Sponsor Special: Display Firearms From International Military Antiques
Owning a piece of history is something special. Owning a piece of history that is actually a machinegun requires a lot of special paperwork and hassle. The alternative is to get a historic item that doesn’t actually fire. While that might seem like half the fun is missing, think of half the fun you get for having a fantastic display item – one that is generally legal to own and still looks quite impressive.
International Military Antiques (IMA) is one of the premier sellers of such historical items, as well as other unique oddities and collectibles. We talked to owners Christian and Alexander Cranmer last fall about their business, how they got started and what the future might hold for collectors: Gun Collecting: IMA Offers an Alternative for Machinegun Collectors
And now in addition to parts kits, and replicas they are offering some fine resin guns as well.
Display Machine Guns at IMA-USA.com
International Museums: Puerto Vallarta Museo Naval
The Museo Naval
Known for its picturesque beaches, shopping and food, Mexico’s Pacific Coast town of Puerto Vallarta is home to the Museo Naval. Opened in November of 2006, this small yet impressive museum chronicles the naval heritage of the Mexican Navy. (Click images for a closer view) Read more
Discovery News – Horrible Gun History Lesson
This week Discovery News offered one of the absolute worst examples of “firearm” history in a slideshow titled “Muskets to M16s – All the Army’s Guns: Photos.” Not only were many notable firearms missing (BAR for one), but the “facts” were just so wrong.
With the Springfield M1903 the caption reads:
The major advantage in the 1903 design was the detachable magazine, which allowed the soldiers to fill and fire much more quickly, as well as the redesigned shell with a pointed bullet — still popular today.
What detachable magazine?
And here is another amazing error with the M14:
Starting in 1970 the M14 Rifle became the standard issue weapon in the U.S. Army.
Nice photos but someone should have done some fact checking!
Sponsor Special: Display Firearms From International Military Antiques
Owning a piece of history is something special. Owning a piece of history that is actually a machinegun requires a lot of special paperwork and hassle. The alternative is to get a historic item that doesn’t actually fire. While that might seem like half the fun is missing, think of half the fun you get for having a fantastic display item – one that is generally legal to own and still looks quite impressive.
International Military Antiques (IMA) is one of the premier sellers of such historical items, as well as other unique oddities and collectibles. We talked to owners Christian and Alexander Cranmer last fall about their business, how they got started and what the future might hold for collectors: Gun Collecting: IMA Offers an Alternative for Machinegun Collectors
And now in addition to parts kits, and replicas they are offering some fine resin guns as well.
Display Machine Guns at IMA-USA.com
International Museums: The Guards Museum London
Many a "Red Coat" can be found in the Guards Museum
The British maintain a vast degree of pomp and circumstance, and this includes the daily changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Those guards need to remain close and a housed in the Wellington Barracks on Birdcage Walk. Next door to the Barracks is the Guards Museum, which chronicles the story of the five regiments of Foot Guards (the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, Irish Guards, and Welsh Guards).
The museum first opened in 1988, and tells the story of the regiments it represents, from the 17th century to the present day. Displays include many examples of different Guards uniforms, (chronicling the evolving dress over time of the five regiments) and there are also paintings, weapons, models, sculptures, and artifacts such as Mess Silver – all of which are aimed at explaining to the visitor the history of the regiments and what being a soldier in the Guards is all about. The staff is made up of former guardsmen. Photo essay after the jump (Click images for a closer view)
WaPo Notes “Every Civil War bullet, every sword and every musket tells a story”
Last week The Washington Post offered an interesting story titled, “Bullets, swords and guns: Civil War battles recalled via relics left behind, traded on web.” This human interest story noted how these antique items – including old firearms – can tell a story. We find it ironic because WaPo like much of the mainstream media continues to push for tight gun control.
How can you have gun collecting if you don’t have private gun ownership?
But clearly the folks at WaPo don’t get it, as they noted:
Some relics ended up in museums. Others ended up with collectors, who set up display booths at collectors’ shows and now use the Internet to show and sell artifacts to Civil War buffs from Tennessee to Tokyo.
Again, we ask how can you respect history, and gun collecting if you don’t believe in private gun ownership? And finally, we’d like to point out that historic firearms don’t end with the Civil War. There are collectors of other vintage firearms, but maybe the editors in Washington can only understand when it was American brother killing American brother.
MinnPost Blog Asks: “If mandatory gun ownership, why not mandatory insurance?”
Last week the MinnPost blog noted an interesting law that is being proposed in South Dakota:
When state Rep. Hal Wick introduced a bill last year to require most adult South Dakotans to own guns, he didn’t think the legislation would pass, didn’t think it was constitutional and wasn’t even promoting gun ownership.
His real purpose was to oppose the mandated insurance coverage in President Obama’s health care law.
But here is the really interesting passage in this piece:
A 1792 federal law called for “every free able-bodied white male citizen” ages 18 through 44 to be enrolled in a state militia and to “provide himself with a good musket or firelock,” along with a bayonet and ammunition.
This is something that those anti-gun types who try to suggest that the Second Amendment meant “militia” as in National Guard and that it doesn’t apply to individual gun ownership.
Still an interesting take on two very hot button issues.
Sponsor Special: Display Firearms From International Military Antiques
Owning a piece of history is something special. Owning a piece of history that is actually a machinegun requires a lot of special paperwork and hassle. The alternative is to get a historic item that doesn’t actually fire. While that might seem like half the fun is missing, think of half the fun you get for having a fantastic display item – one that is generally legal to own and still looks quite impressive.
International Military Antiques (IMA) is one of the premier sellers of such historical items, as well as other unique oddities and collectibles. We talked to owners Christian and Alexander Cranmer last fall about their business, how they got started and what the future might hold for collectors: Gun Collecting: IMA Offers an Alternative for Machinegun Collectors
And now in addition to parts kits, and replicas they are offering some fine resin guns as well.
Display Machine Guns at IMA-USA.com
International Museums: USS Olympia
The Protected Cruiser USS Olympia, flagship of Commodore George Dewey
The oldest steel warship afloat today still faces its toughest battle yet. The USS Olympia, which was commissioned in 1895 was the flagship of Commodore George Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War. Decommissioned in 1899, the ship was returned to active service in 1902. The protected cruiser served as a training ship for naval cadets in World War I and was mobilized for war service, patrolling the American coast and even serving as escort to transport ships.
The USS Olympic participated in the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War in 1919, and bought home the remains of WWI’s Unknown Soldier from France to Washington, D.C. The ship was decommissioned for the last time in December 1922, and in 1957 was restored to its 1898 configuration to serve as a floating museum ship. Now part of the Independence Seaport Museum the ship suffers from the lack of funding. While several possible new homes are considered for the USS Olympia, this could be a race against time for the oldest steel warship in the world. As this photo essay proves, it is truly a ship worth saving. Photo essay after the jump (Click images for a closer view)
Sponsor Special: Display Firearms From International Military Antiques
Owning a piece of history is something special. Owning a piece of history that is actually a machinegun requires a lot of special paperwork and hassle. The alternative is to get a historic item that doesn’t actually fire. While that might seem like half the fun is missing, think of half the fun you get for having a fantastic display item – one that is generally legal to own and still looks quite impressive.
International Military Antiques (IMA) is one of the premier sellers of such historical items, as well as other unique oddities and collectibles. We talked to owners Christian and Alexander Cranmer last fall about their business, how they got started and what the future might hold for collectors: Gun Collecting: IMA Offers an Alternative for Machinegun Collectors
And now in addition to parts kits, and replicas they are offering some fine resin guns as well.
