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Messages - Harmonica
1
« on: March 29, 2010, 02:53:12 PM »
Thanks Joe!  Looking at it now, though, it needs more light and less volume... lol...
3
« on: March 22, 2010, 11:22:37 AM »
4
« on: March 22, 2010, 10:34:26 AM »
Was the ''greasing'' or ''waxing'' also a solution for guns that had to be carried and fired in places where the temperature was extremely cold?
I had not heard of that before Devil, however that doesn’t mean it couldn’t hurt. I think that the powder is going to flash and ignite no matter what the temperature, unless of course you’re at absolute zero where molecules cease to move.  Here in Ohio were the winters can get pretty cold, I have shot loads in the coldest of tempatures with no problems...
5
« on: March 22, 2010, 12:22:34 AM »
If we assume that Tuco has some how miraculously reacquired his super bad ass modified cartridge gun he put together in the gun store, (i.e. Wallace had it on his person and we never see him get it back) or that the gun he uses in the latter half of the film is a somehow another extremely rare cartridge gun, he would be using .38 caliber rim fire cartridges. Rim fire cartridges are different than center fire cartridges in the fact that base is completely closed in, i.e no center punch hole for the primer for center fire. So with the case being completely closed off and the soft lead sealing off the top of the cartridge it would make for a pretty airtight seal. That being said, even center fire cartridges are amazingly water tight to a point of about an hour or two being submersed in water, although each bullet has it’s own different tolerances.
If Tuco was using a Cap and Ball revolver with no special attention given specifically to waterproofing the pistol it would in no way fire. Once the powder was wet, that was it. However, there were many a trick the old-timers used back in the day to waterproof their pistols.
It is common practice on black powder revolvers to “lube” or “grease” the top of the chambers once loaded, although this step is not always followed and is not mentioned in Colt’s loading instructions the lubing of the cylinder is a crucial step that severs three purposes. First, it prevents flash over, meaning it prevents flame from the chamber being fired from entering into adjacent chambers and igniting them causing a chain reaction of all cylinders going off at once. Although this possibility may seem remote it does happen from time to time on un-lubed cylinders. The Colt Walker was prone to this flaw and was very susceptible to flash over and was known for “blowing up” in your hand. Secondly, the grease also serves to lubricate the bore and ball and keep the abundant black powder fouling moist and soft. If kept moist, fouling from each shot will be wiped out by the next, increasing the number of rounds that can be fired between cleaning. And lastly, it helps weather proof the gun by keeping the powder dry. When using conical bullets there are lube grooves around the radius of the bullet or if you were using a prefabricated paper cartridge the bullet came pre-lubed. Back then they used whatever they could get there hands on. Bacon grease, animal fat, machine grease, etc… After Crisco was invented in the 20’s it was the choice of lube for years. Hobby enthusiasts of today use a special formulated lube specifically designed to pack the front of the cylinders. It does get kind of messy so a lazy mans way to lube is to pack a grease soaked patch between the powder and ball.
An old trick of the trade back then was to submerse the nipple caps and cylinder joints in hot melted bees wax or candle wax as well as pouring some down cylinder holes on top of and around the ball. Not only did this make the gun water proof it prevented multiple chambers from discharging as mentioned above with lubing. Although the wax not being especially good for fouling one would figure the importance of the gun discharging in any condition over fouling if your life depended on it. Besides, those guys were cleaning their guns everyday unless you were stupid or lazy. Nipple caps themselves are relatively waterproof up to a point. So, with a properly loaded and lubed black powder revolver the only real area of concern for moisture would be the joint, or the hole, on the back of the cylinder where the cap would flash flame into the cylinder. This is where the old melted wax trick would be of importance.
6
« on: March 03, 2010, 04:08:06 AM »
Has anyone at least asked Cal about this?
7
« on: March 03, 2010, 04:04:54 AM »
Why does Eastwood guns cock so easily? I have black powder pistol and its impossible to fan it.
Pablo
What type of gun do you have Pablo? Have you ever field stripped it before? If it's a Colt or a knock off Colt you can put a piece of leather between the mainspring and the back strap to deflect the angle of tourqe and that will do the trick!
8
« on: February 26, 2010, 12:46:13 AM »
No the replica guns, are they modeled after the 1873 version or a later version?
Pablo
No, the Umberti’s you posted are defiantly molded after the Colt 1873 SAA. So whats the deal with the fanning of the gun? Most single actions I saw are hard to cock, let alone fan?
Pablo
Not so much really. Fanning or "slip shooting" a single action is really all about the speed. The trick is to have your finger depressed on the trigger before cocking the gun. If your finger has already depressed the trigger the only action required to fire it is rotating the cylinder and letting the hammer drop on the cartridge. The key to fanning is keeping the trigger depressed as you are rotating the cylinder in quick secession. It takes about 6 pounds of pressure to cock a single action with the trigger depressed and about 8 pounds of pressure without the trigger being depressed. The trigger pull on a single action, which wouldn’t apply in fanning it, is about 2 pounds of pressure. To fan a single action takes about the same amount of energy as moderately clapping your hands, although the gunfighters of yesteryear and the competitive shooters of today go at it much harder than that because faster equals harder. On the other hand, softer means better accuracy, so there is a fine line to be drawn between speed and being accurate.
9
« on: February 23, 2010, 03:10:10 PM »
Eastwood’s gun would have more than likely been a civilian model so the bluing process would have been handled much more vigorously and applied 4 or 5 times such as in your second example. The more times you apply the process the darker the color becomes. Mass produced military models always underwent just one bluing process due to efficiency and cost. The bluing process applied just once will give the firearm a grayish hue like your first example there. Experienced gunsmiths of the day could very well “re-blue” your gun to your specific liking and we all know that Joe/Manco/Blondie had a very good gunsmith.
Your second picture is a nice one. I have one exactly like it but with a 7 ½ inch barrel.
10
« on: August 27, 2009, 09:10:11 PM »
In the fictional GBU universe Blondies gunsmith could infact have been Thomas Cofer, a Confederate gunsmith, who filed for a patent in Richmond as soon as the south succeeded for a revolver using a bore though cylinder with special metallic cartridges. Cofer produced revolvers from 1861 to 1862 and is suspected to be the gunsmith responsible for one existing example from that time period converting a .36 cap and ball Manhattan to a .38 rimfire. #1 Blonide’s gun! And I’m not kidding you when I say that Sergio Leone could have quite possibly read this! Thomas Cofers story is an interesting one and it’s been a real treat digging up history on this guy.  Cofer's Confederate patent for a revolver with bore through cylinder and metallic cartridges dated 1861.  Cofer's first cylinder model.
#1- Page 140-144 of Confederate Handguns by William A. Albaugh, III Hugh Benet, Jr. Edward N. Simmons. 1963 Riling and Lentz, Philadelphia
11
« on: August 27, 2009, 09:03:32 PM »
Here are some prime examples of a couple of pre-factory cartridge conversions crafted by talented gunsmiths that still retain the loading lever and plunger for "swapping out" between cartridge and cap and ball. The first being an example that would fire Henry flat nosed rimfire metallic cartridges. The .44 is thought to have been converted in the mid 60’s and the .32 somewhere from mid to late 60’s. As I have stressed before all that was needed were the tools and the cartridges...   #1“Charles D. Leet of Springfield was one of the pioneer cartridge manufacturers. Springfield directories indicate that Leet, in association with various others, engaged in the manufacture of cartridges in 1861 and continued for about fifteen years thereafter. Leet cartridges were used at the government trials of the Colt Single action Army revolver in 1872.” #2
#1 Page 133-134 of A History of The Colt Revolver by Charles T Haven and Frank A. Belden 1940 Bonanza Books New York
#2 Page 161 of Civil War Pistols-A Survey of the Handguns of the Civil War by John D. McAulay 1992 Andrew Mowbray Inc. Publishers Lincoln, Rhode Island
12
« on: January 03, 2006, 10:40:58 PM »
The locomotive barreled down the rails and the sheriff had taken over in the engine room barking orders to the engineer and the coal lugger. The rest of the posse had gathered their horses in the livestock car and searched for good vantage point to shoot from along the wall of wooden boards.
“What them men do sheriff besides gunning down them Mexes?” Asked the engineer.
“They’re wanted for multiple murders, including those back at the station. Shot a man up in the foothills. Two at the Ace High yesterday. God knows how many in between. I aim to catch ‘em so hop to it… Stoke that fire idiot!”
“You mean this ain’t got nothing to do with them rifles they be packing on the back of that wagon.?”.
The sheriff froze. “What did you say?”
“Them rifles, the station master was just getting ready to send for you before you rode up. He got suspicious this morning when the man in the black derby came to pick ‘em up. He just felt something wasn’t’ right. Says he’s got crates full of rifles and from the looks of it was in a fast hurry to get headed south, right towards the boarder, right before them Mexican soldiers showed up.
“South, right to the boarder…” The sheriff mumbled under his breath.
Ahead, The Black Derby was riding solo on the wagon they had stolen earlier from a pig farm on the outskirts of town. He had been pushing the horses hard along the bumpy trail next to the railroad tracks. The rest of his gang was galloping along side of him watching the precious cargo bounce around in the back of the wagon. The sound of the train whistle cracked through their ears like shot through a gun and they all turned to see the shinny locomotive come barreling down on them…
13
« on: December 30, 2005, 12:00:40 AM »
“Old gravedigger, are you in there?” an excited voice calls out. Loud banging on the door persists and the old prophet stirs his coffee calmly before getting up to answer it. He turns to Sanchez and says, “I saw these men coming. They are in search of the man in the back derby same as you, but for different reasons.
Gravedigger! This is the sheriff of Tucumcari! Open up!
The old man hands Sanchez his coffee before answering the door…”Yes, yes, what is it?” he replies thinking to himself he already knows the answer.
He opens the door to reveal the sheriff and his posse.
“Old man, we have come from Tucumcari in pursuit of a man wanted for three murders that took place earlier today. We have been tracking him but the trails grown cold. Have you seen anyone come through these parts in the last hour?”
“I know why you have come and whom you seek. Only Senor Sanchez has graced his presence in these parts to arrange funeral”. The old man turns to reveal Sanchez to the sheriff. Stepping though the door the sheriff looks down on Sanchez sizing him up. “This man is responsible for a cold blooded murder up on the foothill range and another two at the Ace High. I aim to find him. Seen anyone like that riding on a golden Palamino with two other fellows Senor Sanchez.” the sheriff asks looking first at Sanchez then combing the room of the dirt hut for any signs of anything out of the ordinary.
Lying through his teeth Sanchez replies “No sheriff, I haven’t seen anyone like that” reluctantly taking a sip of the unwanted coffee to fill his mouth with something other than words.
The sheriff took one last look around before turning to leave. “Just be on the look out! These men are extremely dangerous and are up to no good. We plan to have a lynching by sundown tomorrow!”
The prophet looked the sheriff in the eyes with concern and asked him “How's the leg sheriff?” The sheriff let out a jolly chuckle. “The legs fine you crazy old coot.” And with that the sheriff and his posse were gone.
Sanchez finished his coffee and squinted his eyes in reflection as to what he had just heard. His train of thought was interrupted by the old prophet. “Come my boy, I want to show you something.” beckoning Sanchez towards the door.
They walked amongst the barren graveyard once more and the old man turned towards Sanchez. “You must succeed in your endeavors for the right reasons. Greed, gluttony, fame, riches these are not worthy traits to pursue. You must do the right things and know when to do them. Respect, honor, trust, glory. These are the traits you will acquire whether you want to or not but you must make your decisions wisely or you will suffer the consequences”
The old prophet helped Sanchez to his horse and as he mounted he noticed four more freshly dug graves.
Juan Alfredo and the others from the saloon?” asked Sanchez “But how could you have known?”
“I see things my boy, I see things…You must make the most wisest of choices or you will meet the same fate as these.” The prophet warned waving his hand in front of the graves and lastly pointing to the grave halfway dug for Sanchez.
"But my family..." Sanchez said angraily
"Yes, I know it's tough boy, but before setting out on revenge you must learn to first dig two graves..."
Sanchez took one last look at the halfway dug grave but to his astonishment his name had been replaced by an image. The image of a derby hat.
14
« on: December 23, 2005, 10:17:06 AM »
15
« on: December 23, 2005, 08:05:09 AM »
He rides through the center of town once again and comes across the sheriffs office. He glances over towards the office which looks deserted and thinks to himself “coward”. By this time the sun has set and darkness starts to take hold over the town of Tucumcari. He rides to the outskirts to the train depot. A loud whistle announces the arrival of an incoming train. He stays on his horse as the passengers disembark. The porters scurry along side of the train helping the women with their baggage and unload the cargo from the freight cars. The man in the black derby focuses on the cargo being unloaded. He sees what he has come for. 12 crates, 10 of which contain 20 1876 Winchesters each, and the last two containing 8000 .44 center fire cartridges. The porters unload the first 10 with no problem but when they get to the ammunition they struggle to budge the boxes. One porter turns to another and says “what the hell’s in these crates? Lead?”
“Gold!” replies the man in the derby. The porter turns to see the man in black with a smirk on his face not knowing if he’s joking or being serious. Just then two men approach the man on the horse and one of them taps him on the leg. The man on the horse swings around with his ’73 .45 Colt Peacemaker cocked and drawn and draws a bead on the three men.
“Jesus! You almost got yourself dead Fred!”
“What’s got you so jumpy Rex?” Fred asked looking up at the man in the derby.
“A couple of my drinking buddies in town got the bright idea they’d turn me in for the bounty on my head, that’s all. How was the trip Jimmy?” Rex asked the silent one.
“Long and boring… There ain’t nothing to do on a damn train for 8 hours…”
“So I take it you haven’t had time to arrange for a wagon yet…” Fred asked Rex.
“Nope. We'll just have them stowed it away in the depot over night until we can get a hold of one in the morning.” Rex said
"You think that's safe?" asked Jimmy
"No one knows about the rifles but us." Replied Rex
The porters loaded the crates onto a cart and proceeded to wheel them in to the depot where Rex started to instruct the station master that they would need to store the crates overnight.
Just below the water tower private Sanchez was smoking a long thin cheroot observing quietly what was transpiring.
Fred and Jimmy gathered their horses from the livestock car and fastened their saddles on the backs of the horses.
Rex and the two men mounted up and made thier way out and into the desert landscape to set up camp for the night.
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