.I. In hindsight it was Doug's best decision
outside of the Inchon landings.

Q. What two pistols were orginally developed by Colt and S&W for
post W.W.II replacement of the 1911A1 .45

A. The Colt Combat Commander .45 and the S&W Model 39. Both
pistols were submitted for trials but the Army decided to stick
with old reliable 1911.

 

[Johnny Guest]

Uh-oh! Couple of errors noted - - -

CoultD wrote:

Q. What two pistols were orginally developed by Colt and S&W for post W.W.II replacement of the 1911A1 .45

A. The Colt Combat Commander .45 and the S&W Model 39. Both
pistols were submitted for trials . . . .

Gotta nit pick this one, sir - - Colt began producing the (real) Commander model in 1949 - - - It was an alloy framed piece. The Combat Commander model, with the steel frame, was introduced by Colt in 1969, though it was serial numbered with the 70 series guns.

IAJack, way back on page one, you submitted:

How many rounds are contained in a standard Garand magazine?*8

Well, no, not really. The M1 Garand CLIP holds eight, but the magazine only holds SEVEN. The top round is chambered in the loading process. If you doubt this, try to depress the top round and close the bolt on an empty chamber, with eight in the magazine.

No flame meant, Jack. Wouldn’t even have mentioned it if you hadn’t already (properly) posed the question about clip vs. mag. Good bunch of questions otherwise - - -That was the only real mistake I caught.

Mine - - -
Q: What was the primary profession of Richard Gatling, the inventor of the famous multi-barrel rapid fire gun?

A: Dentist

Best,
Johnny

 

[4v50 Gary]

Sidebar on Dr. Richard Gatling

Excerpt from Paul Wahl & Don Toppel's The Gatling Gun: "In 1847, Richard Jordan Gatling attended a course of lectures at Indiana Medical College at La Porte. During the two years that followed, he studied at Ohio Medical College in Cincinnati. It has been assumed, quite generally, that he graduated in medicine in 1849. From that time on, he was known as 'Doctor Gatling.' However, according to Dr. Clayton McCarthy, M.D., writing in Annals of Medical History, September, 1940: 'Considerable difference of opinion exists as to whether Dr. Gatling graduated in medicine and how well he practiced... Careful search of records at Indiana and Ohio Universities show that Dr. Gatling did not graduate, and many contend he never practied.'"

BTW, licensing of medical profession back in the 19th Century was not unlike today with its Boards. You could attend a medical school or learn from a practicing doctor back in those days. That Gatling attended professional lectures and took some classes in Cincinnati probably made him more qualified than many of those who called themselves doctors. Be that as it may, the expertise of doctors of that time period (especially surgeons) is highly suspect and one need only read about Civil War medicine to feel more confident in the hands of today's Boy Scouts (at least they know enough to wash their hands and instruments).

Wahl & Toppel's book, which has been long out of print, is still the best I've seen on the Gatling gun and Berk's book (Palladin Press) pales by comparison.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Coult D,

There's another active thread here, over in rifles, I think, that says that the military wanted a .25-cal. round for the Garand, and there was actually development work done on it. That is the first time I've ever heard of that.

 

[Johnny Guest]

Thanks, Gary - - -

I really thought I'd read that Gatling had studied dentistry. Appreciate the correction. I was probably thinking of John Holiday or some equally distinguished practitioner of the combination of the healing arts and powder burnin'.

Best,
Johnny

 

[Mike Irwin]

Ah, I've got a good one...

Q: On what commercially unsuccessful Winchester round was the .30 carbine round based?

A: The .32 Winchester Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) round, which had been developed for the Model 1905 rifle.




Q: Which Winchester SLR rounds and rifles were used in military service?

A: The Model 1907 in .351 SLR, and the Model 1910 in .401 SLR. Both were used in limited service with the French Air Force.

 

[Penman]

Okay, let's see if my memory serves me right...

What were the other two variations developed before the Springfield 1903A3?

1903A1-Variation in the stock design, with a pistol grip

1903A2-A unit designed for placement in a tank barrel, for use as a sub calibre training function