MONTANA MUSINGS
FROM THE MIND OF MIKE "DUKE" VENTURINO
Compared: The BAR vs. Nambu
The Nambu LMGs and Browning BARs as used in World War II are alike in some regards and vastly different in others.
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The last rifle
When a young fellow was visiting — a distant relative by marriage — he asked a question that caused me great thought.
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Pawn Shop Sniper Rifle
Most noteworthy is K98k Mausers coded bcd4 were intended from the very start of manufacture to become sniper rifles.
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Case hardening redux
Honest wear doesn’t bother me so long as guns’ bores are bright and mechanical function is correct. Damage from neglect is a different matter. I always...
167
Mold addict!
No doubt about it — I’m an addict. But, not for any sort of chemical substance. I’m a bullet mold addict! Here’s some evidence.
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WWII Handguns
In my lifelong study of World War II history, much of the focus has been on handguns used in the immense fracas.
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50 Years of Gun ’Ritin’
Hopefully I’ll be able to slide this column by our esteemed editor Brent without him noticing it’s a bit ego-based.
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THE .32 WCF
Of all the popular Old West cartridges the .32 WCF/.32-20 has lacked popularity with me. I don’t know why exactly.
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Cast Bullets and Old...
As this is written, the United States is perhaps experiencing the worst ammunition and reloading component shortage since World War II.
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S&W Hand Ejector 2nd Model...
Smith & Wesson’s N-Frame double-action revolvers are some of the most respected handguns ever made. This is especially true for the exquisite pre-World...
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Duke’s years as a...
Readers of my work over the decades may be surprised to learn my primary rifle interest in the late 1970s to early 1980s was varmint rifles and many of my...
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Old west big fifties
From the advent of metallic cartridge ammunition unto this day, .50 caliber rifles have won the hearts and minds of American riflemen.
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Comfortable Carry
The simple fact is if carrying a handgun is a nuisance you will soon stop carrying one.
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Old & New Ruger Blackhawk .44
In the last days of 1955 Remington and Smith & Wesson unveiled the most powerful of handgun cartridges for its day — the .44 Remington Magnum.
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Historical Guns
Along the way, I’ve received letters/emails from readers saying things like, “Why have you given up on cowboy guns?”
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The .41 Colt
What I hate is the .41 Colt is not exactly a handloading sweetheart. When I first started handloading for a nice Colt SAA .41 in 1982, factory ammo was...
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Me & Sharps Rifles
One evening almost 50 years ago while working as a dude wrangler in Yellowstone National Park, two friends and I were driving over Dunraven Pass in my pickup.
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The .40-82 WCF
Naturally we clearly remember the “firsts” in our lives — first gun, first car, first date, etc.
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The .38 WCF
People sometimes ask, “What’s your favorite gun?” Or sometimes it’s, “What’s your favorite cartridge?” I always reply, “You mean today? I...
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The U.S. .45 SMG in WWII
By the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the concept of military submachine guns was well established in Europe if not so much in America.
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Soviet SVT40 7.62X54mm
If readers are as old as I, they probably remember those fantastic ads in the back of American Rifleman in the 1960s. They were from an outfit called “Ye...
29
Casting Revolver Bullets
I cast competition-quality BPCR rifle bullets and have more than a few trophies to show for it. If one of my big .40 or .45 caliber bullets drops from its...
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The Quest Never Stops
In my humble opinion a life should contain quests, or in more modern parlance, “bucket list” items. Mine have been rather humble.
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Colt US Model 1917 .45
When countries can’t supply the number of weapons needed by their armed forces for the wars in which they engage, most must resort to buying them from...
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Remington Model 1890
In my gun’riting career I’ve tried to experience all of the Old West sixguns and their most noteworthy cartridges.
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Geezer Guns
An old saying goes, “Don’t let your mouth write checks your butt can’t handle.” In bygone days I used to brag to my friends in the BPCR Silhouette game
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Changeover Challenges
Hey John Taffin, remember a couple years ago when I told you in a column I was sort of eating crow?
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The M2 Carbine
One of World War II’s most successful infantry weapons was the U.S. Carbine Caliber .30. It was manufactured by no fewer than 10 factories to the tune of...
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Ruger PC9 Carbine
Because paychecks are important, when an editor asks me to cover a semi-auto black rifle, I agree albeit with little enthusiasm. The same was true with this...
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Hard To Pin Down
If there is a firearm using metallic cartridges that operates without a firing pin, I’m completely unaware of it. In fact, the firing pin is the most...
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BPCR Competition
Is the BPCR Silhouette dead? BPCR stands for Black Powder Cartridge Rifle and Silhouette is the game of shooting metallic targets at 200, 300, 385 and 500...
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To Refinish or Not Refinish?
Want to know something that’ll set my teeth on edge just like chalk squeaking on a blackboard? It’s when someone says they bought a mechanically perfect...
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Plains War Spencers
The Spencer carbine played an important role in the Plains Indian Wars yet it’s almost been forgotten by modern shooters. Its cartridges came with...
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World War II Snipers
Since my pre-teens I’ve been an avid student of World War II. About a thousand times in my reading I’ve encountered something like this, “Sadly so and...
25
Last Stand Loads
I’m a lifelong student of the “Custer Battle,” otherwise known as the June 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn. There, the U.S. 7th Regiment of Cavalry...
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A “Special” Love
Like so many shooters my age, I began handloading with the .38 Special in 1966. Throughout life I’ve been a “lister” — my made-up word for someone...
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Precision Peeps
If it were conveniently possible, I’d have peep sights on every rifle I own. Even if they’re already scoped. Peep sights are fast to use, capable of...
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Colt SAA Four For Four
In 2018 I managed to achieve a goal of mine: gathering at least one Colt SAA chambered for each of the cartridges for which the Second Generation of...
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You Gotta Have a Plan
Two days after this writing I’m going into the hospital for a full replacement of my right knee. There’s no reason to mention it in these pages except...
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A Tale of Three .30s
In the time span between 1892 and 1906 the US Army adopted three .30 caliber cartridges for their various infantry rifles. Two also became popular among we...
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Dear John ...
Hey, John Taffin! I’m about to eat some crow here so I want you to pay attention. Some years back you got a mite upset at an article I wrote saying the...
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The M1896 Mauser
When planning my book, Shooting World War II Small Arms, I almost didn’t include the Swedish Model 1896 Mauser chambered for 6.5x55.
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Momentous Metrics
Two cartridges changed the entire planet’s military organization. Until they were developed, most armies used rifles chambered for full-size rifle...
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Casting Call!
How’d you like to engage in an utterly relaxing endeavor while building up your stockpile of expensive reloading components? Sounds good? If so, do what I...
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Krag Fever!
Some people say my luck is uncanny in finding good-shooting specimens of historic firearms to add to the collection. “Nah,” I reply, “Sometimes it’s...
3
Slugging It Out
What does a fellow do to alleviate boredom when it’s 20-below outside and you’re recovering from a full knee replacement? This was my question when the...
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Parts for Peacemakers
With my renewed fascination (more like obsession) with the Colt Single Action Army came a renewal of a friendship developed over 20 years ago with Eddie...
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Casting Call
Reloading tool companies like Lyman, Redding/SAECO, RCBS and Lee do a fine job of supplying quality bullet molds. That’s if you stick more or less to the...
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.38 Long Colt
Without a doubt the most denigrated American military handgun cartridge ever is the .38 Colt (aka .38 Long Colt). It is said to have been the cause of death...
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A Pair Of Great War Aces
When the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917 the country was woefully unprepared. The US Army didn’t have fighter planes, artillery,...
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What’s In A Name?
In the beginning of metallic cartridges their names had meaning. As in .44 Henry Rimfire, where “.44” for bullet/barrel bore diameter, “Henry” for...
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Fickle On Favorites
Upon learning I have spent my entire life with firearms starting with my first .22 rifle at about age 8, people often ask interesting questions. Interesting...
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Cat Guns
Don’t let the title throw you. Up front I want to state Yvonne and I are both cat and dog lovers. This is not about shooting lost or discarded house cats...
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Mountain Mauser
One military Mauser has been torn apart and the action used for high dollar custom sporting rifles more than any other. At least in my considered opinion....
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My Go-Fer AR
Yes, the title is correct. Even me, a lover of Winchester lever guns, Colt SAA’s, Sharps and Remington buffalo rifles, has decided to have a keeper AR....
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US Military Carbines
The Civil War of 1861 to 1865 was likely the heyday of American carbines. Prior to it, horse—mounted troops were expected to fight mounted with pistol and...
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American Arsenal
In the months leading up to America’s involvement in World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt referred to this country as the “arsenal of...
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The Gun With The Funny Grip
Where in the world did the name Bisley come from in reference to handguns? It was simply the name of a shooting range in England and some Americans were...
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A Touch Of Class
Back about 1984 I saved and scrimped and finally had enough dollars to fulfill a dream. It was to get one of Colt’s black-powder frame .45 SAA’s with a...
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Ballisti-Crats
A few years back I viewed on the internet a variety of items currently for sale in a French gun store. Although I knew some European countries do permit...
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Back In The Saddle
After a 20-year near-total hiatus away from Colt SAA’s so I could focus on doing books on other types of historical firearms, I’ve returned to my first...
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Golden-Age Artifacts
Never let it be said I hesitate when buying good used guns. Finish wear (short of major pits) bothers me not a bit as long as mechanical function is still...
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The .45-70’s Offspring
For some reason my psyche likes to consider families of cartridges. An example would be all those derived from the .30-06 case such as .25-06 Remington,...
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M1 Carbine Accessories
The M1 .30 Carbine will forever hold a place in my heart, for it was my very first centerfire of any type. I got it in 1965, and it was one of those 250,000...
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Old West Miracle Shots
Two shots fired during fights with Plains Indians in 1874 have reached mythical proportions. The first to occur is the least known. It happened at the...
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Missing In Action
During my college years I managed to buy three Colt SAA’s: one .45, one .357 Magnum and one .38 Special, which shows where my money was spent instead of...
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