I got new shoes for the old Delta Elite. Buffalo horn, very nice feeling, almost like a hard wood. I threw in a gratuitous photo of out in my Roy's pancake holster just because.

 

This one should probably be put away as a collector piece because it's an International Harvester M1 but I can't help myself, I have to shoot all of my guns.

 

John Garand made them to shoot.
Dad had some true collector's pieces including Garand #3, hand-built by John Garand himself and submitted to the government for testing to failure. They also tested #1 and #2 to failure. Dad resurrected it and replaced the one part that eventually failed with a period-correct part. It's no longer in his collection. https://thegca.org/history-of-the-m1-garand-rifle/

 

Not many of these around, my Circa 1889 6mm Giffard.

 

Well that's neato Matchlock.

I had to look it up.

http://www.nramuseum.org/guns/the-g...rguns/paul-giffard-single-shot-co2-rifle.aspx

 

Yes ras47. I agree. They were made to shoot and enjoy.

Fantastic collection your dad has assembled.

A World War II era Springfield Armory manufactured M1 lives here. It is fired, even competes in retro Garand high-power matches.



Shows a barrel date of June of 1944.

 

Yes that's the one. people don't realise that CO2 was used so long since.

 

Can these be charged with dry ice?
IIRC these CO2 guns fell out of favor due to a deadly explosion of a large Carbonic Acid tank at a public demonstration.

Even a standard 12 gram CO2 cylinder holds a lot of energy, so you can imagine the potential destructive force of a container hundreds of times that size.

 

Beautiful wood! Dad had an M1-C that was rated for 1000 yds. I shot it at 500 yds and it was dead-on balls accurate. You can find rifles that are tough, and rifles that are accurate. Getting both in one package is quite a trick.

 

Can't say that I've heard of the explosion, the general thinking is that the main problem was the lack of places where recharged cylinders could be obtained. Yes I've heard of people using dry Ice, there are people who do charge them, using CO2 obtained from the drinks trade. The pressures involved with CO2 are quite low when compared with those used in modern compressed air guns.
I have tried this one with a small adapter that I made, using 16 gram screw in bulbs. It was OK but not perfect, I had problems with seals but it satisfied my need to get it up and running.

 

Thanks ras47. The great thing about this M1 is that it still has its original stock showing original World War II inspectors' marks appropriate for its serial number range. Stock is a plain grade walnut that has not been finished but has spent a lot of time, especially the first two decades I've had it, on the firing line of high power matches so is burnished a bit from the handling. Photograph from a more recent match and having a watch in it.

 

Very nice Noelekal. Mine is a Korea vintage one made in 53. I haven't shot it at a great distance yet but it does well out to 200 yards.

 

IIRC CO2 becomes a liquid at around 900 PSI so that's about the maximum pressure for the gas in the cylinder.
Pre Charged Pneumatic guns can handle 2 to 4 times that pressure or more. It takes around 10,000 PSI to liquify air.

 

I noticed the canoe shaped pocket knife. I gave my dad one like that, a Case.
I've found that if you rub a unfinished walnut stock down with Ballistol Solvent every time you clean the bore the color and grain show up fantastic.
The solvent also lifts any dirt out of the pores. Its also great for cleaning leather goods.
I also found quite by accident that it can soften and dissolve old scar tissue.
I was always getting it all over my hands and found after a few weeks a twenty year old ridge of surgical scaring had all but disappeared leaving only a thin white line. Over twenty years later no problems there.
I looked up the product safety sheet and found it contains no known carcinogens and is recommended for cleaning meat cutting equipment used in restaurants.
Its also used as an emergency wound cleaner.

 

As an experiment I did try compressed air using a modern air rifle hand pump, but being a 100+ year old cylinder, kept the pressure well down and all was OK, but at least, even though it was underpowered, it proved that it was all in working order. There are of course inherent differences in the way which liquified CO2 and compressed air maintain pressure. Simply put, the CO2 maintains its pressure till the liquid inside of the container is reduced to gas, compressed air loses pressure every time a quantity is released, meaning that a cylinder filled to the 850 psi limit with CO2 will last a lot longer than the same cylinder filled to that pressure with air. Here in the UK we're limited to 12 foot pounds velocity so there's no point in proceeding any further than a low pressure test. There is at least one person who has manufactured a replacement cylinder in the US. capable of using air at modern high pressures, the results are quite impressive. A search on YouTube will find some interesting footage.

 

Oh now that's cool Matchlock!

Working with the rifle to experience it in operation; now that's most gratifying.

 

Professor;
That's a Case Baby Butterbean. Was my choice for daily wear at the office and has continued to be a habit in retirement.


Office attire from some years back. Different cars, different phones since then, but same ol' Case Baby Butterbean, same ol' Smith & Wesson Model 10 Heavy Barrel .38 Special loaded with the same type of 158 grain +P ammunition, same ol' Bell Charter Oak Mae West IWB holster, same ol' Maui Jim Fleming Beach shades, and same ol' Constellation all still see regular duty.

Actually I do still have that flip phone, a left over from kids' college days that I inherited and still rarely carry. I can get to 911 on it faster on the occasions when I do all night security duty at some promoter friends' gun shows.

 

Here is my present IWB holster.
I made this one from the ground up, first to fit my 1911, which I foolishly traded off many years ago, then with a liner added to better fit a Browning High power and now my S&W Model 59. A hair long for the 59, I had intended to obtain a longer barrel threaded for a compensator but never got around to it.


I found it also works very nicely with my FN 1922 as well as my I frame S&W revolver.

 

Four post war Webley Air pistols.
Premier.
Mk. 1.
Senior.
Mk. 1 (earlier)

 

I see some nice leather being shared so I thought I’d post mine.

IWB I use a Kramer and for OWB I use an old Alessi horse hide. CCW is a Les Baer Comanche (commander) in 38 Super, not my most expensive or rare pistol, but my favorite.