Contents:

• Springfield Armory Storage Tours
• New Stuff
• Baltimore 2002 Gun Show Report
• Useful Information - (Non- Corrosive U.S. Military Ammunition)
• Darwin Award
• Joke
• Featured Collector Group - (Remington Society of America)

Springfield Armory Storage Tours
 

Springfield will be offering personal tours of the second floor collections area later this year. This houses the second largest gun collection in the world (Royal Armories at Leeds, England is larger, but they had a 100 year head start). All the great experimental models you see in the reference books are stored there, along with untold other treasures. Visits to the second floor require 30 days advance notice and $12 per person fee for a one hour session. Arrangements can also be made for small groups. Call the museum at (413) 734-8551 x236 to make reservations. Springfield will also put out a special exhibit on the M1903 rifle for its 100th anniversary in 2003. This might be a nice theme for other collectors, even though none of us own the single 1901 prototype, nor M1903 rifle serial number 1 like they do.

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New Stuff

As usual we keep finding more neat stuff for your collections.  Some of it gets snapped up as soon as it hits the catalog page.  Other times we have some great items that have been out for a while but are still awaiting discovery by a tasteful shopper.  John has been lusting after some goodies and is digging through his personal collection to find a few items that he is willing to put up for adoption.  He put out a couple of items already and is still digging, so keep checking.  We have recently listed most of the items from two large collections.  We keep getting more consignment items in- some very nice pieces, and some lower price items for the beginner or less fanatical enthusiast.  We are adding a number of new militaria items, several collectible handguns, and more edged weapons.  We also found a few more heavy ordnance items (inert of course) and some good collector ammunition.  We have a nice collection coming in from Nebraska but it may take a while before it appears on the catalog pages.

Baltimore 2002 Gun Show Report

As usual, a thoroughly outstanding show with loads of great temptations for collectors at all levels, and in all fields (except post 1898 handguns which are not even allowed in the building).

Great displays included: Confederate Bayonets, Model 1836 Pistol Variations, Arms of the Boer War, Springfield Armory Model 1860 Staff & Field Officers Sword (12 variations); The Beginning of Long Range sights on U.S. Rifles [1841-1855]; Civil War Cannons, Kodak Moments [Old “boys’ Rifles with photos of kids using them]; a documented Revolutionary War Virginia musket; a spectacular engraved and inlaid presentation Model 1895 Winchester; pre-Civil War Navy arms and equipment; Civil War Bayonet Scabbards; and others.
The NRA, Springfield Armory, Harpers Ferry and USS Constellation museums all had exhibits and friendly people from their staffs to answer questions.

Goodies offered by dealers included a gas trap Garand (serial number in the 300 range); a lot of Krag carbines (some real, some cutdowns, and not always noted as such); one of the 476 Krags made in .22 caliber; two of the 183 “Long Range Model trapdoors made (and reportedly a third, although I did not see it), two “Metcalf” trapdoors; and five of the 1,000 “Lindsay Double Muskets” made in 1863.  Several M1903A4s with prices continuing to climb, and Civil War rifles, carbines and pistols by the score.  Lots of great collector ammo (both singles and boxes); and two dealers with heavy ordnance items (including the world’s foremost expert, Dr. John Crittenden-Schmidt).  Great parts dealers including S&S Firearms, Bill Ricca, Tom Mulligan, and Antique Gun Parts.  Bayonet specialists Homer Brett, Roy Anderson, Jason Kaplan, Stan Tranquillo, and Al Siebel had just about anything you would ever want.  Rutgers Book Center had their usual huge inventory of gun books, and Dunlap Woodcarving had their superb line of repro stock for everything from the Brown Bess to the M1903 rifles.

Unlike the customary gun show swill or overpriced hot dogs, this show features outstanding food.  Crab cakes made by people who know how to do it right were John’s favorite.

The annual meeting of the Society of American Bayonet Collectors held Saturday night was another fun event, highlighted by a “show and tell” session.  Special treats were the rare Krag bayonets (one of 150 Bolos, one of the Bowies and one of the blade types for the 26” Board of Ordnance and Fortification rifles); a sampling of bayonets for double barrel guns (foreign and US circa 1750 to 1945); and an amazing 20 different foreign bayonets made for the M1 Garand.  And there were some Australian variations of the M9 bayonet- including a version made as an EOD “knife” so they can keep it with them instead of having to lock it up in the armory, as required for all “bayonets”, proving that the Oz Army is not immune to the arms phobia epidemic in their civilian population.  John is the Secretary and will soon be webmaster for the SABC, and invites you to join now so you can attend next year’s meeting. See http://www.amerbayo.org for more info.

You gotta plan now to go to the Baltimore show next year, March 15-16, 2003.  Forget about getting a table, but it is worth the trip anyway.
 

Useful Information

NON-CORROSIVE PRIMERS IN U.S. MILITARY AMMUNITION STARTED WITH THESE LOTS/DATES
(Reference TM9-1305 - 20 June 1961)
 

People who shoot U.S. military surplus ammunition need to know what ammunition has corrosive primers, and which lots have non-corrosive (styphanate in military terminology).  While it can be great fun and very educational to shoot your old rifles or pistols, most people are used to modern non-corrosive primers and are not in any hurry to clean their guns.  Older shooters remember that if a gun fired with corrosive primers is not cleaned within a few hours of use, with appropriate bore cleaners (the smelly GI surplus stuff is the best) the bore will begin to rust.  Within a day or two it will have pitting, and if left uncleaned for a week or two, it will be left thoroughly rusted and seriously reduce the value of the gun.  The following table cam help prevent making a serious mistake.
 Note that if the lot number (printed on the box/bandoleer) is not known, then the year of manufacture can be determined from the headstamp.  Ammunition should not be considered non-corrosive unless it has a year later than the transition date.  Example- .30-06 ball with FA headstamp FA 51 might be either corrosive or non-corrosive since the table shows that the transition was in October 1951.  FA 52 or later can be assumed to be non-corrosive.  Of course, Armor Piercing, Tracer, API, or Blank would different transition dates in the table below.

Table III. Styphnate [non-corrosive]Primed Small-Arms Ammunition Initial Production Lots
 

Manufacturer and lot data		.30 caliber					.45 caliber
		Ball M2	AP M2	API M14A1	Tracer M25	Blank M1909	Ball M1911	Tracer M26
FA	Lot number	4149 (1)	887	62	44	985	1542	41
	Acceptance date	10-51	10-51	11-53	10-51	7-54	7-54	3-53
RA	Lot number	33853	-	-	5000	-	5544	-
	Acceptance date	11-51	-	-	4-51	-	9-52	-
WCC	Lot number	6428	-	-	6000	-	6375	-
	Acceptance date	6-51	-	-	2-51	-	11-52	-
SL	Lot number	9240	9467	-	7025	-	-	-
	Acceptance date	5-52	7-52	-	9-52	-	-	-
LC	Lot number	13700	13158	12000	12004	12000	-	-
	Acceptance date	6-51	4-52	5-52	5-52	4-52	-	-
TW	Lot number	19632	19776	18000	18013	18712	18000	18000
	Acceptance date	12-50	2-52	12-52	12-51	9-51	8-53	10-53
WRA	Lot number	23201	22007	22000	-	22000	22198 (2)	-
	Acceptance date	8-51	6-54	2-53	-	9-53	11-51	-
VC	Lot number	42000	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Acceptance date	4-45	-	-	-	-	-	-
DAQ	Lot number	44000	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Acceptance date	8-45	-	-	-	-	-	-
FCC	Lot number	-	-	-	-	-	-	1801
	Acceptance date	-	-	-	-	-	-	11-53

Notes:
(1) Odd lots assembled with P-4 or styphnate, primers since l947.
(2) Steel cased lots S-22000-22007 also w/styphnate.

Added Notes
(1) All caliber .30 carbine lots contain azide or styphnate primers.
(2) All 7.62 millimeters and caliber .50 spotter-tracer cartridges contain styphnate or non-corrosive primers
(3) US Military suppliers of .30-06 ammunition not listed here never used non-corrosive primers.

Examples- DEN, DM, EC, EW, NC, PCC, U, UMC, USSCO, UT]

Darwin Award Nominee

(Note: Darwin Awards are earned by those who remove themselves from the gene pool by extraordinarily stupid actions, demonstrating the survival of the fittest members of a species.)   Used courtesy of  http://www.darwinawards.com

 
2001 Darwin Award Nominee Confirmed True by Darwin

(15 April 2001, Tennessee) The day before the US tax filing deadline, a Memphis Darwin Award winner trying to beat a train drove around the crossing gates -- only to be struck by an oncoming vehicle whose driver had the same mad plan. The occupants of one vehicle were killed, making this monumental stupidity the first instance we have witnessed of a Darwin Award winner crashing into an Honorable Mention. The accident happened to one side of the tracks, so the train passed by unimpeded.

DarwinAwards.com © 1994-2002
Submitted by: Richard Spencer
Reference: Memphis Commercial Appeal

Joke

Barbara Walters did a story on gender roles in Kuwait several years before the Gulf War. She noted then that women customarily walked about 10 feet behind their husbands.

She returned to Kuwait recently and observed that the men now walked several yards behind their wives.

Ms. Walters approached one of the women and said, "This is marvelous. Can you tell the free world just what enabled women here to achieve this reversal of roles?"

"Land mines," said the Kuwaiti woman.

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Featured Collector Group

Remington Society of America

• Main Area of Interest:  Anything Remington, but mainly firearms.
• Geographic area of members:  International.
• Publications:  Remington Society of America Journal,  quarterly,  40+ pp 8 ½ x 11 with many photos, detailed drawings, old catalog illustrations, etc; question and answer column. Some color; a high quality publication worth saving as a permanent reference.
• Meetings: Several events, including meetings in conjunction with the winter Las Vegas gun show, and occasional meetings at Remington facilities with special access to archives and other facilities.
• Prominent Members:  Noted author Roy Marcot is the Journal editor and webmaster, and most other advanced Remington collectors.
• Who should belong:  Anyone interested in Remingtons.
• My observations/comments/recommendations: Until Roy Marcot’s book appeared there was a serious lack of comprehensive information on Remingtons.  Subsequently this is an increasingly popular field, with a wide variety of collecting options and prices far below the levels of Winchesters or Colts of similar vintages. RSA interests are balanced between military, small bore, cartridge, and percussion eras, along with the knife collectors, cartridge collectors, etc.  They are well organized and have an increasingly professional approach in the last few years.  RSA was responsible for an unprecedented feature exhibit at the Cody Firearms Museum in 1997 with one of every model made by Remington, drawn largely from member’s collections and several museums.  This is a good group and a valuable source of information.
• Membership Applications:  Submit application available from website http://www.remingtonsociety.com/
Note: John Spangler is a member and will be happy to sponsor new members.

This is the end of the OldGuns.net Newsletter
 We hope it was useful or interesting.  We invite you to visit Antique and Collectable Firearms and Militaria Headquarters,  http://oldguns.net when you are ready to add to your collection, or even if you decide to sell all or part of it.

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