Mike Venturino

Somebody said that photos were always welcome and since I've learned how to do it now I thought to post this photo which accompanied a recent article of mine. Its point is that I use a single bullet mould to cast for this wide variety of firearms. At top is a Navy Arms/Rossi .45 Colt lever gun. Middle are Webley Mk VI .455 S&W, Model 22 .45 ACP/.45 Auto-Rim, Colt 1911A1, and Colt SAA .45. Bottom are my M3 "grease gun" and M1 Thompson (Savage). The only thing I've discovered on the TSMG that isn't M1 is the buttstock, but I have found one now without the cross bolt as part of an M1 parts kit. Just haven't put it on yet. I have cast bullets for all these guns with RCBS mould #45-230CM, a roundnose/flatpoint which is actually meant for the cowboy action shooting crowd but which works great in the full-autos and the 1911 too. Thanks Mike V. http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/MLV1/12-29-08056LargeWebview.jpg

85th Engineer: Thanks for your post. I can't say I noticed the plaque you left but that doesn't mean anything. Because of lack of transportation things were a bit hectic that day. I was lucky to have gotten a ride to the top of the mountain anyway. Some of the people had to walk all the way from the airport. In fact even though I got to go to Iwo I envy you your trip. Not only was the weather awful for us but the Marine Corp crapped out about having vehicles except for the actual veterans and their immediate families. So in walking we were limited to the amount of the island we could cover. I got to ride down the west side of the island to the top of the mountain and then back to the airport. Then I walked from the airport to the invasion beaches on the east side of the island. Then the rains hit and I mean tropical deluges like I have never witnessed before. That caused us to lose several hours of exploring time. In fact I never set foot north of the airport at all so I missed out on all those newly opened caves. Hence my desire to be in better shape and go back before the Japanese put a stop to all visits. Mike

Here are a few more from my trip. http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/MLV1/IwoJima08066LargeWebview.jpg I finally knew that for sure I was going to visit Iwo Jima when we arrived at the Guam airport about 3am that morning and saw this sign at our gate. I wish this photo had been in focus! It meant a lot to me. http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/MLV1/IwoJima08075LargeWebview.jpg This photo is from our 737 looking southeast. Anyone familiar with the island from 1945 photos will see that the spur of land sticking out between us and Mt. Suribachi wasn't there in 1945. The island has risen about 30 feet from the ocean exposing this neck of land. http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/MLV1/IwoJima08118LargeWebview.jpg This photo is of me taking a rest. I was getting a bit tired by then and just as my companion took the photo the wind blew my "rain coat" up. By this time we were soaking wet and although it was warm the wind was blowing so it was a bit chilly. It rained that day like I have never seen water fall from the sky. This location is the monument to where the 5th Division Marine cemetary was located. Also anyone familiar with photos from 1945 will remember that the land was flat and you could see countless crosses on the graves. Now it is completely grown over with jungle except for this small area around the monument. That's enough again for tonight. Tomorrow I'll try to do some of Guam's battle sites. Mike V.

You guys are right. Iwo Jima is ALMOST impossible to get to, and yes it is a day trip. In and out on a chartered 737 from Guam. You actually have to get up about 2am to get to the airport in time for the flight. Its less than two hours by 737 from Guam to Iwo. It is possible for most of us to get there only a single day every year, at least for the last 13 years. That is the day the U.S. Marine Corps and the Japanese commemorate the battle. By treaty the Japanese have to allow the U.S. Marine Corps visit the island and they do allow a historian or two to come once in a while. Other than that one day we ordinary civilians are out of luck. The tour is arranged by a group called Military Historical Tours (miltours.com). And it is a touchy deal even for them. For example, last year there were enough people signed up to justify chartering two 737s and with only two weeks notice the Japanese said only one plane could come. Luckily I was on it because I was actually the first person to sign up for the trip in 2008. The tour group personal said that calling those people who could not go was not a very pleasant experience. I had called miltours within an hour of hearing that they existed. By the way they also take tours to such diverse locations as Stalingrad and Tarawa. I would have liked to go with them to Guadalcanal and Tarawa last November but health and finances wouldn't allow it. Anyway, the tour company is afraid that when there are no more veterans of the battle who can make the Iwo trip then the Japanese will have enough excuse to cancel it altogether. For the 50th anniversary trip in 1995 over 800 veterans of the battle were on the tour. This year there were about 12 or 13. My wife and I have an agreement that if I manage to lose 100 pounds then I can go back. I'm now down 56 pounds on my way to 100. (I did the stomach banding operation.) If the trips to Iwo are not happening then I will take Tarawa instead. You guys are right about the ignorance of people in general about World War II history. I have a dear friend who even has a Masters Degree and when I told him I was going to Iwo he said, "With your bad knee you're going to have problems getting around. You should rent a golf cart when you get there." I said, "Bob, this is Iwo Jima we're talking about. There are no hotels, no restaurants, not much of anything. If I took a million dollars with me I still couldn't spend a penny." I don't think he ever fully understood what I was talking about. To my utter surprise one of the first things I saw on Iwo was a 9 hole golf course. Its for the Japanese military people stationed there (about 400). Anyway, I'll post some more photos later. Mike

Some of you guys asked for more photos from my trip. Here are three. http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/MLV1/IwoJima08064LargeWebview.jpg Many of us bought flags from the National Park Service facility on Guam. Then on top of Mount Suribachi we unfurled them such as these people I photographed are doing. The Japanese were supposed to have a flagpole for us but didn't. This monument they are standing on is the spot were the famous flag raisings were done. http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/MLV1/IwoJima08084LargeWebview.jpg This dozen or so men are veterans of the battle and it was an honor to spend some time with them. One was a sailor that drove a landing craft, one was a B29 crewman who said Iwo saved his life because otherwise they would have gone down in the ocean, one was a commo lineman, one was a tank driver, one was a company commander, and so forth. The tank driver was the only one who said he had seen a Thompson on the island. It was in the Sherman's turret and the tank commander had ordered him to keep his mitts off of it! http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/MLV1/IwoJima08077LargeWebview-1.jpg This view is from the top of Suribachi looking southeast. There is a spur that runs off the volcano and if you look you can see some concrete fortifications along it. That's enough for tonight. I'll put some more up this weekend. Thanks Mike V.

I'll try posting some more photos tonight. I meant to yesterday but instead spent the entire afternoon in the ER because I was afraid I was having another heart attack. Instead and to my relief it turned out to be a gall bladder attack. Mike V.

Ha! Eagle3, I'm the one that taught her to run a camera, and I'm glad I did. It sure takes a load off of me every month at deadline time. I'll post some more Iwo photos tonight. Glad you guys like seeing them. Mike

Since I learned how to post photos (finally) I thought some of you might like to see what the island of Iwo Jima looks like today. These photos were taken on March 12, 2008. http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/MLV1/IwoJima08077LargeWebview.jpg This is from our charter 737 looking northeast. Note how narrow the island is just north of the volcano. There's hardly anywhere on the island you from where you couldn't shoot a Thompson into the ocean. http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/MLV1/IwoJima08082LargeWebview.jpg This is the view from the top of Mount Suribachi facing north about 50 feet to the east of where the flag was raised. Those are the landing beaches the Marines hit on February 19, 1945. They stretch for two miles. What a field of fire the Japanese had up there! Probably the only thing that saved the Marines from worse casualties was that the Navy was keeping the Japanese gunners' heads down. http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/MLV1/IwoJima08100LargeWebview.jpg My greatest disappointment about the trip was the amount of vegetation on the island. The battle had blown it down to bare dirt as all the photos taken then show. However, the U.S. Government re-seeded the island from the air in the late 1940s. Whatever it was they planted, you would have to hack your way through it. Consequently hundreds of the concrete fortifications are covered and virtually inaccessible. Note how tall the growth is over that Marine humvee. Well, that's enough for tonight. To see the view from the invasion beaches back towards Suribachi, see my earlier post on "photo test." Thanks Mike V.

Lancer: Yes I have more Iwo photos. I'll get some more posted here later today. Got some of Guam too.

This is a photo of me shooting my PPsh41. http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/MLV1/kidssmgs004LargeWebview.jpg Yeah! It worked. Now for my Thompson M1. http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/MLV1/6-25-08149LargeWebview.jpg At last, a photo of me on the beach at Iwo Jima with the famous Mt. Suribachi in the background. http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr169/MLV1/IwoJima08091LargeWebview.jpg Thanks for putting up with my experiment! Mike V.

Back when I was about 19 years old there in Mingo County, West Virginia, one of my friend's father was Chief of Police of Williamson. At the time I had a single cavity Lyman bullet mould for .45 ACP and loaded for an old Remington Rand 1911A1. A couple of times I stayed up half the night casting bullets and loading them and the next day my friend's father would give us the department's Thompson to go shoot at the local range. There was never anyone there during the week days and we shot up everything I had loaded in about a half hour max. I would only load about 10 rounds at a time because once my friend got on the trigger he didn't get off until the Thompson was dry. At this late date I couldn't tell you if the Thompson was a '21 a '28 or an M1 or M1A1. I do remember we only had a stick magazine and not a drum. Still I felt pretty cool driving out of town in my friend's '66 Mustang, holding the Thompson muzzle up between my knees. Its no wonder I eventually got one for myself! Mike V.

Joe: I've only put 105 rounds through it so far. That was in just trying out my three magazines to make sure they all work ok. (One doesn't) Also the shooting was just done outside the door into the hillside about 40 yards away at spots in the snow. The weather has just been too bad to go down to my range and actually try to hit something. So far though functioning is 100% except with that one magazine. And its a hoot to shoot. It sort of chugs along where my PPsh41 sounds like a chain saw. As for posting photos I haven't figured out how to do that yet but I did send the ones the seller sent me in the beginning to somebody and they posted them in the Thompson section under my post there. I'm sure happy with the grease gun. Heck I'm sure happy with all six full autos that I bought in 2008! Thanks Mike V.

Zamm: For a real West Virginia experience tell your daughter and son-in-law to someday take old route 52 south towards Williamson. Its 80 or so miles and at least a two hour drive on some of the most windy and curvy roads you can find. They will get back into the hills where valleys are so narrow you can throw a rock across them. They will also begin to see real hillbillies. I took a friend there from the San Luis Obispo area of CA back in 1973. After a bit he looked over at me and said, "Where in the hell are you taking me?" I was there at Marshall when the football team was killed in the plane crash in November of 1970. They made the movie "We Are Marshall" about that a couple of years back. It was a terrible time. I don't get back there often but I stay in touch with my sister and a cousin. Mike

Lone Ranger: Whereabouts in WV are you? I was born and raised in Mingo County down on the KY border. Town of Williamson to be exact. Still got some family there. Home of the Hatfield/McCoy feud and the Coal Mine Union Wars. It was a tough place in the old days. Mike V.

Funny how things are. I lived in Huntington WV for 4 1/2 years while going to Marshall University and couldn't wait for graduation day so I could head to Montana full time. But I think next to NYC it would be heaven. MLV

I think that's the name of the movie I'm looking for. It had Robert Wagner, Buddy Eppson (wrong spelling but the Beverly Hillbillies guy) and Broderick Crawford. I saw it several times as a kid and would sure like to see it again. Another one I'd like to catch again is Never So Few. If anybody knows where I can buy a copy of either of those I'd sure like to hear about it. Thanks Mike V.

I'm starting to feel in the market for one of these semi-auto BARs. If anybody knows of one for sale I'd like to hear about it. Thanks and Happy New Year. Mike Venturino

Hawkeye Joe: I tried to send you an e-mail but it came back. I must have copied down your address wrong. I'll try again today sometime. Thanks Mike V.

Dink: Negative to the SHOT Show. I didn't feel like flying all the way back to Florida. Besides I contracted with Lyman to help them write a new Cast Bullet Handbook so I'll just stay here and work on it. I've fought the "Battle of The Bulge" all my life and have been losing badly these last few years, so I "bit the bullet" and had the stomach banding process done on September 29th, so I've lost the 53 pounds that way. It cost as much as another subgun and insurance wouldn't pay a cent on it but I sure don't regret it. No hunger, no guilt for falling off the wagon, nothing bad at all so far. You just don't feel like eating as much. I sold 50 guns out of my collection to buy these subguns (& M2 Carbine) but so far I've not missed a one of them and I'm having a ball with the full autos. Belt feds? Maybe someday. A BAR - that would be wonderful but not soon. I hope everybody is enjoying Christmas morning. Mike V.

Actually bigbore, we didn't do those photos. They were the ones sent to me by the seller when I was buying the grease gun. However, my wife's photography has been good enough to have several of her photos on the covers of RIFLE and HANDLOADER Magazines this year. In fact the current HANDLOADER cover is a S&W Model 1917 that she photographed. Thanks. There will be another photo coming of four of the other subguns I bought this year. The only one left out is the M2 Carbine. We haven't done anything of it yet. Mike V. PS: Dink, I forgot to also say that as of today I'm 53 pounds lighter than I was when that "Sgt. Schultz" photo was taken last summer.

Dink: I'm always willing to ham it up to get a laugh and we got plenty of laughs out of that photo. Hawkeye Joe, be on the lookout for a few photos coming your way shortly. Thanks Mike V.

Thanks guys: I don't have a clue as to how to post pictures but if someone who does would send me their e-mail address I will forward those I have on hand and then you can post them. (I promise to learn how to post photos soon.) As for videos, that seems like rocket science to me. That's even farther in the future. And yes, living out in the country in Montana is wonderful from a shooting standpoint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mike V.

See my post under the Thompson forum for details. It sure made for a nice Christmas present for myself. MLV

Talk about great timing. Three months to the day back I mailed the Form 4s for an M3 grease gun. It arrived this morning and is even better than I had hoped. It must have been refurbished because it looks brand new. Serial number is 208XXX. Since its snowy, cold, and windy here in Montana this morning all I have done is stick it out the door and fire off 20 rounds to make sure it works. It does. Adding this to my M1 Thompson, MP40, PPsh41 (North Korean) M2 Carbine, and STEN MkII completes my WW2 and Korean War subgun collection. (I know there were others but these are probably the most signifcant and besides I'm now out of money!) Thanks for listening and Merry Christmas to all. Mike Venturino