Vintage Winchester 1892 Mfg. 1901

This Winchester 1892 has an interesting history.  It belongs to my Brother, who bought it from his Father in law.  The story goes that the rifle was in the possession of an Aunt in Detroit.  It made it's way into the hands of the Father in law, who proceeded to "clean it up" using a scouring pad.  Ouch.  Needless to say, the gun was in less than ideal condition when my Brother bought it from him.

Normally it's taboo to redo an old Winchester like this.  Collectors typically want the gun untouched.  In this case though, the metal was too far gone and the wood basically had no varnish remaining.  While that might have wrecked the collector value, it did offer my Brother the chance to get a Winchester exactly how he wanted it.

We debated doing a cold blue job.  But, the rifle was purchased at a reasonable price and it would have been a shame to half ass a piece of history.

A local gun smith did a wonderful job on the metal.  The rear sight was replaced with an original type and the loading gate was replaced with a new part.

For the wood, he decided to go with Tru Oil.  Many many coats were applied to get the finish you see here.

This rifle does get shot on occasion. Though the 38-40 round is hard to come by and really expensive.  We may load for the cartridge at some point, which would make it more affordable to shoot.   The 38-40 is a bit of a misnomer.  It is not a 38 caliber, but a 40 caliber.  In fact, the 10mm and .40 S&W cartridges have made the 40 caliber bullet rather popular, so bullet selection is really good.  It takes small pistol primers and pistol powders.  So, other than the cartridge being obsolete, it should be economical to load.

There are blue jobs and then there are blue jobs.  The quality of workmanship is superb.

This example has an unusually long barrel.  I doubt it ever saw use on horseback.

Color case hardening was used throughout the gun.

BAUER 25 AUTOMATIC

Once upon a time pocket guns were commonplace in America.  They were the great equalizer.  A small piece of security that kept society in check.  Never big on firepower, they did put a measure of protection in easy reach.  One of the undisputed greats of the class was (and is) the Baby Browning.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Browning

After several assassinations during the 1960's, the United States passed the gun control act of 1968.  Included in the misguided act was a ban on the importation of certain small pistols.  Unfortunately, the Baby Browning was one of these pistols.  The market for pocket pistols, which had been flooded with imports good and bad, was now without much supply.  The act had banned the import of such pistols, but said nothing about domestic production.  Apparently it's fine to shoot someone so long as you use a domestic product?

Looking to fill the need for a high quality pocket gun, production of the Bauer automatic began in Fraser Michigan in 1972.  It was a near identical copy of the Baby Browning rendered in stainless steel.  As far as I know, the only real difference is that the barrel is rotated clockwise for removal, rather than counterclockwise on the FN.  There may be a difference in springs as well, but many FN parts will interchange.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauer_Automatic

Overall, the pistol exudes quality.  The quality of the machine work is very good.  Parts fit together well and the gun has a good quality feel.  This is NOT your run of the mill Saturday night special .25.  It is a well made piece of jewelry that you can shoot.

Now, I know that the .25 ACP is the most maligned cartridge ever.  And I understand why it has it's detractors.  It is no man stopper.  But, it is a gun, and it will kill you.  And really, people miss the whole point of the .25.  It is not the gun you pull to take control of a situation.  It is a gun you use to get out of a situation.  And there is no denying the concealability.  Sometimes even a small gun is too big.  In that case, you carry a .25.

Cleaning this pistol is more like cleaning a watch than a gun.  The small parts are really small and somewhat fragile.  This is not the gun you tear apart in a muddy ditch.  Most people consider the safety to be flimsy, but I have the opposite opinion.  My gun's safety is very positive and takes conscious effort to move.  

Handling a gun this size is not exactly second nature.  It is really tiny and it takes concentration to grip it correctly.  Accurate shooting can also be affected by the small size.  It's just hard to keep a 4 inch gun on target as you pull the trigger.  That said, this is not a target pistol.  It is a "get off me" gun that hopefully gets an attacker off of you in order that you can get out of Dodge.  Yes, you can buy a Kel Tec p3at and get a more powerful round in a a really small gun, but it is still not as tiny as the baby.

416 stainless steel investment castings were hand fitted.  These people knew what they were doing too.

Baby Brownings are still in production here in the USA.  Precision small arms out of Colorado makes some truly awesome pistols.  I believe they are licensed by FN, whereas Bauer never was.  The prices on their guns can easily reach $600-$800.  I paid $200 for the pistol in this article.  It has less than 100 rounds through it since it was purchased new the the 80's.  

http://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/Baby/baby.html
http://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/PSP-25/psp-25.html

THE GREAT CALIBER DEBATE

It seems like there are more opinions about the caliber of one's gun than just about anything else.  You have no doubt heard it all.  "I'll never carry anything less than a .45."  "Shot placement is key."  "Hydro-static shock"  Buzz words fly as fast as the expletives in this argument because everyone has an opinion and hardly any of us have first hand experience.  While it's good that most of us have never had to shoot someone, it does leave a data vacuum into which all sorts of opinion enters.

Here are some facts and a little opinion from my point of view:

Fact: Most pistol calibers are sub-standard when compared to rifle and shot shell ballistics.  I won't quote figures here.  Just search out the numbers if you don't believe me.

Fact:  It's hard to stuff a rifle in your pants pocket.  That's why they make hand guns.

Fact:  A bird in the hand is worth more than ........Well you get the picture.

It comes down to compromises.  Size vs. effectiveness is always the name of the game.  In this game, even a .44 magnum is a compromise.  People choose to carry hand guns because they are portable and concealable, not because they are the most effective thing in a fire fight.



Now, I submit to you this statement:  The reason most people don't carry a 12 gauge shotgun under their winter coat is the same reason I don't want to carry a 1911 in my shorts pocket in July.  It's too damn big.  You have to ask yourself, "Do I want to dress around a gun"?  If the answer is no, you have a choice to make.  Carry a really small gun or don't carry one at all.

Small

Really small

Once you've decided to carry a really small gun,  a choice is upon you.  How small is small enough?  And, how much power am I willing to give up to get the size down?

It used to be that any gun under 6 inches long was a .25, or .22, but times have changed.  The age of the pocket .380 is upon us in all of it's polymer glory.  Kel-Tec, Taurus, and Ruger are all big players in this market, though they are certainly not alone.  These little automatics take the .380 acp cartridge and put it in a package that is roughly 5 inches long, weighing in at 8-10 ounces.  That is very light.  The fact that .380 firepower is available in a true pocket gun is an incredible feat of engineering.

But, even these new wonder guns have drawbacks.  Greatest of all is recoil.  When you put a .380 cartridge into something that light, there will be recoil.  Some of us are more sensitive to it than others, but recoil does affect all shooters in some way.  Mainly it's the timing of follow up shots or simply the ability to keep a hold on a gun the size of an I phone 5 under recoil.

And, as small as they are, they are not the smallest pistols ever made.

The world's gun makers did a brisk business in pocket pistols throughout the first half of the 20th century.  These guns were generally chambered in .22 rimfire, .25 ACP, or .32 ACP.  None of these cartridges are man stoppers, but all were carried.  Apparently deep concealment was of great importance.  And, if you want a 4 inch long gun, it will not be chambered in .45 ACP.

Perhaps the smallest gun you will ever hold is one of the NAA mini revolvers.  Made by North American Arms, these little single action revolvers are offered in a number of configurations.  Calibers range from .22 short to .22 mag.  They offer 5 shots, but are single action.

So, It's all up to you and the weather.  In 30 degrees, sure, I'll take that 1911 under a coat.  In 95 degrees, give me the pocket gun, a pair of shorts, and a T shirt.

WALTHER MODEL 9

north american mini revolver