This Week in Firearms History:
October 1: In 1826 gun designer Benjamin Hotchkiss is born; in 1954 Armalite is formed to build Eugene Stoner's designs; in 1968 The Living Dead is released in theaters, starting the Zombie craze.
October 2: In 1789 President Washington sends the Bill of Rights to the States for ratification; in 1835 the Texas Revolution begins in Gonzales, TX; in 1942 the British capture a German Enigma machine.
October 3: In 1615 Marin le Bourgeoys invents the flintlock mechanism for rifles; in 1990 East and West Germany formally create a new German democratic republic; in 1993 the "Blackhawk Down" incident occurs in Mogadishu, Somalia, 18 U.S. soldiers die.
October 4: In 1636 the Plymouth Colony draft their 1st laws; in 1853 The Ottoman Empire declares war on Russia, starting the Crimean War; in 1923 Charlton Heston is born.
October 5: In 1877 Chief Joseph surrenders, ending the Nez Perce War; in 1892 citizens of Coffeyville Kansas prevent the Dalton Gang from robbing two banks; Global James Bond Day, in 1962 Dr. No is released in theaters.
October 6: In 1781 the American Patriots along with the French begin the siege of Yorktown, the last battle of the American Revolution; in 1886 The Reno Gang carries out the 1st robbery of a moving train; in 1949 Sturm, Ruger & Co. ships their 1st batch of pistols.
October 7: In 1765 the Stamp Act Congress is formed to combat the British tax on the colonies; in 1879 John Moses Browning is issued the first of 128 firearms patents, in 1985 Palestinian gunman hijack the Italian cruise ship the Achille Lauro.
Gun of the Week: Smith & Wesson model 61 "Escort"
The story of the Smith & Wesson model 61 begins some 60 years before the introduction of the diminutive pistol.
The origins of the model 61 starts with the 1908 Peiper Beyard pistol. S&W copied the design in 1969 with some minor updates.
The gun came chambered in .22 LR and had a frame made from aluminum. Finishes were anodized blue frame with blued steel or a nickel-plated finish like seen above.
The model 61 Escort was only produced for 3 years and was dropped from the catalog in 1973, then the design was revived in 1987 with the introduction of the model 422 and its variants. Read more here.
Cartridge of the Week: 20 Gauge Shotshell
The 20 Gauge shotshell was developed in England as a less powerful and easier to shoot alternative to the 10, 12 and 16 gauge shotguns.
When the plastic shotshell was developed by Federal Ammunition, they chose yellow for the hull of the 20 gauge, yellow is the color of caution and Federal wanted to remind shooters not to load the 20 gauge into a larger caliber shotgun. SAMMI made it a rule that all manufacturers of 20 gauge ammo use yellow for the hull, no other shotshell has a designated color.
Gun Quote of the Week:
Bubba Gun of the Week:
This weeks Bubba Gun was submitted by Hazeem Vahar Bajwa aka "Grok the caveman", a gunsmith in Swabu, Pakistan. He says he learned his skills working for his Uncle/Father in the Kyber Pass region. He submitted his entry for consideration in our 1st Annual Golden Poop Awards for Distinction in Gunsmithing in the "Most Creative Modifications to a Glock" category.
Gun Sticker of the Week:
This weeks gun sticker is available on ebay.
Gun T-Shirt of the Week:
This week's T comes from Demolition Ranch's Bunker Branding, buy them here.
