The Southern Origins of Memorial Day

Memorial Day originated as Decoration Day, a national day of remembrance for Union soldiers killed during the War Between the States.  It was proclaimed by Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, " ...for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion..." in General Order No. 11.  It was first celebrated on May 30, 1868.  

The Colt Police Positive Special

Recently, a friend of mine acquired a Colt Police Positive Special, First Issue which was made around 1924. It is distinguished by its Colt Positive Lock hammer block safety; hard rubber grips; narrow, half moon front sight; substantially curved front strap; smooth trigger; and smooth top strap.  Introduced in 1907, it incorporated a longer cylinder and slightly larger frame than its parent, the Police Positive, to accommodate the length and pressure of the .32-20 and .38 Special cartridges which are more powerful alternatives to the .32 Long Colt, .32 Colt New Police (.32 S&W Long), and .38 Colt New Police (.38 S&W). Built on what became known as Colt's D Frame, the petite Police Positive Special weighed just 23 ounces with a four inch barrel. Eleven ounces lighter than its primary competitor, the Smith & Wesson Military and Police Model (later designated the Model 10) it quickly proved popular with police and civilians alike.

A Misguided Infatuation with Lincoln

Yesterday was Abraham Lincoln's birthday and many made note of it, extolling his virtues on social media sites such as Facebook.  This included conservatives and Tea Party activists like Sen. Jim DeMint and Sarah Palin: folks who typically embrace Christian ideals and limited, constitutional government.  Why knowledgeable people uphold Lincoln as an archetype of Christianity, liberty, or constitutional government is beyond me when history proves otherwise.

Lincoln was not a Christian though he attended church services and was familiar with Scripture.  As a matter of fact, he mocked ministers, denied the deity of Christ, claimed that Jesus was an illegitimate child, and disavowed the divine inspiration of the Bible. While it is claimed that he consecrated his life to Christ on the field of Gettysburg, John Matthews stated:

The Smith and Wesson 3rd Model Hand Ejector in .32 S&W Long

The Smith and Wesson 3rd Model Hand Ejector in .32 S&W Long was produced from 1917 until 1942. A further refinement of the I-frame series of revolvers introduced in 1896, it continued the evolution of S&W's first model that incorporated a swing out cylinder.  With more petite dimensions than the J-frame, which is the foundation of the immensely successful S&W Chief's Special, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Model Hand Ejectors are delightful to own and shoot.  They also carry well in a belly band.

The Marlin Glenfield Model 25

Today, I stopped by a pawn shop and spotted a Marlin Glenfield Model 25 on the rack.  With its scuffs, abrasions, and surface rust, the pawnbroker did not seem to believe that it was very valuable and, for $75 out the door, I took it home.  He seemed happy to have sold it and I was quite pleased to get a great rifle for such a small sum.

The H&R 1871 Pardner Pump Compact 20 Gauge Shotgun

A friend of mine noticed a Pardner Pump Compact shotgun at a local Walmart for $179 and expressed interest in it as a low cost, general purpose weapon useful for home defense and hunting.  A youth sized 20 gauge that is heavily based upon the Remington 870, it is drilled and tapped and equipped with a 21 inch barrel, a screw in modified choke tube, sling swivel studs, and a rather short, synthetic stock with a 13 inch pull.  The Pardner Pump is manufactured in China by Hawk Industries, a subsidiary of Norinco, and though I had not shot the version imported by H&R 1871, I still advised my friend to purchase it as I have found riot guns marketed under the manufacturer's name entirely satisfactory in quality, performance, and reliability.

The Astra 200 Firecat

The.25 ACP cartridge, also known as the 6.35 x 16 mm SR, was designed by John Browning and introduced in 1905 with the diminutive Fabrique Nationale Model 1905 Vest Pocket pistol which weighed less than thirteen ounces.  The little handgun was immediately successful and Colt began producing it under license in 1908.  Other manufacturers followed suit with tiny pistols chambered for the .25 ACP cartridge and some were fairly unique while others were just copies of the Browning design. For most of the Twentieth Century, if one desired or required a very small pistol, a .25 ACP was the likely choice and thousands upon thousands were produced with quality and price ranging from very low to quite high.